Top California Museums

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  San Jose Museum of Art

  110 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

  • Spaces for 200-3,000 Guests
  • 5 Museums
  • 1 Outdoor
  • 5 Total Spaces

  San José Museum of Art (SJMA) occupies a landmark position on the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in the heart of downtown San José, California. Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, the museum has grown into Silicon Valley's premier modern and contemporary art institution, earning re-accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums — a distinction held by fewer than 1,200 of the nation's 33,000 museums and just 78 in California. The museum's event program spans four distinct rental configurations, accommodating groups from intimate gatherings to full-buyout celebrations of up to 500 guests. Events take place amid a collection of more than 2,700 works and a rotating exhibition calendar that draws roughly 100,000 visitors a year. Rental packages include access to the New Wing, the Historic Wing, or both — each with its own combination of lobby space, gallery areas, and the Skybridge or café — as well as the Charlotte Wendel Education Center for daytime functions. An optional outdoor add-on brings guests to the Circle of Palms Plaza. Catering is handled through an approved vendor list, with exclusive beverage service provided by Mezcal Restaurant. Docent-led art tours are available as an add-on for groups seeking a more immersive experience.

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  California Automobile Museum

  California Automobile Museum, 2200 Front St, Sacramento, CA 95818, USA

  • Spaces for 72-500 Guests
  • 2 Museums
  • 1 Event Space
  • 2 Total Spaces

  The California Automobile Museum occupies a dedicated museum building at 2200 Front Street in Sacramento, California, where more than a century of automotive history is on display through rotating and permanent exhibits. The museum draws on its extensive collection of classic, vintage, and rare vehicles to create an event backdrop unlike any other in the region. Two rentable spaces accommodate gatherings of varying sizes. Alhambra Hall hosts up to 300 guests and features high ceilings, a stage, mobile bars, a prep kitchen, and A/V equipment including an LCD projector and wireless microphones — suitable for galas, holiday parties, corporate meetings, and proms. A separate Conference Room handles up to 100 guests in cocktail style (or 72 classroom-style) with projection, sound, and wireless internet. Museum exhibit access with docent guidance is available to event guests in Alhambra Hall, giving attendees the opportunity to walk among the vehicles as part of the experience. Complimentary parking for up to 140 cars is provided on-site, and the museum imposes no required vendors or catering mandates.

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  The New Children's Museum

  200 W Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101, USA

  • Spaces for 40-400 Guests
  • 3 Museums
  • 3 Landmarks

  Make your wedding day, special occasion, or business function one to remember! Enjoy cocktails and dance the night away while overlooking the beautiful downtown cityscape at The New Children's Museum, where you can have your ceremony or celebration. Make your wedding a day to remember! Exchange vows, savor cocktails, and dance the night away surrounded by the Museum's art installations and creative surroundings at your ceremony and reception at The New Children's Museum. Our Events Services team will work with you to create a unique package that meets your needs and budget. The Events Services staff at the New Children's Museum will work with you to create a unique package that meets your budget and number of visitors. The New Children's Museum offers flexible venues to match your demands, as well as spectacular architecture and modern art exhibitions that provide an exceptional backdrop for you and your guests, from formal dinners to board meetings and everything in between.

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  Merchants Exchange Club

  75 Leidesdorff St, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA

  • Spaces for 220-500 Guests
  • 1 Museum
  • 1 Landmark

  The Merchants Exchange Club is a San Francisco institution, an exclusive historic facility with 110 years of history, plug-and-play modern amenities, and the city's most experienced event production crew. Guests can choose from a variety of flexible space arrangements, complete privacy, and an unrivaled FiDi location with easy access to parking and public transportation. The Merchants Exchange Club is an outstanding wedding reception venue because to its gourmet cuisine, historic significance, excellent production, and unequaled solitude. Allow your imagination to go wild; our plug-and-play room in the FiDi's heart is waiting for your vision. The Merchants Exchange Club has been a hive of financial and business activity for San Francisco's movers and shakers for more than a century. We're fully modernized and equipped with plug-and-play conveniences, and we're eager to help you have a successful event. The Merchants Exchange Club is a San Francisco institution, an exclusive historic facility with 110 years of history, plug-and-play modern amenities, and the city's most experienced event production crew. Our guests can choose from a variety of flexible space configurations, complete privacy, and an unrivaled FiDi location with easy access to parking and public transportation. Let us host your next event!

