Planning your next private event at the Aquarium? Find answers to our most frequently asked questions below. Click below for more information or to request an event.
Frequently Asked Questions
With numerous locations for your event, we can accommodate as few as 20 guests up to 7,000. Available spaces can be broken down into individual rooms or combined to include the entire Aquarium plus the new Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza. Visit the Private Events page to see a gallery of spaces, floor plans, capacity information, and base pricing.
Yes! Each room rental fee includes admission into the Aquarium. The room rental fee includes a certain number of guests for each space. Guests in attendance above that amount will be charged to the room rental fee at a discounted per-person rate for their admission. The amount will range between $11 – $17 per person, depending on the event space, day, and time. Upon initial inquiry for your event, our Event Sales Manager will calculate the room rental fee based on your estimated number of guests.
Aquarium hours are Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. On Mondays, hours of operation are 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. During a daytime event, your group will share access to the Aquarium with the public. Evening events are granted private Aquarium access but may share the Aquarium galleries with other private groups, depending on the scale of each event.
Depending on the space rented, your room rental fee may also cover our standard stock of tables and chairs, as well as our in-house audiovisuals including screens, projectors, microphones, and PA system. Our Event Sales Manager will let you know during initial conversations which items are included in your rental. If you would like items beyond our standard stock please let your Event Manager know and they will walk you through available options. We also take care of basic set-up and cleaning, within the reasonable scope of expectancy.
As our event schedule tends to include multiple events between our indoor and outdoor spaces occurring at the same time, LLPA cannot guarantee an indoor backup space if inclement weather should arise. We can, however, happily assist in coordinating with you the rentals of tents, heaters, and other appropriate equipment as needed to carry on your event as planned.
All Out Events is our partnered decor vendor. They have worked on countless events with us and are very familiar with the layout of our venue spaces as well as Aquarium policies regarding setup. If you would like to utilize a decor/rental vendor of your choice, please contact your event manager. They will be able to provide the most up-to-date policies for outside vendors.
You are certainly welcome to bring your own decor! We do have guidelines in place to ensure the safety of our animals and the protection of our habitats. Please contact your event manager with the decor you’re planning on using to ensure that it complies.
Yes! Certain LLPA animals are available for private meet-and-greets with your group, while accompanied by our trained education staff. Animals are subject to availability in accordance with their field trip and training schedules. For more information, please click Exciting Extras below, or email your event manager with questions.
Daytime event space rentals typically run from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm; evening event rentals from 6:30 – 10:00 pm. Within these timeframes, the Aquarium galleries are available to your group from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for daytime events and 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. for evening events. If you are in need of space or gallery access outside of these hours, please contact your event manager for options and availability.
The LLPA parking lot contains 685 spaces. For large-scale events, we recommend carpooling or utilizing a rideshare app in order to reduce carbon emissions and make a small gesture to combat climate change. If you anticipate an issue with the number of parking spaces available, please contact your Event Manager. They will be able to provide the best course of action(s) and provide possible solutions.
Yes! The Aquarium employs a dedicated security staffing service and will staff appropriately according to the number of guests.
While we hate to have a cancellation occur, we understand that planning an event doesn’t always go as expected and the need to cancel or modify may arise. We understand that each situation is different and so if you need to cancel or modify your event, please let your event manager know. They will guide you through the process and what solutions may be available for you.
Event Planning Checklist:
• Items due within 2 weeks of receiving contract: signed contract, 25% deposit, Tax-exempt Certificate (if applicable)
• Items due 4 weeks before event date: Proof of Insurance, Special Concessions
• Items due 2 weeks before event date: vendor and/or entertainment requests (if applicable), menu/decor selections, guest estimate
• Items due 1 week before event date: signed BEO, special setup/floor plan requests, final guest count, remaining estimate of total costs
• Items due 3 days after event date: event balance (if applicable)