Planning your baby shower or baby sprinkle can be a daunting task, especially finding the best baby shower venue.
I’ll run you through the best places for your special occasion so that you can find the perfect venue for your baby shower for your new baby to be.
In addition to finding the best baby shower venues near you, you need to ask yourself a few questions like who is hosting? How big is the guest list? And what kind of shower do you want? Before you can pick out your venue.
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Finding Your Host
Just like with bridal showers, it is not common for the expecting mother to host her own baby shower. Usually, your close friends, mother, mother-in-law, or family members will host the baby shower for you.
Keep in mind that it is just as much their special event as it is yours.
Work closely with whoever is hosting your baby shower to pick the guest list, find the perfect place, decide on the theme and food.
It is hard, especially for a first-time mom to give up control of some of these aspects, but trust me that by the time your baby shower rolls around in your second or third trimester, you will be happy that they are the ones planning and hosting!
Theme Or Vibe
Maybe you have always dreamed of a safari-themed baby shower (like I did), or a quaint brunch with mimosas and a few of your closest friends?
Whatever you have envisioned, it is smart to communicate this with your host so that you can pick the best baby shower venue for the event that you have in mind.
For example, a botanical garden is beautiful–but not if you want an evening soiree!
Maybe you want something more low-key like games, hor oeuvres, and a diaper raffle at your host’s house.
Once you have a vision in mind, you and your host can put together your guest list and find the best baby shower venues in your area.
Not sure what kind of party you want? That’s completely fine! Skip this step and move on to the guest list.
Once you know how big of a venue you are going to have, you can look through this list and see if anything sparks your interest!
Guest List
Coming up with the guest list ahead of time is a great way to make sure you find a venue that is big enough to host your event.
Keep in mind the type of baby shower you would like to have when coming up with your guest list. If you want a more intimate setting, you should aim for no more than 20 people on the guest list.
Once you have your guest list, it is time to start looking for your event space.
The Best Baby Shower Venues
Now that you know who is hosting your baby shower, what kind of shower you want to have, and how big your baby shower is going to be, you are ready to look at the best baby shower venues in your area!
Best Free Baby Shower Venues
- Your Host’s House
This is a great option if your host’s house is spacious enough to accommodate everyone on your guest list. A home is a great place for a baby shower because it will feel familiar and cozy.
- A Friend’s House
If your host’s house isn’t the right fit for your baby shower venue, consider asking a friend to host who has a little more room or just a big living room for your gathering. This is the route that I personally chose!
- A Park
A park is a good place for a small group of people. You can have a picnic on blankets or at picnic tables. Most parks have charcoal grills that you can use free of charge to cook on. Others have gazebos and small pavilions that you can use as well. Just make sure to check whether the pavilions need to be rented ahead of time.
- The Beach
If you live near the ocean, the beach is a great free venue for a baby shower.
- Panera Bread Community Meeting Room
Some Panera Bread locations have a community meeting room that you can reserve for your event for free. Plus, Panera caters so you could host your baby shower easily all in one stop. Not all Panera Bread locations have community meeting rooms, and the capacity and rules (decorations, music, etc.) are set by each individual manager. Call around to your local Panera Bread locations to see if they have a community room available for your baby shower venue.
- A Virtual Baby Shower
You don’t have to be living in a global pandemic to consider having a virtual baby shower. If you live far away from your friends and family, or if your friends and family are scattered across the country/world a virtual baby shower is a great free option. You can buy an inexpensive backdrop or decorate a backdrop behind you and have your guests show up virtually in themed attire. The key to a successful virtual event is having a steady pace of activities so the party doesn’t feel stagnant. Make use of virtual breakout rooms to have a chance to talk one-on-one or in small groups with each of your guests.
Best Cheap Baby Shower Venues
- A Park Pavillion
While picnic tables and grassy areas are free at public parks, many parks have pavilions or gazebos that you can rent for a small fee. Park pavilions book quickly in the summertime, so make sure you reserve early to get the best option your park has to offer. A pavilion is a great outdoor area that can be decorated to look beautiful. Most have large brick walls that are the perfect backdrop for a selfie or photo booth station. When booking a park pavilion for your gathering, some questions you will want to ask are whether the pavilion has:
- Restrooms (or access to restrooms at a short distance)
- Electricity
- Capacity restrictions
- Charcoal or gas barbecues
- Picnic tables
- Private Rooms At A Restaurant
Most restaurants that have private dining rooms will let you use the room for free provided you have a certain number of guests. The number of guests will depend on the restaurant, so you will have to do some research. By renting a private room at a restaurant, there is an expectation that you will purchase food from them. Find out if there is a minimum amount of money that you have to spend at the restaurant. If you can find a private dining room at a reasonably priced restaurant you will save money because you don’t have to pay for the event space on top of the food. Bonus: if you can dine at your favorite restaurant, you will be satisfying some of your pregnancy food cravings!
