Children's Birthday Party Venues in the Triangle of North Carolina

A child's birthday party can be a wonderful and exciting event. Too often, however, parents are so overwhelmed by the planning process that they are unable to enjoy their own child's birthday party. Fortunately, there are a number of venues in which to hold a child's birthday party that provide a way for parents to truly get into the festivities. In the Triangle area of North Carolina, there are countless places in which to hold a child's birthday party, and choosing a venue can be quite a bit of work in itself. Here's a break down of several of the most popular venues.

With so many children in the Triangle area of North Carolina, it's no wonder that there is a plethora of options for birthday party venues. Obviously, where you choose to hold your child's birthday party depends a great deal on a number of factors, not the least of which being what your child will enjoy the most. Other factors to consider will be how many birthday party guests you plan to invite, how much planning you would like to put into the party personally and how much you are willing to spend on your child's birthday party.

Whether your child really enjoys science or just loves a great time, one of the most popular places in Raleigh, North Carolina to host a child's birthday party is at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown. With a couple different options, parents can turn over as much or as little of the party planning as they would like at Marbles. Each party package expects a two-hour party with up to 15 children. One bonus to Marbles is that parents do not count towards the total guest count: parents are expected to attend with their children. You can also add additional children to the guest list for a nominal fee. The less expensive package is $195 and does not include cake or party supplies. The more expensive package is $275 and includes cake, ice cream, drinks and paper products. Both involve an hour in the party room and an hour on the museum floor. Additionally, guests will receive a free pass for a future visit to the museum. The museum itself is very large, with lots of different activities that would appeal to children from age 1 to about 11. Older children may find slightly fewer activities that they find enjoyable, but would still find enough to fill the allotted time. One negative about this venue would be parking, and (for some) the fact that there are no weekday birthday time slots available. Marbles also offers Imax birthday parties. See their website for more information.

If your child is in love with games and wants to get rowdy on his or her birthday, Chuck E. Cheese is another great option in the Triangle. There are two locations in the Triangle, one in Durham off of Mayfair Rd. and the other in Raleigh off of Capital Blvd. For a child's birthday party, Chuck E. Cheese is geared towards the young school age set (ages 4-8), though younger children could have a good time, as well, provided there are not too many older children there at the same time. Birthday children truly are treated as stars at Chuck E. Cheese, with an on stage birthday song and the option for medallions and souvenirs from the party. Chuck E. Cheese also offers flexibility for a child's birthday party, since they charge by number of guests. This way, it's easy to increase your guest number, and you don't have to pay extra for kids you're not going to invite. Pricing varies depending on location, but the current "specials" in Raleigh list $10.99 per guest for a basic party and $15.99 for a "Super Star Upgrade" party. In each case, guests are given tokens for game play (you can purchase more tokens), pizza, unlimited soft drinks and a variety of special birthday child "gifts," including balloons, tickets (for use in "buying" prizes), a sticker and a birthday show. The Super Star Upgrade package adds a goody bag and a souvenir cup for each guest, as well as a plush toy for the birthday child. Negatives include the fact that this is an extremely crowded venue. Even if no one else is holding a party at the same time (and this is an extremely popular venue), the restaurant is open to the public and can get quite crowded. Smaller children may find that there are not many games that they can play, and both restaurants have recently removed some of the more popular activities geared for toddlers to make room for more games for older children, and children much older than 8 might not appreciate the "birthday show" or find the games too easy. Check out the website for more details.

In Chapel Hill, Kidzu Children's Museum is a great location for a party. Although not as large as Marbles, Kidzu offers a number of rotating exhibits. Children up to about age 7 or 8 would enjoy a party at Kidzu, and I believe that toddlers would prefer a party here to one at Marbles. Prices are based on day of the party. Saturday parties cost $150 and are limited to 15 guests (adults plus children). These can be scheduled between 3:30 and 5. Sunday parties are held before or after the museum is open (allowing for exclusive use of the museum) and cost $175 or $250. Friday parties, held after the museum closes, cost $250. Both Friday and Sunday parties are limited to 50 guests (adults plus children). For every four children, the museum requires one adult supervisor. Saturday parties include full day admission, 90 minutes in the party room, and an art project. Friday and Sunday parties include 90- 120 minutes in the museum and an art project. For an additional fee, temporary tattoos and gift bags can be provided (must pay in advance). A $50 deposit is required to book a child's birthday party. More details can be found at their website. Discounts are available to members.

One affordable and exciting birthday party option for children in Cary is at The Ice House. Ice skating can be a fun and unusual activity in North Carolina, and the Ice House is open year round. At this birthday party venue, your guest list can include up to 10 children for $125 or $150 for a premier party. The $125 party includes admission, skate rental, soft drinks, balloons, ¼ sheet cake (decorated), $10 in game tokens, invitations, decorations, 2 for 1 coupons and goody bags. The premier party adds either a slice of pizza or a hot dog per child, 2 buckets of popcorn and a birthday t-shirt. Some additional amenities that you can add include a short skating lesson, a T-shirt, a whole pizza or a ½ sheet cake. One huge advantage to this venue is that the staff takes care of set up and clean up for you (most of the other ones allot time for you to do that) and that cake is already paid for. Disadvantages could be that adults are not included in this fee, so they will have to pay additional to skate. Also, children who are uncertain on ice skates may not enjoy this sort of party. The Ice House is located near the Borders on Buck Jones Road. More details can be found at their website.

If your child truly enjoys science, a fun birthday venue in the Triangle is at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. At $245 for non-members, $210 for Friends of the museum, the fees go to the greater benefit of keeping the museum up and operating. For this fee, 12 birthday guests are invited to 45 minutes worth of themed crafts and activities led by a curator, plus 45 minutes of cake, ice cream and beverages (provided by the museum). You may also purchase additional food items. To explore the themes available and additional details, please see the website. www.naturalsciences.org/visitor-info/birthday-parties

Another science-themed party that will appeal to children of all ages in Durham is at the Museum of Life and Sciences. This absolutely massive museum contains a plethora of exciting exhibits that will delight children from age 4 to 12. A basic party costs $175 ($150 for members) and gives all day admission to all guests (up to 20), invitations, use of the party room for one hour, use of a CD player, use of refrigerator space, and a party host. A themed party costs $275 ($250 for members) and adds a special 90 minute themed presentation based on age. There are no themes available for children under age 4, but children under age 4 will still enjoy the rest of the museum. The website gives more information.

Whatever your child enjoys, you can find a great venue for a birthday party in the Triangle.