You once needed a ticket to the afterlife to gain access to this former Palm Springs crematorium. Now, the space is being resurrected as an event venue where the living can celebrate all types of special gatherings.
The 4707 blends an industrial loft with a desert-glam vibe to provide 6,000 square feet of indoor entertaining space (for a total of 8,000 square feet when you combine both indoor and outdoor space). Located at 4707 E. Sunny Dunes Road, the venue will operate November through May with select seasonal events planned.
Owned and produced by 4707 Events, the space has a storied history in Palm Springs — it was formerly a crematorium before it became a mortuary, and then it was purchased and converted into a car showroom for owner Brad Prescott’s private collection. Now, he has decided to turn it into an event venue.
The site will have a formal launch event Friday, Oct. 31, with an invite-only Halloween party that will showcase interactive environments that nod to the building’s historic past. Quarterly parties are expected to occur in the future, like an annual Halloween bash that the public will be able to attend.
Here’s what to expect from The 4707.
Multiple rooms for entertaining
General manager Chris Thompson said there are three spaces available for people to rent out for their events.
The largest is Club Room 1, which consists of around 1,700 square feet, with an attached outdoor patio. Club Room 2 is around 1,200 square feet and has its own outdoor space as well that offers mountain views. Finally, there’s Club Room 3, which is around 1,000 square feet, and is ideal for smaller, intimate groups.
By Club Room 3, there is a large outdoor lot where Thompson envisions food trucks parked for a big gathering.
In addition to the club rooms, there is an in-house kitchen that can be utilized for catering services if needed.
“Depending on who wants to use it how, it’s an incredibly flexible space,” Thompson said. “The goal is to be able to divide it off into smaller parts too. Not so much for getting a double booking, although that would be lovely, but it’s more about, if you have 100 people, we want you to feel welcome here and not lost in this space.”
Thompson said The 4707 can account for a variety of events, including weddings, corporate functions, holiday parties, health and wellness meetings, birthdays and more. He and owner Prescott also want to make it an affordable option in town for people, although he did not share specific prices during an interview with The Desert Sun. Discounted first-year pricing is currently available.
The venue itself has been renovated over the years, although you can still find remnants of its crematorium and mortuary days with wide doorways that allowed for gurneys to pass through. The original bell tower is still part of the building.
So far, Thompson said he hasn’t come into contact with any ghoulish spirits lingering about the grounds. “I always tell people they were dead before they got here,” he said with a laugh.
Seasonal parties planned for each quarter
On top of renting out the venue for private events, Thompson said in-house production will host quarterly, seasonal parties to get more people to the space.
With the Halloween launch event, Thompson said he is a big fan of immersive and experiential shindigs, so guests shouldn’t expect your typical cocktail party. Each room inside the venue will have its own identity representing an aspect of death or the process of dying.
“There are going to be some elements that are going to surprise you,” Thompson said. “I will say, the candy station is going to be really fun.”
After the Halloween party, Thompson is planning a New Year’s Eve bash called Threshold, which will be all about transitioning into the new year with rooms dedicated to elements that happen around midnight. A spring party will be called The Velvet Hour, which will be in the style of a speakeasy cabaret. It will be dedicated to romance and be “tactile, sensual and fun,” Thompson explained. Finally, the summertime will bring Heat Index, which is planned as a hot summer dance.
He added that The 4707 will offer a membership series so that members can play a flat fee to get access to seasonal events and additional perks.
For more information
What: The 4707 event venue
When: Opening Oct. 31
Where: 4707 E. Sunny Dunes Road, Palm Springs
More info: Visit www.4707events.com
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs’ newest event venue has a morbid past. The owner is leaning in
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