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  The Los Angeles Zoo

  5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA

  • Spaces for 300 Guests
  • 2 Museums
  • 2 Outdoor Spaces
  • 2 Parks

  Every day and in so many ways, the L.A. Zoo offers meaningful opportunities for discovery, education, and inspiration. #LAZooLove Rainforest of the Americas is the Zoo's newest state-of-the-art exhibit, transporting guests to a tropical rainforest full of life. From the treetops to the rivers, creatures are crawling, flying, slithering, hiding, sleeping, and living. Detailed sculptures, educational graphics, and architectural elements create an immersive experience for guests, while specific animal highlights include amazing critters from piranhas and giant otters, to harpy eagles and jaguars. The Elephants of Asia habitat includes features that are dedicated to the health and welfare of the elephants, such as bathing pools, sandy hills, varied topography, enrichment opportunities, and a state of the art barn that is capable of caring for elephants of all ages. Elephants of Asia focuses on the rich connection between elephants and the cultures of Thailand, India, China, and Cambodia. The exhibit familiarizes guests with the challenges Asian elephants face in the wild, including their shrinking natural habitat, and gives visitors the opportunity to directly contribute to conservation programs that support elephants in their native countries. The LAIR (currently closed during Phase 1 of the Zoo's reopening) encompasses several visually stunning areas that include habitats for various unique and endangered species. Over 60 species of amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles are represented in this assortment of living jewels. Each habitat is beautifully themed with hand-painted murals of damp and misty forests, rainforest canopies, red rock formations, mountain ranges and vistas, and dry arid deserts to exemplify the natural environments of the many diverse species.

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  Agua Hedionda Nature Center

  1580 Cannon Rd, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA

  • Spaces for 12-200 Guests
  • 7 Museums
  • 5 Outdoor Spaces
  • 7 Total Spaces

  Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation's Discovery Campus sits along the shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon, a 400-acre coastal estuary in Carlsbad, California. The 3,800-square-foot facility combines indoor and outdoor spaces that look out over the lagoon and its surrounding native gardens, offering a setting that pairs Southern California's natural environment with the foundation's conservation mission. The campus accommodates up to 150 seated guests across a collection of complementary spaces, including the Experience Today Room with its cathedral ceilings and lagoon views, the Great Room opening to multiple outdoor patios, and several al fresco areas featuring market lights, shade sails, and pergolas. Outdoor highlights include Newell's Terrace — a back patio designed for dining and dancing — and Maple's Place Pollinator Garden, home to quail ambassadors and sweeping lagoon views. The facility includes a full kitchen, indoor climate control, Wi-Fi, and 65 on-site parking spaces. Renters have the flexibility to bring their own catering and alcohol (members) and select from a preferred vendor list. The Discovery Campus has hosted weddings, galas, birthday celebrations, corporate meetings, yoga classes, and fundraisers, making it a versatile choice for events that want a meaningful natural backdrop.

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  Scripps Seaside Forum

  8610 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

  • Spaces for 200 Guests
  • 1 Museum
  • 1 Event Space
  • 1 space at this venue

  The Scripps Seaside Forum offers a tasteful blend of function and style that celebrates Southern California's unrivaled coastal environment. With an unparalleled waterfront location, modern facilities, and award-winning architecture, this stunning venue offers the ideal setting for corporate events such as meetings and conferences as well as social events such as weddings and galas. Scripps Seaside Forum's award-winning architecture makes it an unforgettable special events venue. The multifunctional and beautiful Scripps Seaside Forum oceanfront venue won an "orchid" for its architecture from the San Diego Architectural Foundation at the 2009 Orchids & Onions Awards Ceremony, as well as a Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects-San Diego at their 50th anniversary design awards in June 2010. Cutting-edge meets the water's edge at Scripps Seaside Forum. The venue pairs warm, inviting interiors with powerful state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment ranging from high definition projection systems, multiple computer connections, audio surround sound and user-friendly touch-screen controls. Consisting of a multi-purpose auditorium with balcony, four separate ocean view conference rooms, breakout areas, and an outdoor garden plaza to enjoy the fresh ocean air, the Scripps Seaside Forum will meet your every event need.

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  Maritime Museum of San Diego

  1492 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, USA

  • Spaces for 100-350 Guests
  • 1 Museum
  • 1 Landmark

  Host your next event with the world famous Maritime Museum of San Diego – A spectacular waterfront location on beautiful San Diego Bay. Pirate Parties, San Diego Weddings, Corporate Events, Sailing Charters, Team Building Events, and so much more, Maritime Museum of San Diego creates memories that last forever. The Maritime Museum of San Diego makes her historic ships available for your next event in a truly iconic setting. The museum provides an event coordinator to assist with the planning and preparation of your special event. The venue staff will help to ensure an incredible experience that is both unique and memorable. Whether you’re planning a wedding and or reception, corporate event, birthday party, sailing charter, corporate team building event, or a celebration of life, Maritime Museum of San Diego's event planning team will assist you with all of your event planning needs.

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  San Jose City Hall

  200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

  • Spaces for 300-350 Guests
  • 1 Museum
  • 1 Landmark

  The San José City Hall can accommodate a wide range of activities, meetings, and special events. Discover our facility by activity type or location. Non-religious legal marriage ceremonies performed by a government official or registrar are known as civil wedding services. Wedding ceremonies are not presided over by officiants or registrars in the city of San José. Couples can either bring their own officiant or plan a time with the County of Santa Clara to have a designated officiant offered to them for their wedding ceremony at City Hall. The Rotunda at City Hall in San José can be used for wedding ceremonies and/or parties. The building is a modern architectural marvel, standing 110 feet tall and featuring terrazzo flooring and glass walls that let in plenty of natural light. The structure is like a blank canvas, ready to be painted with any wedding theme. San José City Hall is a contemporary design with light-filled chambers and broad expanses of metal, stone, and glass that serve as a modern backdrop to the great outdoor plazas. The free-standing 10-story glass rotunda attracts visitors' attention.

