Venues
Descriptions
Chabot Space & Science Center is perfect for all your special events needs whether you rent the entire facility or one building, floor or room; we have events down to a science. From corporate dinners, bar/bat mitzvahs, anniversary and family reunions to indoor or outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions, and small to large meetings, lectures and seminars, to team building events, Chabot can customize a rental for you. There are six primary venues that are available for rent. Capacities may vary depending upon the current exhibit.
Richard L. Spees Building
This building is the main entrance to the facility. The Spees Building consists of 2 floors and 3 main exhibit areas for your guests to explore. The entire building can accommodate up to 500 guests for a standing reception and 300 guests for seated dining, split on two floors. There are three levels that can be rented in the Spees Building.
The lower level, the Ansari X-Prize exhibit, can accommodate up to 100 people for a standing reception or approximately 60 seated. This space makes for a charming greeting/cocktail area, registration, breakout session or private meeting space.
The first level is made up of the Rotunda and the Celestial Café areas. The Rotunda makes a lovely greeting/cocktail area and/or dance floor. The Café area can be piped and draped, which makes for a wonderful dining room. Destination Universe is exhibited on this level and is a fun and interactive attraction for your guests.
The second level consists of the upstairs Rotunda, Mezzanine and the Loggia; all are perfect for setting small dining tables or a buffet station around. This level also contains the Beyond Blastoff: Surviving in Space exhibit, which for larger parties makes for a unique dining or cocktail experience.
Ronald V. Dellums Building
On the first level, this building offers four beautiful private rooms known as the Galileo Room, Kepler Room, Copernicus Room and the Hauben Resource Center Room. All the rooms are perfect for meetings, luncheons, dinners and parties. Each of them boast AV capabilities with overhead LCD projectors, drop down screens and dimmable lighting. Additionally, our Kaiser Library is excellent for quaint get-togethers, cocktail socials, meetings and small luncheons or dinners.
This building houses our largest exhibition space on its second level, named Astronomy Hall. This space will be under construction from August 28 - November 6, 2010. This hall will house our newest exhibit, Bill Nye's Climate Lab, and capacity for the new exhibit will vary but is estimated for 100 standing guests.
Pleaides Courtyard
Including Amphitheater, Café Tent, and EnviroGarden
This fascinating outdoor space is perfect alone or as an add-on to one of our buildings. Located between the Spees and the Dellums Buildings, the Amphitheater and the EnviroGarden are joined by the Pleiades Courtyard - all of which provides an informal presentation space or a lovely outdoor setting for special events such as weddings, anniversaries, family reunions, corporate or client appreciation dinners.
Your guests can wander, mingle and dance under the stars in this magical space. The Amphitheater accommodates up to 130 guests. The rental of this space includes the Café Patio, which can hold another 100 guests for a seated banquet. Additional guests may be accommodated within the Pleiades Courtyard.
Observatory Complex
Located next to the Dellums Building, this space houses Chabot's powerful telescopes. With the help of one of our expert astronomers you and your guests can explore the magnificent night sky and discover stars, planets and colorful nebulae clearly visible though our 8" and 20" refractor telescopes and our 36" reflector telescope.
The Observatory Complex is perfect for spectacular wedding ceremony or tented party for up to 100 seated or 150 standing guests. Private rental of the telescopes is available in 2-hour increments, weather permitting, alone or as part of an event.
Ask Jeeves Planetarium
Located inside the Spees Building, this space features one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. This space boasts the most advanced state-of-the-art digital full dome planetarium in the western United States. The Planetarium seats 241 people under a 70 foot diameter dome, and features pre-recorded star shows, perfect for wedding ceremonies or special lectures. This is a wonderful place to hold an intimate dinner for 20 guests on the Planetarium stage.
The planetarium can also be added to a facility rental. Treat your guest to a private planetarium show and choose among several in our current roster. Shows run between 30 - 45 minutes in lengths.
Tien MegaDome Theater
Located in the Spees Building directly across from the Planetarium, the MegaDome Theater seats 205 guests. The theater features a High Definition Projector and is home to the Bay Area's only 70mm, 8-perf projection systems. Presentations feature thrilling, larger-than-life films capable of convincing views - guests really go aboard a Space Shuttle lift-off to navigate the celestial labyrinth of outer space. Hold onto your seat in the 60 foot dome screen auditorium!
This space can be rented alone for a special lecture, business presentation, meeting or as an add-on to a facility rental. Treat your guests to a private screening of one of our larger-than-life movies or your favorite movie on High-Definition Blu-Ray or DVD. You can even rent it to play video games for massive game play!
For more information, please contact the Facility Rentals department at (510) 336-7421 or e-mail rentals@chabotspace.org