- Community Center
Whether it is your town hall, municipal center, or local historic landmark, most cities have a community center that is available for rent at a small price. These community centers are usually used to host town hall meetings and other local government affairs. They rent them out at a small price whenever they aren’t in use to generate some profit.
- Fire Hall
Your local fire department might have a fire hall event space available for rent at a low cost. While fire halls are typically no-frills, many have their own private kitchens and restrooms. If you have help, you can cater all of your own food items right on spot to cut costs even further.
- Church Hall
Like a fire hall, church halls also typically have restrooms and a private kitchen for use. Keep your cost down by providing and cooking your own food at the location. Church halls typically book quickly on the weekends because of weddings and baptisms. Make sure to plan in advance if you want to rent out your church hall.
- Chain Hotel Meeting Space
Major hotels like Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn have private meeting spaces that are very affordable to rent. Another bonus of renting a small hotel meeting space? Most provide water, tea, and coffee with the cost of the rental. These hotel spaces have partitions so they can accommodate small, medium, and large social events. You only pay for the space that you need. In addition, check what other amenities will be available to your guests like the use of the pool or outdoor spaces.
Best Indoor Baby Shower Venues
- Tea Room
What is classier than high tea at a tea room for a gathering? Tea rooms typically are not large, so this is the perfect place for an intimate shower with close family and friends. Find a local tea room near you to plan your dream baby shower. Most tea rooms are accustomed to hosting baby and bridal showers. They often will help with decorating with table linens and centerpieces. Tea rooms usually have small menus with finger sandwiches and light pastries. Most tea rooms will even cut and serve a cake if asked.
- Country Clubs
Often (but not always) at golf courses, country clubs offer many unique event spaces for your baby shower. Country clubs have large spaces for weddings and smaller spaces (private rooms, patios, gazebos, etc.) that are perfect baby shower locations. The only downside is that country club rooms typically need to be rented by a club member and aren’t open to the general public… Or, if they do allow the general public for events, you will have to pay a premium to rent this space.
- Tasting Room
Whether it is a brewery, vineyard, chocolatier, bakery, or any other specialty foods shop, there is likely a small business in your area with a private tasting room. Craving sweets this pregnancy? Check for local bakeries or chocolate factories. Craving meats and cheeses? Find a local cheese shop for a tasting of cheeses and charcuterie.
- Your Favorite Restaurant Indoors
Depending on the size of your party, you could host your baby shower at your favorite restaurant (regardless of if they have a private room or not). Some restaurants will open early to host private events, or you can just reserve a large table during regular operating hours. While some restaurants can handle large crowds without any notice or planning, by calling your restaurant in advance they will be able to provide the best service for your group and might be able to do extras like provide decorations or centerpieces and cut and serve your cake.
- Indepedent Banquet Hall
An independent banquet hall is a great place for your baby shower. Providing quality customer service for events and gatherings is the sole goal of a banquet hall. They specialize in hosting events of all types. Many banquet halls also offer catering to make it a one-stop shop for your baby shower planning. Banquet halls also have rooms of various sizes and have their own linens, lighting, decorations, and music available.
- Spa
A day spa is the perfect setting for the baby shower of your dreams. Depending on the size of your group, your local day spa might have a private gathering space or even close to the public for your special event. Treat yourself to some rest and relaxation with your friends and close family members. Make sure to mention that you are pregnant when booking the space to be sure that they offer prenatal services (most do!).
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Best Baby Shower Venues Outdoors
- Rental Companies
A tent rental company allows you to have your baby shower at any outdoor venue that you want (rain or shine!). Take your baby shower to a park, beach, garden, family home, or any other place you can imagine. If you want to have your baby shower at a private location, make sure to check on whether you need a permit to have a tent and what their procedures are. Rental companies not only rent tents, but they can also rent tables, chairs, linens and dishes, decorations, lighting, heating, and even restrooms.
