Duluth locations for a first birthday party
I need a location idea for a first birthday party. Something affordable, with convenient parking, able to handle around 30 people (adults and small children). I’m looking for something unconventional, yet realistic.
One year old can be tough, but Hartley Nature Center does a great job with kid’s birthday parties.
Also the Children’s Museum.
Anchor bar 😉
The Clyde Iron restaurant has a nice space upstairs that may work well for something like that, but I have no idea what the rates would be. Is there still a Chuck E. Cheese at the mall?
The Valley Youth Center in West Duluth or Copeland Community Center right off Mesaba and Central Entrance both have very decent sized facilities and could easily hold 50+ people for birthday parties. Check out their website:
https://www.copelandvalley.org
Copeland has a small gym with basketball courts, a game room with pool and ping-pong tables, board games, arts and crafts supplies, a full kitchen, vending machines and rest rooms.
The Valley Youth Center is similar but the gym may be off limits for private parties. The VYC facility has two pool tables and two ping pong tables, a full kitchen, arcade games, a snack bar (Items are for sale), and rest rooms.
Both places are very reasonable to rent out, price wise, and will provide a staff member to be on site.
Also, both locations have ample parking.
I second Brian’s suggestion. The Hartley Nature Center does a real nice job, has a nice facility and interesting exhibits.
Call the Duluth Children’s Museum, maybe they do stuff like that?
The Red Swan Events Center (old Lakeview Castle) has a variety of different spaces available.
We have a basement room at Chester Creek Cafe that will hold 30. Includes a home theater (maybe 1 is too young for that).
I think Pineapple Arts does birthday parties. (We went to a birthday party there when it was still Bohemia.) The party we went to was a lot of fun, and the kids were a huge range of ages. The project could be something really simple, like hand-print or foot-print based, that even the baby could participate in with help.
Great Lakes Aquarium
We did the aquarium thing a little over a year ago and it was a rousing success. They provided quite a bit (including a room in the back with a great view) and it really wasn’t too pricey.
“…and if you keep eatin’ that paste yer’ gonna end up like that goddamn eagle!”
Plus, all the proceeds from the minimal renting fee go right back into producing quality children’s programming at these sites!
I will also add Twin Ports Gymnastics to the list of places to have a birthday party.
Try the Edge Waterpark, Arcade, Swimming and Pizza for a low price. https://www.duluthwaterpark.com/resort/index.php
Zinema2 has venue rental. They list “Host an unusual birthday party?” in the list of reasons to rent the venue.
Remember, people, this party is for a one-year-old! Child proofed venue is the ticket!
Thanks for all of the suggestions! I think I have enough ideas to get through the next 10 years now. 🙂
Just one more suggestion, Twin Ports gymnastics or the Gymnastics Academy, kids can play on the trampolines, they set up inflatable play areas, and TPG has a party room.
I was just at a toddler-ish age family and friends oriented birthday party at Sammy’s Pizza downtown. I am not sure they even charged for the room and they let them bring in a cake, party favors, etc. It was great. They let us push together 6 or 7 tables, a small amount of room for kids to run around but nothing got out of hand, either. Putting a one year old party is really more about the adults than the kids anyway. Plus, hey, Sammy’s Pizza.
We went to a kid birthday party at the Venue at Mohaupt some years ago. Of course it was the proprietors’ kid, so I don’t know how feasible that would be for someone else.
The Limit in Gary (aka Moldeez). No joke, a sibling of my sister (sounds funny, it’s a long story) held his son’s first b-day there. It was like 8+ years ago on a Sunday afternoon. There’s a reason we call them the hillbilly side of the family.