John Ball Zoo Bissell Treehouse Reviews
Reviews
4.6 out of 5 rating
4.6 out of 5 rating
34 Reviews
92% recommend it
Awards
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Meaghan Sent on 12/13/2022
Perfect wedding experience!
Working with Annie at the Bissell Treehouse was a dream! She helped make all of our wedding reception dreams come true and we could not have had a better day. She made things as stress free and easy as possible. 100/10 would get married here again and again 🤍 -
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Addie C. Sent on 08/17/2021Amazing wedding
I had my dream wedding at the tree house. The zoo staff are great to work with and it is the perfect intimate setting for a wedding. Beautiful view and venue, unique and original! -
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Zach G. Sent on 02/02/2020A Once in a Lifetime Event
My wife and I worked closely with Skye from the JBZ team and it was remarkable from the first moment we saw the treehouse. There is so many great things to say about JBZ and the team. First the venue is without a doubt one of the most beautiful locations in Michigan. The treehouse is beyond unique and held our 100+ people comfortably. The layout works flawlessly for wedding prep, and the funicular is a blast for the guests. Guests are still talking months later how amazing the venue was. We were able to take amazing pictures around the zoo, and the biggest benefit, the money we paid went to a great organization, that cares truly about their animals and the environment. -
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Katie V. Sent on 09/30/2019This venue is a DREAM.
I am SO grateful that I was able to have my wedding reception in this space. It is absolutely stunning and provided us with exactly the vibe that we wanted. It has a beautiful outdoors feel to it, has massive windows with a lot of natural light, and the wood walls are beautiful. I really loved that it had two separate outdoor deck areas for guests who wanted to be outdoors or to socialize without having to yell over loud music. The view of downtown Grand Rapids is AMAZING. We received several comments about how beautiful and unique our reception venue was. The funicular was a huge hit and really gave the guests a fun and unique experience. We also got some stunning photos at the zoo (waterfall pictures, plenty of natural greenery, etc.). Overall, I couldn’t imagine anything better. It was the PERFECT venue for us and my wedding was an absolute dream. The only thing to keep in mind is that the venue works for small to mid-sized weddings. If you have a large guest count, you’ll (sadly!) have to look elsewhere. The alcohol package was through the zoo as well and I am very happy with those services – our guests had a great time. Our coordinator, Darci, was wonderful. Highly recommend! -
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Geena Sent on 08/26/2019Great Venue!
We had our wedding reception at the Bissell Treehouse at the John Ball Zoo on June 21, 2019. We went with this venue because we are both architects/designers and the architecture is absolutely beautiful, plus riding the funicular to the top is a one of a kind experience!
We had booked a venue in Detroit previously and it all went wrong, so when we decided to rebook somewhere else we were nervous about the same thing happening. That was not the case at all, the staff here are wonderful. They are responsive, knowledgeable, and great to work with. They have all the information you need and call all your vendors to make sure everything is in place for you.
I would say the only downside to this venue is that there is only 2 hours before the start time that are available for set up, so if you are thinking of a DIY wedding you may want to rethink that. We had vendors for everything that needed to be set up, including a day of coordinator for our decorations.
Overall I was very pleased with this venue and got so many compliments on how beautiful it was, i would definitely recommend. -
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Kelsey Sent on 05/07/2019Exceptional Venue
Everyone was raving about our venue choice! The funicular wasn’t running, but the zoo was able to shuttle people up to the treehouse. I wish they had made signs or something to help people know about the shuttles because some of my guests walked the whole zoo to get there!! BUT otherwise EXCELLENT service, EXCELLENT venue. -
User2490075 Sent on 01/01/2016The Bissell Tree House was a great place for our reception. Naturally beautiful and elegant. Everyone said they loved it. The staff was easy to work with and helped me think through my decisions and the placement of the food, bar, etc. Everyone had fun riding the furnicular up to the Tree House. We loved everything about it. -
User1860564 Sent on 10/13/2014the perfect location for an intimate reception. beware, if the funicular is broke it takes forever to get your guests up to the top via the shuttle -
User1457228 Sent on 11/29/2013The Bissell Tree House as the John Ball Zoo is the perfect place to hold your wedding! We held our ceremony & reception in the same location! Because we did not live in the area we did a majority of our planning by email. Kristen, our point person, responded to emails promptly, was super accommodating & helpful throughout the whole planning process. Also she went out of her way to contact all of our vendors to make sure that they knew where to go & park. She helped us from start to finish; and was even present on the day of our wedding.
