Amador Rancho Center

This is a long overdue review of the Amador Rancho Center...but better late than never.Growing up with a brother can make for anything but a peaceful childhood. Lucky me, I get three so I was not spared from being chased with boogers or farted on. If anything it just sharpens your spidey senses preparing for the next day's creative torture method and thickens your skin for an onslaught of teasing till the tears come. Or embarrassing you in front of a cute guy...that apparently never gets old. So fast forward to more recent times, older brothers aren't all bad. They do have their redeeming qualities like helping you with making a big move and stepping up to lend their hand when they see you drowning. Or even using their spidey senses to check in when they know something's off.So when my niece approached me about her dad's birthday milestone I volunteered to help her and off we went to find a place. My original intention was to try to book the Dougherty Station Community Center but they were already booked by the dance team for the whole month I wanted. One of the staff members transferred me to Louise, who took care of the Amador Rancho Center. We made an appointment to see the place and booked it as soon as we saw it. It was perfect in size as we were anticipating 100-150 people. The tables and chairs were already provided, all we had to do was give Louise a chart of how we wanted them arranged. What I loved about the place is that there is a playground nearby for kids in the party who get bored. They also happened to have a lot of parking space for guests. The bathrooms are clean and plenty. There's a fridge to store your food and a kitchen sink. They also have a staff member on duty to help you with your needs during the event.Other perks of the venue is that they have 4 TVs mounted on the wall and a projector for all your needs. You may want to make sure you have a back up method as my niece was having problems with her Mac. Luckily someone had a PC and was able to hook up the montage she had made for her Dad. But best part of all, I got to see my brother's surprised look and see him get teary. Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to take a pic.Tip: if you have a date- book STAT because the calendar fills up. I booked 8 months in advance when I found out my first choice for a day was taken. - get organized with your plans i.e.: caterer, DJ, and whatever business because they will want a copy of the business licenses- you will have to pay insurance for the event-they only allow painter's tape when it comes to hanging stuff.-no mylar balloons just latex-The rate to rent the hall is cheaper if you are a resident of San Ramon...so make some friends from there =) if you like the venue

Awesome space to have large party! I've been here a few times for my friend's kids' birthday parties. I really like how new it is and the lush green landscape and playground in the area.

Wonderful venue to host an event! We held a 1st birthday party here and everything was perfect! The massive playground is a bonus! The staff, especially Travis and Steve were very organized and responsive! I must have asked them 50 questions and they were so nice in answering them all. The event staff that day were very helpful as well - Jennifer and Rob. The venue is modern, clean and very functional for a party of about 75 which is what we had. Many of our guests were blown away with how nice it is. You can have your own catering but need insurance for alcohol. Wonderful venue overall!

Called several times. Very poor communication from staff after my initial call. 3 unreturned calls, straight to voicemail every time. In the end it actually worked out to throw the party on our property because I was able to book ponies, a petting zoo, caricature artist and face painter for our little girl's 3rd Birthday. Due to liability issues I wouldn't have even requested to do this at an alternate location. So, in the end I guess I should be thankful that they were so rude.

We only checked out the playground, but it was a fun and well-kept space for kids of most ages. There is an area for 2-5 year olds, lots of great structures for older kids, and the best part is a large water pad which is controlled by the press of a button. We tested it- it works really well and looks like a lot of fun for when we come in bathing suits. This is a great community resource!