CuriOdyssey 1651 Coyote Point Drive • San Mateo • California 94401

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 Butterfly Garden, an intimate spot surrounded by trees and flowering plants, while a rescued river otter and grey fox look on from their enclosure. The neighboring Pavilion 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 peregrin falcon or rubber boa, 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—a beautiful option for indoor ceremonies. 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. 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.