Birthday Parties

Something Different for Your Child’s Birthday This Year


The Shoreline is a great place to have a birthday party, rain or shine. We have a large private indoor party room available and lots of activities to make your child’s birthday a true adventure.

Your Birthday Party Package Includes
 • 4-hour rental of a large private room (Mud Lab) with access to Habitat
   Room, outdoor deck, and trails. This includes your set-up and clean-up
   time.
 • Up to two 12-foot-long and two 6-foot-long tables with 36 chairs. The
   typical set-up is two 12-foot-long tables with 24 chairs.
 • A 1-hour presentation from a naturalist for 15 children designed around
   an animal or theme of your choice.

Costs
 • Rental Fee:
    $220 in-district (residents of Hayward, Castro Valley, and San Lorenzo)
    $275 out-of-district (non-residents)
 • Refundable Green Deposit: $50
 • Additional children: $5 per child (Maximum of 25 children)
 • Additional 30 minutes of a Naturalist’s Presentation: $50

Amenities


 • The Mud Lab fits 40 people comfortably.
 • Counters are along two full walls for presents and food.
 • A refrigerator/freezer and microwave are available.
 • Use of the Interpretive Center’s reusable plates and cups is
   recommended to decrease waste. These must be washed before the
   end of your rental.

Green Deposit
In order to comply with the Alameda County Mandatory Recycling Ordinance, birthday party visitors are required to properly sort waste into garbage, recycling, and compost bins. A $50 Green Deposit is due with payment. This full amount will be returned to you after the party, contingent on examination of the waste bins by an Interpretive Center staff member. By implementing this strategy, we uphold our priority of protecting wetland habitat and the wider environment.

Naturalist’s Presentation
The naturalist will spend an hour with you and your guests. The presentation will be scheduled to begin 15 minutes after your guests arrive. Please choose two activities from the following list or create a custom activity with the naturalist.
 • Dip netting – fishing in the channel with small nets looking for fish and
   other aquatic animals.
 • Feeding Frenzy – Feed the aquaria in our Habitat Room including our
   leopard shark pups and other Habitat Room residents.
 • Touch Tank – An opportunity to touch and handle some of our resident
   snails, crabs, and other aquatic animals (excluding the sharks).
 • Craft Activity – The naturalist will lead a craft that your guests can
   take home.
 • Trail hike – Hike the trail and explore the salt marsh with a professional
   naturalist guide. Learn fun facts about the plants and animals that live
   here.
 • Scavenger Hunt – Your guests will follow clues in the building or on
   the trail while learning about salt marsh animals.
 • Reptile Encounter – Pet, hold, and learn about one of our gopher
   snakes.
 • Custom Activity – To be developed with the naturalist

Payment
 • Advance payment is required and due immediately upon reserving your
   date.
 • Credit cards are accepted in person or over the phone.
 • Checks made payable to “Hayward Area Recreation and Park District”
   can be mailed to:
        Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
        4901 Breakwater Avenue
        Hayward, CA 94545
 • A refund will only be issued if you cancel at least three weeks in
   advance.

Responsibilities
 • Monitor the behavior of your guests.
 • Live animals must be treated carefully.
 • No paper products, candy wrappers, party favors, or balloons are
   allowed to become litter outside the facility or in the salt marsh.
 • Children should be fed in the Mud Lab and not allowed to wander with
   food.
 • Be mindful of the instructor’s time. The naturalist presentation will start
   no later than 10 minutes after scheduled time if guests are late.
 • There is no smoking permitted in the Interpretive Center or surrounding
   trails.
 • There is no alcohol allowed.

View and print a pdf of this information here.