Picnic and Play Birthday Parties
Book a birthday party at Denver Botanic Gardens for a one-of-a-kind experience. Birthday parties take place year-round in Mordecai Children's Garden. Your child and guests will play, discover and explore nature in a unique setting just for kids. Parents, enjoy a stress-free experience. We provide the space, decorations and party favors. All you need to bring is party food.
Birthday parties are recommended for children ages 2-10 years. For older youth and adult parties, visit our private events pages to learn more about space rentals in the main Gardens.
Picnic and Play Birthday Party Rental Fee: $300 non-member; $280 member rental fee includes:
- The Morrison Discovery Center’s outdoor or indoor classroom for 90 minutes. We handle the decorating! You don’t need to bring a thing. Decorations include tablecloths, happy birthday banner and plants. Our staff sets up and cleans up.
- Access to Mordecai Children’s Garden and the main Gardens for up to 30 people, ages 3 and up. Mordecai Children’s Garden is closed for the winter season November through February. Parties scheduled during this time will not have access to the Children’s Garden, however will have access to the party room, attached greenhouse, outdoor courtyard area and the main Gardens across York Street.
- Compostable paper goods (parties at the Gardens reduce the impact on the planet).
- A special party favor (a potted plant) and seed packets for each child in attendance.
Party dates and times must be reserved at least three weeks in advance.
Ready to book your child’s birthday party? Please submit a birthday party request form.
FAQ
How many adults and children can I invite?
The party rental fee includes up to 30 people over the age of 2. To provide a safe, positive experience for party guests and Gardens visitors, the Gardens is unable to accommodate more than 30 people over the age of 2. The birthday child and host family are included in this headcount.
I don't know how many adults and siblings will attend with the children we've invited. How do I make sure people don't bring their whole family to the party?
We suggest including wording like this in your invitation: "This invitation includes birthday party admission to Denver Botanic Gardens for one child and one grownup. You are welcome to bring other members of the family, however you will need to pre-purchase admission tickets to the Gardens and explore on your own."
What happens during the party? Do you lead any special activities?
Children's Birthday Parties take place in the Morrison Discovery Center’s indoor or outdoor classroom located on the north end of Mordecai Children's Garden.
Gardens staff do not lead any activities during your party. A team member will be onsite to assist you during your reserved party time but will not be present with you and your guests during the party. Staff assistance includes logistics during party set-up and take-down and materials management. The staff person does not attend the party but is available on an "as needed" basis.
Suggested Party Timeline (March – October while Mordecai Children's Garden is open to the public):
- First 15 minutes: Meet your guests in the party space and allow time for everyone to arrive and settle in.
- Next 45 minutes: Play, explore and discover! During this time, your party guests are encouraged to explore the Children’s Garden. The Gardens provides a Happy Birthday Scavenger Hunt to help guide your exploration.
- Next 20 minutes: Gather back in the party space for any birthday festivities you are providing for your guests (snacks, cake, etc.).
- Last 10 minutes: Guest send-off and goodbyes. This is a great time to distribute the party favor seed packets and potted plants to your guests. Your guests are welcome to continue the enjoy the Gardens after the conclusion of your party.
Suggested Party Timeline (November – February when Children's Garden is closed for the winter season):
- First 15 minutes: Meet your guests in the party space and allow time for everyone to arrive and settle in.
- Next 45 minutes: Play, explore and discover! During this time, your party guests are encouraged to explore outdoor courtyard and indoor greenhouse attached to the Morrison Discovery Center. The Gardens provides a Happy Birthday Scavenger Hunt and other self-guided play materials in the space to help guide your guest's exploration.
- Next 20 minutes: Gather back in the party space for any birthday festivities you are providing for your guests (snacks, cake, etc.).
- Last 10 minutes: Guest send-off and goodbyes. This is a great time to distribute the party favor seed packets and potted plants to your guests. Your guests are welcome to continue the enjoy the Gardens after the conclusion of your party.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule my party?
Your birthday party rental fee is nonrefundable. If you need to reschedule the date and time of your party the Gardens will work with you to find another date and time to hold your party. Please keep in mind, during spring, summer and fall we have limited flexibility in our scheduling availability.
How much time do I have to set up the party space? Can I drop off materials before the party or store my party materials after the party?
The Gardens provides the setup, decorations, paper goods and party favors for your party. All you will need to supply is your child's favorite snacks. The party space will be available to you 15 minutes before your scheduled party time to bring in and set up any materials you choose to bring with you. You have an additional 15 minutes at the conclusion of your party to remove all your items from the party space. The Gardens is unable to store/receive materials outside these timeframes.
Can I bring in food or beverages for my guests to enjoy during the party? Can I hire a caterer?
You are welcome to bring in food for your party guests to enjoy. Alcohol is not permitted at children’s birthday parties. Due to space constraints onsite caterers are not permitted.
How are Picnic and Play birthday parties at Denver Botanic Gardens eco-friendly?
Picnic and Play birthday parties are designed to be low impact on the environment by encouraging less waste. Your party will be eco-friendly in the following ways:
- The Gardens provides REUSABLE decorations, reducing the amount of waste produced by one-time-use plastic tablecloths, banners and other decorations.
- The Gardens provides compostable paper goods.
- Each child receives a potted plant to take home with them as a party favor.
- The Gardens does not permit party materials that have a harmful impact on the environment such as balloons, confetti or glitter.
Ways you can contribute to your party being eco-friendly:
- Use an electronic form of invitation rather than printing and mailing.
- Provide snacks and beverages that are in eco-friendly packaging or bulk packaging to reduce waste.