Birthday Party FAQs

Fill out the online inquiry form. A Science Museum team member will reach out to discuss your package, policies and the availability of your selected date/time. They will then draft a contract with all the details and send it to you to sign and return within 48 hours.

We do not book birthday parties more than 60 days in advance.

We book birthday parties Saturdays and Sundays. There are two slots each day: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There is a 30-minute setup window, 1.5 hours of dedicated party room time and 30-minutes of cleanup time built into each party package.

You have 90 minutes of celebration time with guests in the birthday party room. After that, your guests may explore the Science Museum. While guests are welcome to stay at the Science Museum until it closes at 5 p.m., we highly recommend the host list an ending time to make pickup easier.

The host is responsible for making sure any young party guests are in the Rotunda to meet their caregiver at pickup. Caregivers who drop children off for a birthday party do not receive free admission and will not be able to enter the Science Museum to search for the child at pickup. A Science Museum team member is not available to escort guests to the Rotunda or caregivers into the exhibitions.

No, the host will have 30 minutes to clean up the party room after the celebration ends. They must remove all items before joining guests in the Science Museum exhibitions so a Science Museum team member can prepare the space for the next birthday party.

No. Each space may only accommodate the number of guests listed: 20 for WonderPlace, 30 for the Challenge Lab and 40 for the RF&P Forum.

While it’s up to the party host if caregivers must stay with their child during the party, the Science Museum requires one adult for every five children in both the birthday party room and during open exploration time in the exhibitions. Caregivers who drop off their children for the party do not receive free admission to the Science Museum.

When guests get to enjoy open exploration time in the Science Museum after the in-room celebration, the entire birthday party group does not have to stay together. That said, all children must be with an adult at all times. The Science Museum requires one adult for every five children. Caregivers who drop off their children for the party do not receive free admission to the Science Museum. The birthday party host is responsible for any incidents or damage involving their party guests.

Depending on the party package you select, our parties are hosted in WonderPlace (an authentic train car on the tracks behind the Science Museum), the Challenge Lab (a bright, colorful room on Level 0) or the RF&P Forum (a sophisticated historical space just off the Rotunda on Level 1).

Science Museum birthday party packages are for children ages 3-12.

Yes, for each party package, the birthday child is included in the count listed: 20 for WonderPlace, 30 for the Challenge Lab and 40 for the RF&P Forum. Those are the total number of guests–children and adults combined–each space may hold.

Our birthday party packages include the following items:

• Party space (guest capacities vary depending on party package selected)
• Free Science Museum admission (number of tickets vary depending on package selected)
• Free Science Museum parking for all guests
• Party room with chairs and tables (enough to accommodate the number of guests included in the package selected)
• Table covers (host can choose either blue, red, green or yellow)
• Printable party invitations
• 20% discount coupon for the Science Museum’s gift shop for guests
• Assistance with party setup and cleanup

Science Museum birthday parties do not include facilitated programming. Birthday party guests are welcome to attend public programming at the Science Museum if it is offered within their open exploration time.

The WonderPlace Package costs $325 for members and $400 for non-members. The Challenge Lab Package costs $400 for members and $475 for non-members. The RF&P Forum Package costs $500 for members and $625 for non-members.

The party host may arrive 30 minutes prior to the event start time to decorate. For a 10 a.m. party, the host may arrive at 9:30 a.m. to set up. For a 2 p.m. party, the host may arrive at 1:30 p.m. to set up.

Yes! You may bring food and beverages of your choice with a few exceptions.

• You may not bring alcohol or have the meal professionally catered.
• You may not serve food that requires open flames, heating elements or grills.
• You may bring an ice chest or coolers. The Science Museum does not provide refrigeration or access to ice machines.
• Food delivery is allowed. You are responsible for meeting the delivery person and handling all communications with your vendor.
• The party host will handle all food and beverage set up and all aspects associated with serving. Any food or beverage left in the party room after the 90-minute celebration timeframe has ended will be thrown away.

You may bring your own themed decor such as centerpieces, table covers, plates, napkins, cups, cardboard cutouts, etc.

You may bring one banner. The banner must be no more than 6 feet long due to the placement of the hanging mechanism. Only a Science Museum team member can hang the banner. Nails, tacks, tapes, wires or any other adhesion methods are prohibited.

All other decorations must be placed on the tables/chairs or must be free-standing. Nothing may be affixed to any walls, ceilings, windows or other Science Museum surfaces.

Helium balloons, loose glitter, confetti, paper streamers or flower petals are prohibited.

You may have characters, face painters, clowns and special guests at your party. Please inform a Science Museum team member if you plan to have any special entertainment.

You may not have animals at the party unless it is a service dog under the care of their owner. If service animals will be present at the birthday party, please notify a Science Museum team member in advance and have the guest with the service animal check in at Guest Services upon arrival.

As part of each package, the Science Museum offers the host a party invitation template. These are sent as a PDF. If you want to mail invitations, you may print the invitations on cardstock, fill in the information about your party, add a stamp and stick them in the mail. If you prefer to share the invitations electronically, you can enter the party information into the fillable fields and either take a screenshot or convert the file to a jpeg to send to guests.

Yes, the host will need to give their birthday coordinator a final headcount four days prior to the event so the Science Museum can have the correct amount of admission stickers and gift shop coupons available.

The party host can check in at Guest Services upon arrival. A Science Museum staff member will meet the host and escort them to the party space.

Please ask your guests to arrive promptly at the party start time and wait in the Rotunda. The host should walk all guests to the party location as a group. If you have late arrivals, please be prepared to have someone from your party meet those guests in the Science Museum’s Rotunda to bring them to the party space. A Science Museum team member is not available to escort your guests to the party space.

Payment must be made in full when your signed contract is returned, which must be within 24 hours of confirmation of your date.

Parties canceled prior to 14 days before the party date will receive a 75% refund.

Parties canceled within 14 days of your event will not be refunded.

If an emergency arises and you need to reschedule, please contact the birthday coordinator.

A signed copy of the birthday party contract and full payment must be received within 48 hours of the Science Museum’s approval of the date, time and location. Failure to provide both will result in a loss of the reservation.

We can accept payment online, by phone or by check. We accept all major credit cards. Please let the Science Museum team member know what method you prefer for further instructions.

You may not extend time in the party room, but you and your guests are more than welcome to explore the Science Museum after your celebration for as long as you’d like until the Science Museum closes at 5 p.m.

Yes, all birthday party locations are accessible to wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Please let the Science Museum team member know prior to your event if additional assistance is needed.