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  The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

  1212 Mission Canyon Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA

  • Spaces for 80 Guests
  • 2 Museums
  • 1 Outdoor
  • 2 Total Spaces

  Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 78-acre living sanctuary in Mission Canyon, dedicated exclusively to California native plants since its founding in 1926. Set against the backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the garden encompasses miles of winding trails, a historic redwood grove, creek crossings, and sweeping views of the ocean, mountains, and meadows — offering a setting unlike any conventional event venue in the region. For private events, the garden accommodates gatherings of up to 80 guests across several distinctive spaces, including the Pritzlaff Conservation Center — with its deck, patio, and lawn — the historic Blaksley Library, and a gallery and various terraces situated throughout the grounds. The intimate capacity reflects the garden's commitment to protecting its living plant collection while providing guests with an immersive natural environment. The events team specializes in ceremonies and receptions, corporate retreats, birthday celebrations, cocktail parties, and rehearsal dinners. Every gathering unfolds among nationally recognized collections of native flora, making Santa Barbara Botanic Garden a uniquely meaningful backdrop for milestones large and small.

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  San Mateo County History Museum

  2200 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA

  • Spaces for 150-200 Guests
  • 2 Museums
  • 2 Landmarks
  • 2 Historic Spaces

  San Mateo County History Museum occupies the restored historic courthouse at 2200 Broadway in downtown Redwood City, a landmark Beaux-Arts building with a stained glass dome, mosaic tile floors, and stately marble columns. The museum has been operated by the San Mateo County Historical Association since 1935 and holds accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums — a distinction held since 1972, placing it among fewer than 5% of accredited museums in the United States. The courthouse offers several distinct rental spaces for weddings, corporate gatherings, and private celebrations. The First Floor Rotunda accommodates up to 200 guests beneath its magnificent domed ceiling, and is well suited for ceremonies, receptions, and dancing. Courtroom A, a magnificently restored courtroom with its own stained glass ceiling, hosts seated dinners of up to 150 guests. The venue also offers a Carriage House with a catering kitchen, a meeting room, and an option to rent the entire courthouse for larger events. In-house catering is not provided; the museum maintains an approved caterer list. An A/V system is available in Courtroom A.

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• The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens

  47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA

  • Spaces for 50-1,000 Guests
  • 11 Museums
  • 8 Outdoor Spaces
  • 11 Total Spaces

  The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden set on 1,800 acres of the Colorado Desert in Palm Desert, California. Opened in 1970, the property spans 80 developed acres of habitats, gardens, and event spaces, with the remaining 1,720 acres preserved in their natural state. More than 500 animals representing 150 species live across three continental sections — African Safari, Wilds of North America, and Australian Adventures — alongside botanical collections encompassing palms, agaves, aloes, euphorbias, and more. For private events, The Living Desert offers over a dozen indoor and outdoor venues ranging from intimate gatherings of 40 guests to full-campus celebrations of up to 1,000. Notable spaces include the open-air Palm Garden Patio, the African Village WaTuTu near the giraffe habitat, the Giraffe Savanna platform where guests can feed giraffes during their event, and the Chase Administration Building with its desert mountain views. The venue's experienced events team coordinates weddings, corporate functions, holiday parties, team-building gatherings, and social celebrations throughout the year.

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• Santa Barbara Maritime Museum-Waterfront Weddings

  113 Harbor Way #190, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USA

  • Spaces for 12-350 Guests
  • 4 Museums
  • 2 Outdoor Spaces
  • 4 Total Spaces

  The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is a waterfront event venue and working museum situated in the heart of the Santa Barbara Harbor, at 113 Harbor Way. Dedicated to preserving and celebrating the coastal and maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel, SBMM offers a distinctive setting where sweeping views of the harbor, ocean, and Riviera form the backdrop for weddings, corporate gatherings, and private celebrations. Four rental spaces accommodate events of a wide range of sizes, from intimate gatherings of 12 in the fourth-floor Crow's Nest to full-museum buyouts that seat up to 150 and welcome as many as 250 standing guests. The main floor and mezzanine anchor the full museum experience, while the Upper Patio — available exclusively for evening events — offers open-air harbor views. The Munger Theater seats up to 60 guests in a dedicated screening and lecture configuration. All rentals include tables, chairs, and A/V equipment, and the museum permits guests to bring their own caterer or alcohol with no corkage fee, subject to SBMM catering and licensing policies. Rental availability spans from 8:00 a.m. to midnight.

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