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About
Magic lives in the form of exquisite, scenic backgrounds surrounding the museum’s rooftop terrace, the only one in Balboa Park! Your guests will be greeted by majestic mountains, stunning views of the harbor, and a romantic atmosphere as the sun sets over the San Diego city skyline.From the moment your guests are welcomed to our largest exhibition floor for your cocktail hour, they’ll be swept off their feet in astonishment. Elements showcasing our nature’s past and present create a memorable atmosphere, all with splashes of your style mirrored through the decor of your choice.The heart of our historic museum lies in the Sefton Atrium, where floor plans are tailored to your cherished experience. The Sefton Atrium is a show-stopping space with a 60’ four-story translucent ceiling and granite floor. Two magnificent staircases lead to this space, designed for a newlywed's grand entrance. Natural light fills this room, allowing for layers of lights to accent the romantic space at night. For intimate weddings, our rooftop terrace can be transformed from a ceremony to a dinner reception. Your guests can watch the stars come out as they celebrate your love, join you for a champagne toast, and dance under the night sky.
Complimentary Wedding Day Details
Childcare room
Themed scavenger hunt for cocktail hour
An on-site venue manager and events team
Save the Date & First Look Photoshoot Opportunity
Pet-friendly wedding ceremony
Customized, to-scale floor plans
In-house sound system and microphone
Personalized contracts and payments
Complimentary parking
2 Hour Wedding rehearsal
Wedding party room with private balcony
Equipment set-up and breakdown
Vendor green room and reference advice
Checklist and wedding day resources
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6937Bb8Ca2Ecc2C25Bb666913B93Fdc132C47D86 Sent on 12/30/2023
4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8
Best Museum to Hold a Wedding Reception in Town
If you're looking for a unique venue to host your wedding, you can look no further than The Nat. The prices are excellent, the museum is beautiful, and its activities are great for guests of all ages.
We held our church wedding at a local parish on 09/30/2023, followed by our reception on the same day at The Nat. Our reception was four hours long, starting with a cocktail hour on the second floor of the museum, and followed by a dinner/dance on the first floor. The museum is very spacious. We held a wedding reception with 160+ guests, with room to expand to 200 and still have space for a dance floor. We also had the advantage of having a scavenger hunt all around the museum (coordinated by The Nat) during cocktail hour, which our guests loved. I highly recommend adding the bar services from The Nat to your event. We got the 3-hour unlimited drinks Paleozoic-Liquor-Beer-Wine-Soda and a 1-hour cashless bar -- to allow people to sober up before leaving the reception.
Overall, we are thrilled with how beautiful everything looked and the services provided at The Nat for our wedding reception. However, I recommend people be mindful that The Nat is a museum first and a wedding venue second. Communication was slow during our wedding planning/coordination period but sped up during our wedding month. Please be mindful of this and be patient with The Nat. They did a fantastic job on the day of our wedding, even gifting our catering team free tickets to visit the museum after our event, and I could not be more content with how incredible our reception was the day of our wedding.
+4photos
Kristen Sent on 12/07/2011
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
We could not have had a more spectacular backdrop for our wedding! My husband and I wanted a venue that was "us" and the San Diego Natural History Museum was it. We were able to craft a really special day with the help of all the amazing staff at the Museum. Our day had everything: breathtaking views of Balboa Park, fun time with all of the exhibits and room to dance and eat into the evening. All of our guests continue to rave about what a spectacular wedding it was and we know its because we had it at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Anna Sent on 12/31/2015
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
We had our ceremony on the rooftop of The Nat and it was absolutely beautiful. They also gave us rooms for the bridal party and grooms party to get ready on the day of. They were extremely accommodating and the location and venue are incredible. Most of our guests were from out of town and they absolutely loved it. It's great that it's not directly in the flight path, but you can still see planes go by, and so awesome to get to see the entire park. Such a beautiful venue for a perfect wedding! Highly reccommend.
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San Diego Natural History Museum frequently asked questions
San Diego Natural History Museum includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
Bridal Suite
Chairs
Clean Up
Event Planning
Lighting/Sound
Parking
Set Up
Tables
San Diego Natural History Museum includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
Cake Cutting
Dessert
Server(s)
Wedding Cake
The bar service starting price at San Diego Natural History Museum includes:
Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine
The space offered by San Diego Natural History Museum for wedding events is known for:
Art Gallery
Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Museum
Park
Rooftop
San Diego Natural History Museum offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor
San Diego Natural History Museum offers the following types of wedding events:
Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner
San Diego Natural History Museum offers the following services for wedding events:
Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Liability Insurance
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi
San Diego Natural History Museum offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
Aisle Markers
Aisle Runners
Altar/Arch
Audio Equipment
Centerpieces
Chairs
Chair Covers
Dance Floor
Decor
Drapery
Furniture
Lighting
Photo booth
Tables
Tents
Tent Accessories
San Diego Natural History Museum is recommended by 88% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.4 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.8 in value, 4.7 in quality of service, 4.6 in flexibility, 4.6 in professionalism and 3.4 in average response time.
