Facility br/>Rental
Facility Rental
Create Unforgettable Memories at the Bowers Museum
World-class exhibitions and exquisite event spaces make the Bowers Museum the ultimate location to host your next event —from weddings to graduations, proms to conferences, and holiday parties, the Museum offers an experience your guests will never forget!
Meet the Special Events Coordinator
Sean Zaremba
Available Spaces
Fluor Family Gallery
Meetings & Symposiums | Small Wedding Ceremonies | Recitals | Lectures & Presentations
Historic Courtyard
Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions | School Dances | Quinceañeras | Corporate/Non-Profit Cocktail Hours and Receptions | Expos | Fashion Shows
Historic Balcony
Cocktail Hours & Mixers | Birthdays | Showers
Freeman Galleria
Cocktail Hours & Mixers | Silent Auctions
Thompson Foyer
Cocktail Hours & Mixers | Silent Auctions
Norma Kershaw Auditorium
Performances & Recitals | Award Ceremonies | Lectures & Presentations | Panel Discussions | Screenings | Religious Ceremonies | Graduations | Meetings & Symposiums
John M. Lee Court
Holiday Parties | Wedding Receptions | Corporate/Non-Profit Galas | Celebrations of Life | School Dances | Retirement & Employee Appreciation Events | Award Ceremonies | Religious Ceremonies | Panel Discussions | Expos | Meetings & Symposiums | Dressing Space for Fashion Shows
Sculpture Garden
Small Wedding Ceremonies | Receptions & Mixers | Birthdays & Quinceañeras | Showers
Pricing & Options
EVENT VENUES | Time Frame | Maximum Capacity | Museum Open Hours Rate | After Hours Rate | Additional |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDOOR VENUES | |||||
Norma Kershaw Auditorium | Up to 5 hours | 292 | $1,980 | $2,475 | $495 |
John M. Lee Court | Up to 5 hours | 387 | $4,950 | $4,950 | $855 |
Freedman Galleria | Up to 5 hours | 200 | N/A | $2,475 | $495 |
Thompson Foyer | Up to 5 hours | 60 | N/A | $990 | $250 |
Fluor Gallery | Min 2 hours* | 70 | $250/hour | $990 | $250 |
OUTDOOR VENUES | |||||
Historic Balcony | Min 2 hours* | 70 | $250/hour | $990 | $250 |
Historic Courtyard | Up to 5 hours | 500 | $4,950 | $4,950 | $855 |
Sculpture Garden | Up to 5 hours | 200 | $1,980 | $2,475 | $495 |
Full Museum (exhibitions not included) offered at $11,000 for 1,000 person maximum and $5,500 for half the venue. Damage deposit of $2,000 will be held on credit card. Subject to change dependent on guest count.
Upgrade Options
- Open a dazzling array of exhibitions to your guests for a unique experience.
- Utilize Bowers Technicians to assist with audio or visual elements.
- Rent out the entire Tangata Restaurant.
- Add a touch of polish with valet parking services.
- Wow guests in the John M. Lee Court with your presentation or video played on dual jumbo screens
All Inclusive
- All rentals include a family-level Bowers Museum Membership!
- Rates include a 2-hour setup and a 1.5-hour take down time for catering. An additional hour of setup (3 in total) is allotted for weddings and proms
- Rates include Museum security and custodial services for Museum property
- Free parking in Museum lot (300-500, depending on event hours), exceptions may apply.
- Wireless Internet
- Tables and chairs in assorted sizes for up to 200 guests
Special Offer: Enjoy 15% off your first space and reduced catering minimums when booking weddings on Fridays & Sundays
Catering
Patina Restaurant Group is the exclusive food and beverage partner for Bowers Museum. Patina offers cuisine prepared with fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients carefully considered and expertly finished. Enhanced by gracious service, Patina’s signature creations make an impressive statement to your guests. For catering options, please contact Special Events at BowersEvents@patinagroup.com.
Saturday: Food & beverage minimum $10,000
Sunday – Friday: Food & beverage minimum $6,000
Food & Beverage minimums do not include staffing, taxes, or service charge.
Prices subject to change; verify booking with Special Events Office.
Facility Rental FAQ
Rules & Regulations
Museum-Wide Rules
- Real candles must be in enclosed containers (ex. hurricanes) and unscented. Flames cannot come out of the container.
- Live music must be kept at a reasonable level and end by 11pm.
- Nothing can be taped, stapled, or nailed to the museum or its property (ex. podiums).
- Everything must be at least 3 feet away from the artifacts and screens.
- Large equipment and anything potentially hazardous (ex. open flame) must be approved by the Special Events Department prior to the event.
- No sparklers, rice, or confetti. Bubbles and flower petals are allowed outdoors.
- The museum’s artworks cannot be the central focus of photographs, but they can be in the background.
- Anything media-related is subject to approval by the museum.
Indoors-Specific Rules
- No fog machines.
- Real candles are only allowed in the John M. Lee Court and must be placed on the center of the tables (not on the floor), preferably in water. Fake candles are allowed everywhere.
- Florals must be in water, not soil.
- Balloons must be filled with a gas that does not cause them to float to the ceiling (if they get detached, they must fall onto the floor).
- Food and drink are not allowed in the auditorium, Fluor Gallery, or changing suites. Water is allowed in the Hsu and Green Room.
Open-Hours Rules (10am-4pm)
- No live music inside the museum.
- The museum guests are allowed to walk through the John M. Lee Court (around events in this space) to get to the exhibits unless an additional fee is paid.
- The Thompson Foyer and Freedman Galleria cannot be rented during open-hours.
Certificates of Insurance *IMPORTANT*
Certificates of Insurance are required from any third-party vendor stepping onto the property on the day of your event. This includes friends and family members that own a business that you are utilizing. The museum has specific requirements for this, and these requirements will be sent to you. Please ask for these COIs from your vendors at least a month in advance. Any vendor not providing a valid COI that meets our requirements will not be allowed on the property.
Setup & Strike
All setup and takedown by you and your vendors must be completed during the timeslot dictated on your contract, unless you receive prior approval from the Special Events Department (vendors cannot arrive earlier in the day or leave their items on-site overnight). Any boxes or other items that need to be disposed of that are brought by you or your vendors must be thrown away by the applicable party. You and your vendors must set up anything that you bring in. The Bowers Security will lead you to the trash and recycle bins. Any setup in the Thompson Foyer or Freedman Galleria must be completed off to the side during business hours so that guests can continue to walk down these main paths. Setup in the John M. Lee Court cannot block access to the exhibits for the museum guests.
Bad Weather
Should bad weather occur, the museum will move your event indoors to the best of their ability. Space inside is limited, so your guests may be spread out or there may no longer be room for rentals like stages, depending on your guest count. You are responsible for planning ahead to either postpone with no penalty fee or source and pay for protection from the weather (for example, tenting).
Facility Galleries
Historic Courtyard
This historic early-California garden area is perfect for corporate functions, galas, fundraisers, or any event that wants to utilize a dramatic outdoor setting.
Use For
- Most Popular Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions Spot
- School Dances
- Quinceañeras
- Corporate/Non-Profit Cocktail Hours and Receptions
- Expos