At the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, fantastic events are in our nature. If you have a question that is not addressed below, please contact us at kself@hmns.org.
What kind of events can the Museum accommodate?Some typical events include: Seated dinners, cocktail receptions, meetings, weddings, galas, award ceremonies, client appreciation events, bar and bat mitzvahs, etc.
The Museum can accommodate up to 500 guests for a cocktail reception and up to 350 for a seated dinner. Additional spaces are also available for break-out and poster sessions.
During the summer months, the earliest events can typically begin is at 7:00 p.m. and the rest of the year at 6:00 p.m. Classrooms and meeting spaces are available for rentals during the day. Daylong conferences can also be accommodated during certain months of the year.
Museum staff present and run all team building activities for you and your participants. The museum wide Scavenger Hunt gets teams moving around the museum as they work together to find and identify objects based on written clues. The clues are written for adult level learning and require advanced problem solving skills. Additional team activities are based on building an object with limited supplies and include catapults, parachutes, load bearing card towers, spinning tops, balloon towers and more. All are designed to bring the team members together to manage resource, design and build elements of the activity. Each activity takes between 30 and 45 minutes to complete depending on the desired level of difficulty.
The first step is to relax—planning an event at the Museum is an easy process! Here at the Museum, we have everything down to a science. The second step is to schedule a personal tour where you’ll review your plans and decide which area in the Museum is the best fit for your occasion. Please contact us at kself@hmns.org for more details or to schedule a tour. The third step is to consider catering—the biggest component in planning an event at the Museum. The Museum has several exclusive caterers that are contracted to provide food, beverages and all necessary equipment. For more information, please visit our Catering page. The final step is to confirm your desired date by completing a contract. With any occasion, once you have your venue, everything else falls into place.
No, you must use one of the Museum’s exclusive catering companies who are familiar with serving in this unique setting.
Yes. Our caterers are full service catering companies, so you may use them for both your food and beverage needs. Please contact them directly for more information.
Yes.
Let the caterer know your anticipated date, guest count, and budget. Budget is one of the most important pieces of information, as it assists the caterer in providing you a more accurate proposal. Also, have an idea of whether you want a seated dinner, a buffet, food stations or a cocktail reception. Please access the Catering Information page for definitions of each event type and catering contact information. The more details you can provide the better.
Return your signed contract and deposit to secure a date.
For evening events in Sugar Land, the rental fee includes access to all museum exhibit halls, house staff and building manager. Security is scheduled by HMNS with the fee paid by the client. The rental fee does not include food, beverage and equipment such as tables, chairs, linens, etc. All of those items are an additional cost and are handled by the museum caterer you select. Please contact the caterers directly for that information.
To make your event extra special, explore a special exhibit, add a tour guide, participate in one of our custom designed corporate teambuilding exercises or view a film in our Digital Dome Theater.
We customize the event according to your event needs.
The Museum offers self-parking in the Museum’s parking lot. If you would like valet parking, this service would be an additional cost and can be arranged through any of our catering companies. Please contact the caterers directly for information on costs.
Yes. When renting the Sugar Land location, the entire Museum is reserved for your use. Please contact us at kself@hmns.org for more details.
Yes. In Sugar Land, your guests have access to all exhibit halls and public areas.
The Museum has a limited amount of A/V items that can be provided. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
Yes, there are several locations throughout the Museum where a band or D.J. can set up.
The Museum negotiates special rates for nonprofits. For information on other corporate sponsorship discounts, please contact kself@hmns.org.
Site visits are available with the Museum Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.