Return to Search Results


CuriOdyssey

Tell a Friend
Add to MyGuide

San Mateo Wedding Venue
1651 Coyote Point Drive
San Mateo, CA 94401
View Map

Contact: Facility Rental Representative
Phone: 650/340-7565
www.CuriOdyssey.org
  Request more information from CuriOdyssey
if you would mention that you found CuriOdyssey on the Here Comes The Guide website.






CuriOdyssey

Why We Like This Place

If you’re a lover of nature or innovative architecture, then you’re sure to appreciate the unique attributes of CuriOdyssey, a family-friendly science center, zoo, and thoroughly original event venue. Poised at the edge of the Coyote Point Recreation Area and overlooking San Francisco Bay, CuriOdyssey is surrounded by eucalyptus groves and county parkland. Right from the ample parking lot, you’re likely to spy some of the local residents: scurrying woodland creatures, wading shorebirds or colorful hummingbirds.

CuriOdyssey’s main hub is a contemporary building with an angular portico. Adjacent patios form the entrance to over an acre of gardens and wildlife exhibits. Couples can tie the knot in the Hummingbird Garden, an intimate spot surrounded by trees and flowering plants, while a rescued porcupine and Channel Island fox look on from their enclosure. The neighboring Butterfly Garden can be set up with a portable bar for a lively social hour, and if you’d like your friends and family to experience an up-close encounter with an Animal Ambassador—a boa constrictor or African hedgehog, for example—that can be arranged, too. Guests are free to stroll along the pathways and explore the 25 naturalistic habitats showcasing native flora and fauna, including bobcats and other mammals, and a towering aviary. Another social hour option is to invite everyone indoors to play with the interactive science exhibits.

Receptions are usually held in the stunning Redwood Hall, which has been meticulously crafted from rich, reclaimed wood. Even its foyer, called the Bayview Terrace, is magnificent: Soaring multipaned windows capture a breathtaking panorama of the bay through the trees, from romantic sunset to sparkling nighttime cityscape. The view remains on display from inside the hall, too. The Redwood Hall is made up of four cascading levels that can be used individually or in combination. The upper story features a mirrored cupola with a trompe l’oeil cloud-filled sky. On the facing wall, a painting of a full moon complements the celestial motif. Many couples opt to wed facing the bay view, with the faux moon as the ceremony backdrop.

Since the levels are connected by ramps and fan out like tiers on a wedding cake, it’s easy to envision your celebration progressing from vows, to cocktail hour, to dinner, to dancing. The ceiling is lined with rows of thin, polished wood beams, and cylindrical wooden columns descending to the floor form a visual counterpoint. In one corner of the hall, an abstract wooden oak tree stretches its boughs overhead. Throughout, artfully arranged nature prints suspended from the rafters seem to float in the air. To truly appreciate the hall’s striking design and extraordinary architectural details, we recommend that you see it for yourself.

With such intriguing settings, you’d expect CuriOdyssey to be pricey, but it’s not. What’s more, holding your event here supports the museum’s mission to educate and inspire people to take care of the earth wisely, which makes CuriOdyssey a “natural” choice for a green wedding or other milestone occasion.

Capacity

Ceremony

Reception/Special Events

Meetings

Max. Seated Indoors: 300
Max. Seated Outdoors: 60 		Max. Seated Indoors: 300
Max. Seated Outdoors: 60
Max. Standing Indoors: 500
Max. Standing Outdoors: 300 		Max. Seated: 150

CEREMONY CAPACITY: The venue seats 300 indoors and 60 outdoors.

EVENT/RECEPTION CAPACITY: The site accommodates 300 seated or 500 standing indoors, and 60 seated or 300 standing outdoors.

MEETING CAPACITY: Meeting spaces hold 150 seated guests.

Fees & Deposits

A security deposit is required to reserve your date. The balance is due 90 days prior to the event. For events with up to 250 guests, fees begin at $1,800. For events with 250–500 guests, fees begin at $2,400.

Availability

Year-round, daily, 5pm–midnight for special events. Call for availability on classroom and theater.

Catering

Choose From List

Alcohol

BYO

Location Uses

Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Special Events, Parties
Business Functions/Meetings
Rehearsal Dinners

Services/Amenities

Catering: select from preferred list
Kitchen Facilities: prep only
Tables & Chairs: some provided
Linens, Silver, etc.: through caterer
Restrooms: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: provided
Bride’s Dressing Area: yes
Meeting Equipment: BYO
Parking: large lot
Accommodations: no guest rooms
Telephone: emergency use only
Outdoor Night Lighting: CBA
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: BBQ CBA
Cleanup: provided, extra fee
View: panorama of forest, ocean and park
Other: Animal Ambassador appearance available, extra fee

Amplified Music

Indoors
Outdoors

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair Accessible

Site Views

Forest/Wooded Area
Ocean/Bay
Panoramic
Park

Venue Type

Banquet Hall/Events Facility
Museum
Other

Restrictions

Alcohol: BYO
Smoking: not allow
Music: amplified OK
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: liability required



Wedding Venues > Northern California Wedding Venues > Peninsula Wedding Venues

Want to search again?

Wedding Checklist

Wedding Vendors You Might Like

Mandy Scott FlowersMandy Scott Flowers, Flowers
Harpist Krista StraderHarpist Krista Strader, DJs and Entertainment
Scott Andrew StudioScott Andrew Studio, Photographer
Wildflower LinenWildflower Linen, Party Rentals and Linens
La Tavola Fine Linen RentalLa Tavola Fine Linen Rental, Party Rentals and Linens

(What's this?)

The vendors listed above work in the Peninsula region and are displayed randomly. They may or may not be preferred vendors at CuriOdyssey.

Search for more wedding vendors who work in Peninsula or all of Northern California.

Register for your MyGuide account

tout_altWishing you could save a list of the places and services that interest you? You can. Register for MyGuide and save your favorite locations and services. You can even share your list with family or friends or post to your Facebook account.

Just getting started?


Know what questions to ask when evaluating a wedding venue and what questions to ask wedding vendors:   

Where will your wedding guests stay?

Guest cottage at Carneros Inn, Napa 6–9 months before your wedding: Arrange hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests and book your own suite for the wedding night. Find your guest accommodations here! Northern California Wedding Venues With Guest Accommodations

Beach Weddings

Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel Beach Wedding CeremonyLove the idea of a beach wedding in California? We provide detailed information on dozens and dozens of beachfront wedding venues in California.