Top Picks for Museum Birthday Parties
Celebrating Science, Technology, the Environment…and Birthdays!
“You learn something new every day.” A kid must have coined this popular saying—and what’s even better, they enjoy every second of it.. That’s why museums are no-brainers for parents seeking a stimulating, safe venue for their child’s next birthday party. Besides being fun for kids of all ages, museums nurture that insatiable quest for discovery. Here in the Bay Area, you can have your pick of special theme museum to complement your young one’s curious personality. Here are some of our tried-and-true faves to get your birthday plans rolling.
East Bay
Located in the Berkeley hills, above Cal and near an entrance to Tilden Park, the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) offers a public science center and hands-on learning exhibits. For $230, you get admission to the museum for 15 children and 15 adults, as well as reserved birthday party seating either in the shared multi-purpose room or the LHS Bay View Café. (Members pay $210.) All parties get their brainy act on with one of four stimulating workshop themes. Is your child a star gazer or a party animal? Choose between a Planetarium Party and taking an imaginary trip to the moon or a Biology Party, when your wild things can play fun games with real live animals. There are also Chemistry Parties for bubbling things up in the laboratory and Physics Parties for young Einsteins. Reservations must be made 4 weeks in advance at 510-642-5134. Located on Centennial Drive in Berkeley.
For a downtown Berkeley birthday party or excursion, treat your tots to Habitot at 2065 Kittredge Street, where activities range from water play and art classes to squiggling around in the wiggle wall. Or, take a different route altogether with a day trip to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek, where you’ll touch and meet the elusive animals that thrive in our own backyards.
San Francisco
What will you create? That’s Zeum’s motto, which perfectly describes a range of programs and activities relating to animation, video production, sound production, performance, and visual arts. For $275, you get all-day admission for 20 and a private room for 1.5 hrs. $450 will get you themed birthday parties with guided activities in areas like music making and pirate adventure. Bump it up to $600 , and you’ll receive even a more specialized theme party for future newscasters and clay animators. All theme parties include a 45-minute lesson with a staffer, who’ll take the kids step-by-step through their new creative roles, while basic parties include staff assistance with set up and clean up only. All pricing is $50 less for members. Contact the museum at 415-820-3320. Zeum is located at 221 Fourth Street in San Francisco.
Continue exploring birthday options in the Bay Area with a visit to the Exploratorium in the Palace of Fine Arts – there are hundreds of science, art, and human perception exhibits here to choose from. Or, trek on over to the newly renovated and sustainably designed California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park to see an indoor Rainforest exhibition with 1,600 live animals. Let’s not overlook Randall Museum, where kids can unleash all their seismic energy to simulate their very own earthquake.
North Bay
For three years running, the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Marin has been voted the Best Place for a Kid’s Party by the Pacific Sun. It’s not hard to see why – with a 7.5 acre campus, the sprawling museum is the only one in the U.S. located on national park grounds. The effect is energizing for both parents and kids, who experience the stimulating aura of nature while learning how it functions. The indoor/outdoor museum located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge offers activities and exhibitions relating to the local, Bay Area environment. Party rentals range from $200 to $950, depending on the number of guests and level of supplies you want the museum to provide (food is not included in the prices). Contact the museum at 415-339-3900. Bay Area Discovery Museum is located at 557 McReynolds Road in Sausalito.
Fishing for North Bay museums? Check out Scientopia Discovery Center in Napa, a museum created by parents for parents, or the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, because kids young and old love the Peanuts gang!
Bay Area Kids Museum Birthday Parties