The venue is beautiful since it is only a little over a year old. It's in perfect condition. You take a funicular to get up to the venue in the trees & can see wonderful views of the Grand Rapids skyline. We had planned to hold our ceremony outside on their covered balcony, but due to chilly October weather we moved it all inside & it was absolutely perfect! No one was the wiser & everyone was comfortable. There was plenty of room to hold our ceremony & have the reception all set up & ready to use right after we were finished. & their staff removed the chairs from the dance floor swiftly & without anyone noticing that it had happened.
I really cannot express how happy we were with everything! It was the perfect location to hold our wedding & everyone loved it! -
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Tynisha Sent on 10/28/2013Anthony was AWESOME. They did change the price of a few things, but he did make sure to give me the heads up. I also booked prior to them upping the rental price, so it was well worth the money. Perfect view, my guest loved the funicular and I had no worries at all. It's also nice to know I can always go back and visit. :) -
User1343763 Sent on 09/23/2013Anthony was a huge help and took a load off my shoulders.
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User944763 Sent on 09/24/2012We had our wedding at the tree house and it was absolutely beautiful. Anthony was our contact for the wedding and he was extremely helpful. He contacted all our vendors, gave them directions to the tree house, set up dates for them to come view the place, etc. It was kind of like having a built in wedding planner free of charge! We were really disappointed when the Funicular broke for our big day, but they gave us the Grand Rapids trolley free of charge and it was so cute, everyone loved it, and they worked great to get people up to the tree house.
My only complaint was that they wouldn't close the bathroom to the public, so my bridesmaids and I had to change and do our hair and makeup in a small bathroom shared with the public who had made their way up to the tree house.
Other than that, everything was wonderful. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The pictures turned out beautiful with the gorgeous building and gorgeous view. You cannot go wrong with this venue!! It's a beautiful location and the staff is extremely helpful. Wonderful! -
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Sarah Sent on 12/07/2023Dream Wedding
This venue provided us a space that felt magical, unique and elegant all at once making our wedding just wonderful! Annie was our coordinator and she was just a delight to communicate with. The venue was clear and detailed which made decision making a breeze and aided in quick responses to our many questions. The catering list was flexible for all budgets and accommodations available within the venue were fun. We had animals visit our cocktail hour and a fireplace that warmed the ambiance. The bar staff was very friendly and kept the crowd moving which was appreciated; I never once waited in a line for my drinks. The team in all was an honor to works with and they know exactly what they are doing and worked along with my masters of ceremony so well. Thank you JBZ for a night of perfection for us. -
User2584209 Sent on 04/21/2016The Bissell Tree House is a unique, gorgeous venue. So many guests commented on how beautiful the location was. Our April wedding allowed for a perfect view of the Grand Rapids skyline. Heather Parry was excellent to work with - she was prompt, professional, and thought of so many details that I hadn't. JBZ will coordinate with all of your vendors for the delivery and timing. Though you do have to pick from a set catering list, they have such great knowledge of the catering companies that it really does make everything go so smoothly. JBZ and the catering company we chose communicated so that every last detail was covered. Unfortunately, the funicular was broken on the day of our wedding. Heather was able to let me know a few days ahead of time, and I knew that it was a possibility when we made our decision to have it at the Tree House. Guests didn't realize a thing, and the trolley that they had as a backup was very cute! My only recommendation would have been to have more than one trolley. Some guests (including the bride and groom!) had to wait awhile at the end of the night for the single trolley to come back up. Nonetheless, I would recommend the Tree House to anyone!
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User2157370 Sent on 06/01/2015This is easily the best venue in Grand Rapids & probably a unique find anywhere. This venue is easy to work with & the entire night was truly spectacular. My husband & I picked this venue because it is unlike your typical banquet hall or golf course setting. The Tree House provides a Funicular to transport guests from the parking lot to the hill top & this is an experience that the guests find very fun. The day of is a little confusing because you cannot begin setting up for the event until 2 hours prior. As a result, you are not present for any of the prep work & guests start to arrive before you have the venue set up. The venue does not have a place for the bridal party to get ready in so you have to do that off site. Because of this you do tend to feel a little rushed & frantic but it all worked out & the end result was beautiful & amazing. The venue is worth it!
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