Rules and Regulations for State House Events

When holding an event in the State House, you must follow our policies. Please review the information on this page and in the event application prior to booking.

Scheduling

Reservation requests are accepted beginning on the first of month. We recommend that you submit several possible dates in order of preference in case the first choice is already booked.

When to submit a room request

Accepting reservations in	For the month of
January	June
February	July
March	August
April	September
May	October
June	November
July	December
August	January
September	February
October	March
November	April
December	May

Building Access and Event Setup Times

Building hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and the earliest access to the building and loading dock is at 9 a.m. Events should be scheduled to start no earlier than 10 a.m.

Catering

We do not have preferred caterers. You can work with any vendor you like, but they must provide a certificate of insurance. Please see the event policy for the types and amounts of insurance required.

We do not allow overnight storage of items. You must remove any event materials or rented equipment from the building at the end of your event. Please see the event policy for detailed set up and clean up instructions.

Technical Capabilities

We provide 1 wireless handheld microphone for the event. Any additional equipment needed (multiple microphones, screens, projectors, video equipment, instruments, etc.) would have to be rented by the organization from an AV company.

Our free public Wi-Fi is intended for basic web browsing. The access point name is State House Public Wi-Fi.

Table Sizes

• Rectangular banquet tables: 8’ x 30”
• Round tables: 60” in diameter

Bureau of the State House does not provide tablecloths.

Signage for Events

Paper, cardboard, foam core, wooden, etc. event related signs cannot be displayed on walls, pillars, floors and or ceilings. All event related signs must be displayed on easels in approved space. Easels must not block paths of egress. Handheld signs must be made of paper materials and cannot be supported on or by sticks and or poles of any sort.

Temporary Art Exhibits

We display temporary art exhibits on the fourth floor outside the House Gallery. Doric Hall is no longer available for art exhibits.

Exhibits are limited to one week in duration. You must hang all displayed artwork on the display boards. Easels, tables and standalone displays are not permitted in the area. Price tags, order forms or other similar information is not allowed to be displayed. Receptions or events related to exhibits should be held in one of the second floor event spaces and not in the fourth floor exhibit area. There is no charge to hold an exhibit but we do charge a room fee for events held on the second floor.

You are responsible for hanging your own artwork. Acceptable methods of hanging artwork include:

• Picture rail hangers
• Molding hooks with cables
• Velcro for lighter pieces

We can provide a limited number of hangers and s-hooks. You are not allowed to use:

• Tacks
• Staples
• Pushpins or similar hardware

There are 24 panels available to hang artwork - each panel measures 38.5" wide and 6' tall. The display boards should not be moved or dismantled.

Loading Dock Access

You must arrange access to the loading dock access in advance. Please use the space on your application to list which vendors need loading dock access. State employees can submit a loading dock access form online.

Wheelchair and Mobility Access

The Ashburton Park Entrance on Bowdoin Street is the accessible entrance for the State House. Visitors using The RIDE can use the Capitol Coffee House at 122 Bowdoin Street as the drop off point address. This is across the street from the Ashburton Park entrance. 

Wheelchairs are available for loan upon request at the Ashburton Park accessible entrance.

Please notify the State House Event Coordinator in advance if vans or buses are being arranged to drop off large groups of mobility impaired visitors.

For more information on accessibility for events please contact:

Carl Richardson, State House ADA Coordinator
State House, Room 1
Phone: [phone] x35502
[e-mail]

State House Event Coordinator
State House, Room 1
Phone: [phone] x35532
[e-mail]

Building Maps

For security reasons, we don't distribute maps of the State House. You can find detailed maps inside the building on each floor of the State House and touchscreen informational displays at each entrance.