Updated! Birthday Parties – Norfolk Botanical Garden

Children’s Birthday Parties

Book your child’s birthday party at Norfolk Botanical Garden! Our updated birthday party rentals are designed to make hosting easy, affordable, and safe for parents, and fun for children and guests!

As part of our updated September and October birthday party rental packages, you will have an hour and a half rental at our Picnic Shelter, be able to explore the Garden, see our flamingo topiary exhibit, and so much more!

Pricing for the updated rental package is $100 for members, and $200 for not-yet-members. Pricing includes private access to the Picnic Shelter, admission for all party attendants (up to 25 guests over the age of 2 – includes host family), self-guided activities and a goodie bag for the attending children, and paper products for the party (plates, cups, napkins). After the conclusion of the “formal” rental, guests will have access to explore the rest of the Garden.

Email youthed@nbgs.org for additional pricing options and schedule availability. Include your name, telephone/email, the name/age of the birthday child, how many guests you expect, and your preferred dates/times.

COVID-19 UPDATES:

We are following State of Virginia and City of Norfolk mandates closely. We will be in contact with you should any COVID-related restrictions affect your rental. With this, if any changes need to occur on your end, please let us know. Because of the size of the Picnic Shelter, we are instituting a 50% capacity policy – 25 total attendants over the age of 2, including the host family.
Tram services are in operation; however, seating is limited and on available on a first come, first served basis. NBG staff will provide you with a map to easily navigate the Garden on foot.
At this time, the WOW splash fountains will remain off through Phase 3 of the Virginia reopening schedule.
At this time, the Butterfly House open to the public until mid-to-late September.
Masks/Face Coverings: In compliance with Virginia’s Governor’s Executive Order 63, NBG commits to the following:
- All guests & volunteers ages 10+ are required to wear a protective mask that covers the mouth and nose when entering any NBG building or structure including outdoor restrooms and the Butterfly House.
- Our youngest visitors, “Sprouts” over the age of two, are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in compliance with current CDC health and safety recommendations.
- Guests are asked to bring their own personal facemask. NBG has a very limited supply of disposal masks available upon request at the Guest Services desk in Baker Hall.
- Face coverings shall also be required when patrons are outdoors if a distance of six feet from other persons, not associated with one household, cannot be maintained. While not participating in an “exempt” activity, masks are expected to be worn by rental attendants due to the limited ability to social distance.
*Exemptions to these guidelines include while eating and drinking, during the observance of a religious ritual/wedding ceremony, individuals who are exercising, children under the age of two, a person seeking to communicate with a hearing-impaired person for which the mouth needs to be visible, and anyone with a health condition that prevents them from wearing a face covering.
For all updates regarding Norfolk Botanical Garden’s COVID-19 policies and procedures, please visit: https://norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/committed-to-your-safety.

ALL BIRTHDAY PARTIES INCLUDE:

Half an hour early arrival before rental time to set-up. A staff person will greet the host family at the Picnic Shelter to deliver the paper products for the party, drop off self-guided activities and goodie bags for the attending children, and answer any/all questions the host family may have. The staff person will return at the end of the party to assist with clean up.
Hour and a half classroom rental. An additional hour can be added to the rental for $50.00.
Self-guided activities and a goodie bag for each attending child.
Garden admission for all party attendants.

WHAT CAN/CAN’T I BRING?

Please remember that you may only bring food (that doesn’t require heating or cooling), dining and serving utensils, and any other “pack in, pack out” items you may need for the party. We will provide paper plates, paper cups, and napkins for the party.
If you plan to decorate for the party, please notify staff of what you plan to bring. We will only permit table covers and table decorations.
Bluetooth speakers or other small speaker devices are permitted to play music. Outside entertaining is not permitted.
Norfolk Botanical Garden does not permit balloons, piñatas, or helium tanks on the property.
No public refrigeration is available. A cooler for ice, drinks, and leftover food is recommended.
You may bring your own food that can be served at room temperature. Prepared sandwich/veggie/fruit trays are highly recommended. Food and cake deliveries are NOT permitted.
Staff do not handle open food, assist with food preparation, nor serve guests.

NBG GREEN INITIATIVES:

In an effort to better function as an advocate for environmental stewardship, we ask that all of our birthday parties adhere to the following guidelines:

Single-use plastics including, but not limited to: dining utensils, plates, cups, as well as all forms of Styrofoam, are prohibited on campus.
Where disposables are necessary, please try to use biodegradable materials only. This includes the use of paper-based plates, cups, and napkins. Biodegradable plastic or wooden flatware is advised.
Recycling and trash receptacles are provided in the rental space. Please ensure that your party attendees are using the proper bins when disposing of items.
- Items that can be recycled: aluminum cans/bakeware/foil, steel and tin cans, clear, brown, or green glass, plastics (clean), cardboard, magazines/newspapers, office paper, paperboard (ex. cereal boxes), and mixed paper.
- Items that cannot be recycled: used napkins, tissue paper, paper towels, wax paper, wrapping paper, cardboard lined with plastic (i.e. bubble wrap boxes), waxed/waterproof cardboard, metal and cardboard containers, mirror glass, window glass, ceramic, crystal, plastic” baggies”, plastic tableware, Styrofoam containers, and plastic bottle caps.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the products that we prefer to be utilized in the Garden.