Birthday Parties
If your child has a fondness for nature, you can celebrate their birthday here at White Memorial!
Here are some options to consider, which can be done in conjunction or separately.
Rental Space
If you need an indoor space with tables and chairs, you can rent our Mott-Van Winkle classroom, a cozy cabin nestled amongst the trees. Rental hours are either 9am-1pm or 1pm-5pm on Saturdays only. The cost for a 4-hour time slot is $200. You will need to provide a certificate of insurance (which often requires a fee to your insurance company). Subject to availability!
Group Museum Entry
You can choose to bring your party group through the Nature Museum. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, and FREE for children under 6. However, if you have more than 10 people and you schedule in advance, you can receive the group admission rate, which is $3/person for adults and children 6-12 (still free for those under 6). If you have a family membership AND you are either renting a space or booking a guided program, admission to our Nature Museum is FREE for you and all of your party guests on that day.
Guided Programs
You can book a guided hike or a pond exploration program for your group (program descriptions below). The cost for either of these 45-minute guided experiences is $110. Arrangements must be made at LEAST two weeks in advance of your party date, although we recommend booking much earlier. Subject to availability! If you have a family membership and you are booking a guided program, admission to our Nature Museum is FREE for you and all of your party guests on that day.
Please contact Carrie Szwed at [email protected] or 860-567-0857 to begin scheduling any of the above options.
Birthday Party Fees
(This is an “a la carte” system, so you can book any or all 3 of these options.)
Indoor Party Space: $200
Group Admission into Museum: $3/per person (for 10+ people)
Guided Program Fee: $110
If you choose to book a guided program, you can choose from these two options:
A Walk in the Woods
On this guided nature hike, your party guests will use their senses to discover nature’s treasures. In less than a mile, our environmental educator will introduce them to many of the plants, trees, and animals that inhabit beautiful northwestern CT. Several easy trails leave right from the Main Area of White Memorial. Our educator will pick the trail that works best for your group. Please let us know if we need to choose a trail that is stroller or wheelchair-accessible. Encourage your party guests to wear good walking shoes.
Pond Prowl
Have you ever seen a dragonfly nymph or a water scorpion? Find out what critters live in a pond during this engaging catch-and-release discovery session. Children will stand on the edge of the pond and use dipnets to catch a plethora of aquatic invertebrates. Equipment will be supplied. Children will not be wading into the pond, so they do not need watershoes or swimsuits. Just encourage them to wear clothes and shoes that can can get dirty. This program is only available from April-October.