Cowell Ranch Hay Barn

Cowell Ranch Hay Barn Event venue on the UC Santa Cruz campus, with sweeping views of the Monterey Bay and adjacent to the 30 acre Organic Farm and Garden (CASFS).

It’s storms like these that make us remember why we only host ceremonies between June and October in our Ocean View Cere...
02/07/2025

It’s storms like these that make us remember why we only host ceremonies between June and October in our Ocean View Ceremony Site!
P.S. we have two dates left this summer!

These sunny January days have us dreaming of summer events at the Ocean View Ceremony site available for summer weddings...
01/29/2025

These sunny January days have us dreaming of summer events at the Ocean View Ceremony site available for summer weddings and special events.

Celebrate love with us on February 15th at our annual vendor showcase and open house! Free to the public, this event is ...
01/16/2025

Celebrate love with us on February 15th at our annual vendor showcase and open house! Free to the public, this event is a great way to meet stellar vendors for your upcoming wedding or special event. We hope you'll join us!

Join us for a romantic Open House and Vendor Showcase at the picturesque Cowell Ranch Hay Barn in Santa Cruz the day after Valentine’s Day!

New year, new website! We are excited to announce the launch of our new website! This was a long time in the making, and...
01/11/2025

New year, new website!
We are excited to announce the launch of our new website! This was a long time in the making, and we are proud to announce that you can now contact us directly through our page and schedule tours. Special thanks to the photographers who shared their galleries with us, making this beautiful new look possible.

  J&H's 70's dreamscape in September. These two had a vision, and they, along with their spectacular vendors, executed i...
01/08/2025

J&H's 70's dreamscape in September. These two had a vision, and they, along with their spectacular vendors, executed it very well. Thank you for sharing with us!

💡 A Paper Flower Wedding 'Day-Of' Coordination
🍴 Busy Bee's Cafe & Catering
📝 Lia Adams Events
🍽️ Alexis Party Rental

We are looking forward to hosting this unique learning (and tasting) experience this Saturday. Tickets are still availab...
12/05/2024

We are looking forward to hosting this unique learning (and tasting) experience this Saturday. Tickets are still available.

Please join us at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Hay Barn for a wine grape grower and consultant panel on the 2024 season (weather, yields, quality, diseases and pests). Speakers will also discuss how current vineyard growing techniques influence wine flavor, with a focus on soil he...

Did you know the Hay Barn is not only a great wedding venue but also an excellent facility for your next talk, workshop,...
11/25/2024

Did you know the Hay Barn is not only a great wedding venue but also an excellent facility for your next talk, workshop, or lecture? We host up to 20 of these kinds of events every year, ranging from casual book talks by to intimate and compelling lectures by . Find our special non-profit and UC event rates on our website.

Can’t wait to see you all for the fall barn dance today at 3:30!
11/24/2024

Can’t wait to see you all for the fall barn dance today at 3:30!

This was so much fun to host! Happy Retirement Ann!
11/22/2024

This was so much fun to host! Happy Retirement Ann!

Save the date! Join us in the Hay Barn on February 15th for our annual vendor showcase and open house. This free event i...
11/22/2024

Save the date! Join us in the Hay Barn on February 15th for our annual vendor showcase and open house. This free event is open to all, and we welcome all couples and event planners in the Monterey Bay area, not just those who have booked their events at the Hay Barn.

We hope you'll come to celebrate Valentine's Day with us and some of Santa Cruz's best wedding and event vendors! RSVP via the QR code or through our event page on Facebook.

P.S. if you're a vendor who is interested in joining, please send us an email at [email protected]

Photos by Carolyn Lagattuta (middle) and Annie A Photography (top and bottom)

It was a pleasure to host J&J’s reception this evening. From their family and friends setting up yesterday, to the pictu...
11/03/2024

It was a pleasure to host J&J’s reception this evening. From their family and friends setting up yesterday, to the pictures of each of them at different ages as their table numbers, these two truly put their own spin on the day.
coordinator:
rentals:
caterer:
music:

With just one wedding left in the 2024 season, we want to thank everyone who celebrated at the Hay Barn this summer. Con...
10/25/2024

With just one wedding left in the 2024 season, we want to thank everyone who celebrated at the Hay Barn this summer. Congratulations to all the newly weds, and thank you to all of the families who partied it up here with us!

📷 1:
📷 2:

G&Cs vision bloomed in the Ocean View Field these month with their beautiful DIY decor and florals. Cheers to forever yo...
09/26/2024

G&Cs vision bloomed in the Ocean View Field these month with their beautiful DIY decor and florals. Cheers to forever you two!🥂❤️

09/07/2024
One year ago today we had the honor of hosting H&S's special day! These two truly put an incredible amount of thought in...
08/05/2024

One year ago today we had the honor of hosting H&S's special day! These two truly put an incredible amount of thought into every detail, and it shows. Happy anniversary H&S!

Food: Kitchenina
Rentals: Alexis Party Rental and Eventscapes Inc.
Florals: Rosalea Design
Coordinator: Lia Adams Events

Pro tip: While its impossible to predict the weather for your wedding day, your venue manager can likely give invaluable...
08/02/2024

Pro tip: While its impossible to predict the weather for your wedding day, your venue manager can likely give invaluable insight! Inquire about the microclimate around your venue and how it can change yearly. This week last year, the C&K were graced with clear blue skies, a gentle breeze, and temperatures in the high 70s. This weekend's wedding is shaping up to look about that same, and we can't wait!

We LOVE to see DIY decor! J and J used a mirror and vintage chest from home this weekend to create a stunning and welcom...
07/29/2024

We LOVE to see DIY decor! J and J used a mirror and vintage chest from home this weekend to create a stunning and welcoming entrance to the Hay Barn. These cute lanterns doubled as decor and lighting for evening activities.

J&J it was such a pleasure to be a small part of your story. Thank you for choosing to have you wedding here at the Hay Barm. We wish you and your family many years of love and happiness together!

❤️

Address

94 Ranch View Road
Santa Cruz, CA
95064

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cowell Ranch Hay Barn posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Cowell Ranch Hay Barn:

Videos

Share

Category

Cowell Ranch Hay Barn at UC Santa Cruz

The Cowell Ranch Hay Barn was originally built as part of the Cowell Davis Lime Works which was a thriving lime production business operating on what is now the lower part of the UCSC campus in the 1860’s.

The Cowell Lime Works was a manufacturing complex that quarried limestone, produced lime and other limestone products, and manufactured wood barrels that enables the finished lime to be shipped all over the world.

The Hay Barn was used to store hay for the livestock that was an integral part of the ranching and lime extraction operation of the site. Located west of the blacksmith shop and north of the cooperage, it had been used as a utility and storage structure by the campus until it was condemned as unsafe and vacated. Helped by generous donors and countless hours of volunteer time, the campus was committed to restoring the hay barn, and to making it a centerpiece of the campus entry.

Beginning in 2014, the old, dilapidated Hay Barn was carefully disassembled and the pieces catalogued. In rebuilding the Hay Barn, the designers and builders replicated the original timber frame materials and construction techniques and incorporated as muchof the old materials as they could. New wood components match the original in species, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Santa Cruz Timber Frames were contracted for the construction, and the building was framed in one day in the spring of 2015 with the help of volunteer timber framers and other community volunteers.