Fernstone Retreat

Built in 1940 by local businessman James Hankins, Fernstone Retreat sits on 450 private acres in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands, near Ohiopyle. Known as "The Gem of the Mountains," the property has served as a wedding venue and retreat for decades and has hosted regional business figures and two U.S. presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. Fernstone Retreat was featured in The Knot's "Best of" magazine from 2015 to 2022. The retreat's hand-timbered Grand Oak Pavilion, built around a 400-year-old oak tree on the property, seats up to 250 guests and anchors weddings ranging from casual barbecue-style celebrations to black-tie affairs. The Corral, Fernstone's main lodge, offers a rustic gathering space with a stone fireplace, cathedral ceiling, and a wrap-around covered porch for additional indoor and outdoor entertaining. The grounds also include a bridal treehouse, an on-site waterfall, a lit wooden bridge, two stocked fishing ponds, miles of hiking trails, and a pool and hot tub. On-property accommodations sleep 45 guests, and the venue can host 600 or more guests for a wedding held on the grounds. Fernstone Retreat hosts weddings, family reunions, religious retreats, and corporate retreats, and has partnered with the Historic Stone House Inn & Restaurant to provide catering for events of any size.