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Weddings

About

Junipero Serra Museum and San Diego History Center are historic wedding venues in San Diego, California. These two classic, vintage spaces offer beautiful views, a unique environment, and great services to provide a truly unforgettable experience for you and your guests.

Facilities and Capacity
The San Diego History Center, located in historic Balboa Park, has five galleries, a grand atrium, a theater and conference rooms available for use. The Junipero Serra Museum, in Presidio Park, is a mission-style building from 1929 that has gorgeous city anc ocean views. There is an outdoor terrace and intimate gallery space at this location. The maximum capacity for these spaces is 140 guests.

Services Offered
These venues offer several great services to make your wedding celebration great. They offer the option of using outside vendors, so that you can have exactly what you’d like at your event. They also can assist with event rentals, lighting and sound services, and even the cleanup of your event.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$3,200

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$3,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$3,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$3,000

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Clean Up
Parking
Set Up

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

2

Describe your venue:

Historic Building
Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Clean Up
Event Rentals
Outside Vendors

What event items are available?

Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
October
November
December

Reviews of The Junipero Serra Museum

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.7 out of 5 rating
4.7 out of 5 rating
23 reviews
94% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.5 out of 5 rating
Bianca
Bianca M. Sent on 10/19/2022
5 out of 5 rating

5/5 Stars!

Just had my wedding here 10/8/22 and I never regretted it for one second. The experience with the venue was a highlight in the stressful planning journey. I worked with Sue and she was incredible with responding to every question and inquiry I had. The venue is gorgeous and did not need much to impress people and provide a beautiful setting. The location is ideal due to being central and having so many hotels nearby. The one and only drawback was the lack of ADA accessibility. This made it difficult for some guests and vendors to access the spot but working with preferred vendors was helpful since they understood the difficulties already. For guests there is a stairway and also a more ramp to less stairs entrance that was preferred for guests who had trouble with stairs. In the end I would highly recommend this location for a beautiful wedding!
C
Courtney O. Sent on 07/31/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Stunning Views

The Junipero Serra Museum created the most beautiful backdrop for our romantic summer wedding under the stars.

When looking for a venue, we had some pretty specific criteria:
-Outdoor Reception (the San Diego weather deserves to be taken advantage of)
-Beautiful view
-Dancing until 11pm
-Within the city of San Diego (less than 20 mins from USD)
-The right size for 100 guests (not too big, not too small)

You'd be surprised by how few venues fit this criteria. With our church wedding taking place at USD, we were firm on our criteria, but all it took was a few steps across the terrace at the Serra Museum to know it was the one.

First of all, the museum itself is stunning. They recently re-stucco'd the exterior of the building giving it a pristine white color. The arches across the terrace perfectly framed components of our event like our bar, DJ and lounge set up. Then, turn the other way and you've got a beautiful sunset view that stretches for miles. The sun set perfectly as our guests were seated for dinner and during dancing, we were treated to a spectacular firework show from Sea World.

Additional considerations when planning a wedding: If you wanted, you could hold your ceremony in the museum itself. The museum was available for use during our reception. They have plenty of parking. They have a preferred vendor list and you must use one of the approved caterers. The list was plentiful and we went with the Abbey Catering, who did a phenomenal job. The venue is a historic building and not ADA compliant. There are a lot of stairs, but the height on the hill makes for the perfect views.

We have to give a shoutout to the venue's coordinator, Sue, who is fabulous! She was so responsive and made herself available on numerous occasions for us to tour the space and walk through with our various vendors. We loved working with her and were so grateful for all of her help throughout the entire planning process.

You can walk the terrace at anytime so we love that for years to come, we'll be able to come back to revisit the special place that will forever hold a spot in our hearts.
Ruth
Ruth Sent on 05/23/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Venue

A beautiful historic venue in San Diego. Besides it’s central location, the scenic views and beautiful architecture make for an unforgettable day. The museum events coordinator Scott Kelley was amazing to work with. He went above and beyond to ensure our every need was met. We couldn’t be happier with our choice.

Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
SONGSTRUCK Weddings and Events SONGSTRUCK Weddings and Events Wedding DJs

Both Junipero Serra and the San Diego History Center are awesome. Junipero Serra is perched on a "precarious" hillside and overlooks most of Western San Diego, from La Jolla to Downtown. It's intimate terrace is perfect for an outdoor wedding reception. San Diego History Center has a great roster of exhibitions that lend another perspective to the depth of America's finest city. Nicole George, the Events Manager, has been incredibly friendly, helpful, and a professional at what she does. Not to mention her enthusiasm for the Junipero Serra and the History Center, which shows her where her passion lies. The Junipero is one of San Diego's best kept secrets for intimate, beautiful, let-San-Diego-charm-you styled weddings, and I thoroughly endorse both venues and Nicole George!

Preferred Vendors
Abbey Catering & Event Design Co
4.9 out of 5 rating , 120 reviews
· Wedding Caterers
Brothers Signature Catering & Events
4.9 out of 5 rating , 9 reviews
· Wedding Caterers
Coast Catering
5.0 out of 5 rating , 24 reviews
· Wedding Caterers
The Wild Thyme Company
4.8 out of 5 rating , 42 reviews
· Wedding Caterers
JMC Events
4.9 out of 5 rating , 66 reviews
· Wedding DJs
SONGSTRUCK Weddings and Events
4.9 out of 5 rating , 60 reviews
· Wedding DJs

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