Birthday Parties
Birthday parties have never been more fun for kids (or easier for you).
Named as a Best Place to Host a Kid’s Birthday Party by Chapel Hill Magazine, celebrate a new orbit around the sun at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center with free admission, a planetarium show, and a party room.
Birthday parties include…
- Admission for up to 20* guests to exhibits and one planetarium show airing during our public hours (suggested ages are noted for each show)
- At-your-pace games and self-guided activities that families can enjoy during the party
- A classroom reserved for 90 minutes for the party
- Decorations, paper goods, and utensils
- Use of a refrigerator for your party food and beverages
- On-site support from a Morehead party coordinator
*Extra guests (up to 30 total guests max) available for an additional charge.
Our Event & Rental staff will contact you within 3-5 business days of receiving your request to discuss your inquiry and/or send you a tentative invoice and itinerary for your reservation. For additional information, reach out to our team at mpsc_events@email.unc.edu.
Members: $350+ tax
Non-Members: $375 + tax
Additional guests beyond 20 may be added to your party reservation (up to 30 total guests). Additional guests are charged at the rate of the full-price ticket for the planetarium show that your group will be attending. See our pricing page for current admission prices at our planetarium shows.
*You must be a Morehead member on the date of the party to receive the discount. Become a member today!
- Payment: Payment in full is required to confirm the reservation. If you need to add additional guests to your reservation after confirming, payment for those additional guests is due at the time the tickets are added.
- Food: You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages for your party. If you require a refrigerator or freezer to store ice cream/other food/beverages during your show, please let us know in advance. Morehead will provide plates, utensils, napkins, cups, and ice.
- Decorations: Morehead provides a few space-themed decorations for birthday parties. If you wish to bring your own decorations, please let us know in advance as there are additional considerations for bringing your own decorations, and we cannot always accommodate different decorations.
- Setup/Cleanup: Reservations include 15-30 minutes before the start of your party for you to drop off food and setup. Setup may not begin prior to the start of our public hours (10am Sat, 1pm Sun). Cleanup should be completed within 15 minutes after the end of the party, so that our staff may re-set the room for other reservations. If you are scheduled to see a show after your party, we can store food requiring refrigeration/freezing until your group is finished with your show. If you would like to request this, please let us know in advance.
- Additional Guests: If you need to add additional guests, please do so by the Friday prior to your party. If you need to add guests the day of, you may purchase tickets to the show separately at the box office as availability permits.
- Cancellation: Birthday Party reservations canceled more than 2 weeks prior to the party are refundable except for a $50 cancellation fee. Reservations canceled less than two weeks in advance are not eligible for refund of any fees paid. Morehead may waive this cancellation policy if inclement weather or other circumstances result in Morehead’s closure or cancellation of your scheduled planetarium show.
- Parking: The lot in front of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is University owned and operated. Parking is free on weekends unless the University has reserved the lot for a special event. Morehead is not always made aware of these reservations in advance, but our team will make every effort to keep you informed if the lot has been reserved.
For questions about birthday party reservations, please contact our Event & Rental Coordinator, Veronica Armstrong, at mpsc_events@email.unc.edu, or submit a birthday party request above!