- Botanical Gardens And Arboretums
Botanical gardens and arboretums offer a beautiful setting for your baby shower. Depending on the venue, they might have private rooms, patios, or gazebos, or allow you to set up tables right in the middle of the gardens.
- Amusement Park
Do you have a theme park or amusement park near you? Amusement parks have indoor and outdoor event spaces for gatherings of all sizes. They will also provide the food, music, and possibly entertainment for your guests as well. Just know that while you are pregnant you will be restricted by which rides (if any) that you can do.
- Club House
Your local pool or golf course might have a clubhouse available for rent. A club house is primarily an outdoor venue, but has an indoor restroom, small seating area, and possibly a private kitchen or concession stand. A club house is usually adjacent to a pool or golf course that would be included and accessible for your guests to use (although these facilities might not be private–only the clubhouse). This would be a great low-key venue for you and your guests for an afternoon baby shower.
- Your Favorite Restaurant Outdoors
Does your favorite restaurant have an outdoor patio, firepit, or other space? See if you can reserve it for your gathering. An evening smores baby shower around a fire pit would be a huge hit with your guests and one that they surely wouldn’t forget! Just like with private dining rooms, many restaurants will let use rent their outdoor spaces for free provided you are brining a large enough group or spending a certain amount of money on food and drink.
Best Large Baby Shower Venues
- School Gym
Hosting a large gathering? You might need to rent a space with a lot of square feet to accommodate your guest list. School gyms are inexpensive and are huge! What’s more, there are likely restrooms inside the gym for your guests or close by. School gyms are so big an empty you should consider hiring a rental company to provide lighting and decorations to make the space feel more special for your baby shower.
- Hotel Event Room
Large hotels, especially those in the downtown areas of your city, will have large, extravagant event spaces. Looking for an extravagant baby shower? Rent a gorgeous hotel venue and make it a weekend getaway by renting a hotel room for an overnight stay.
- Rec Center
Your local YMCA or rec center likely has a very large indoor gathering space available for rent in the evenings and on the weekends. Just like a school gym, these spaces are so big and bare they are difficult to decorate. Consider renting decorations and lighting (or even a company to do this for you) to make a big open space feel more quaint for your baby shower.
- Ball Room
Crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows? What could be a more elegant baby shower venue for your guests? Sometimes found in prestigious hotels, sometimes at country clubs, or sometimes at independent banquet halls, ball rooms are a perfect choice if you have a large crowd. Most ball rooms have everything you need for your baby shower including tables, linens, decorations, catering, and more. All you have to do is show up!
- Conference Center
A conference center offers plenty of room for a large crowd. Some conference centers are elaborate and the rooms are very appealing, while others are more plain. If you need a big space and are working on a budget, visit a few different conference centers around you to see which one matches your baby shower style the best.
Best Unique Baby Shower Venues
- Time Share/ Air BnB/ VRBO Rental
Whether you are planning a getaway or something local, you are sure to find unique houses, villas, penthouses, and more for rent online. You can find a unique place that fits whatever style and theme you are planning for your shower. Thinking of an afternoon brunch by the pool? Find a quaint house with a beautiful outdoor pool area. Want a more sophisticated evening soiree? Book a downtown penthouse with amazing views of the city.
- Brewery
Breweries have event spaces that are trendy and unique. Think rustic woods and metals. They offer casual outdoor areas perfect for baby shower games and opening presents. Breweries are great for new parents hosting a co-ed baby shower. While you can’t partake in the beer drinking, your guests will thank you for hosting a baby shower at a brewery!
- Vineyard
Just like a brewery, vineyards have unique event spaces for your baby shower venue. While breweries tend to be more modern and rustic, vineyards are more classic and elegant. Don’t forget to bring your own sparkling cider to enjoy while your guests sip on their favorite local wines.
- An Art Studio
Think paint-and-sip studios, or pottery or ceramic studios. A baby shower at an art studio focuses more on the experience and less on the food and decorations. Your guests will go home with a baby shower favor that they will always remember, and the pressure if off of you for arranging catering, flowers, and decorations.
- A Boat
Live near the water? Charter a boat for the day. Whether it is a catamaran or a yacht, you can find boats to accommodate just about any size of group. You can also look for boats with amenities like bathrooms and kitchens for convenience for your guests. Want something a little more laid back? Take a boat out for a picnic-style lunch for a few hours in the early afternoon.
Pro Tip: Now that you have your venue picked, it’s time to start thinking about baby shower games and party favors!
