Welcome to the University of St. Thomas
Daniel C. Gainey Conference Center

The Gainey Conference Center of the University of St. Thomas is a full-service conference and retreat facility located in Owatonna, Minnesota*. 

At the Gainey Center your group will receive contemporary meeting space, comfortable lodging, classic cuisine and personal service with an exclusive use option.  Customize your event from the essential to the elegant. 

Your corporate or nonprofit group may utilize the Center’s facilities for training seminars, leadership development conferences, executive meetings, sales strengthening, strategic planning retreats and building team camaraderie. 

Host your next wedding, banquet, special event or spiritual retreat in the historic Gainey home for a unique setting.

Please explore the rest of our website and discover the many meeting packages and event services we offer.

 

* Owatonna is one hour south of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul (the Twin Cities), MSP International Airport, forty minutes from Rochester and Mankato, one and a half hours from Winona and two hours west of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The Gainey Center is the best business retreat environment I have ever used. The rooms are both functional and attractive, creating a modern work place in a beautiful early 20th century estate home setting. The staff and service are terrific as well. Everyone is helpful and friendly, making you feel like honored guests. The food is consistently gourmet caliber, and the pricing is very reasonable. I feel extremely fortunate to have The Gainey Center so nearby, but I would be willing travel to use if it were not.

As an executive secretary organizing a yearly strategic planning session for the executive team and board of directors of a $500 million dollar asset credit union – I wouldn’t want to send them anywhere but the Daniel C. Gainey  Conference Center. Starting with my first phone call and ending with the final culmination of this event for attendees – my attendees received nothing but the finest in professional service, top-notch meeting settings and accommodations and the added bonus of making ME look GREAT for the suggestion of holding the meeting at Gainey. I have yet to find anywhere comparable to the Gainey Conference Center – however, I am not looking at going anywhere else, either.

I found the Gainey Center to be one of the most relaxing places I have been for a multi day meeting. The atmosphere is relaxed, clean and friendly with a touch of history. It is perfect for building relationships and conducting meaningful business. It is just far enough away from the cities to allow you to feel like you are away from the office. I will use the center again. It is a wonderful place.

 P.S. I saw the brightest satellite cross the sky I have ever seen while at the campfire. The sky was unbelievable that night.

I place the Gainey Center at the top of the list of all the conference centers throughout the country I have presented seminars in over the past 25 years. The facilities are superb and the staff just can't do enough to make your stay there as pleasant as possible. In addition the food is first rate.

Based on my experience at the Gainey Center over a period of years I would not hesitate to give it my highest recommendation. It is a place I always look forward to returning to.

Our company held strategic planning meetings at the Gainey Conference Center in November 2003, and found the accommodations, the service and the venue to be warm and welcoming. The facility was comfortable and very conducive to our meetings, the staff was extremely professional, and the food was exceptional. I would not hesitate to bring our group back to the Gainey Center and look forward to our next experience there. I have used the Gainey Conference Center for both customer meetings and internal training seminars. The facilities and grounds are both functional and elegant. The staff is professional and courteous and the food was great! I appreciate their flexibility and the way they designed each of my meetings individually. I look forward to using the Gainey Conference Center for future events!

The Gainey Conference Center provided an ideal venue for our winter offsite. Our group found the facilities comfortable and well suited for presentations and breakout meetings. We enjoyed the broad range of winter activities that Gainey provided – from snowshoeing and cross-country skiing to soccer. Finally, the staff at Gainey did an excellent job taking care of us; they were attentive to our needs, flexible and friendly. We had a great time.