Facility Rentals/Reservations

Please call 713-667-6550 to discuss your rental needs and reservation plans.

Because the Henshaw House and pavilions are located inside a city park, you should note that there can be no pets, alcoholic beverages, or smoking in the building, grounds, or parking lots.

Parties Under the Pavilions

Birthday Parties and family events are often held under the 3 pavilions located in back of the Henshaw House. The large pavilion covers three large picnic tables (seating = 36 kids or 30 adults), while each of the two smaller pavilions covers one large picnic table (seating = 8 kids or 6 adults). Reservations must be made in advance for all parties held in the pavilion area.

Included with your Nature Discovery Center membership is one FREE pavilion party rental per membership year. If you are not a Nature Discovery Center member, a $50 fee is charged for your pavilion reservation. This fee is the same as our family membership fee, and entitles you to the other benefits of Family Membership.

With your pavilion reservation you will have the exclusive use of the pavilions for a period of 3 hours. We recommend that you allow set-up time and clean-up time when you make your party plans and pavilion reservations. You may decorate the pavilions as you would like for your party (pinatas are popular, as are streamers and balloons), but you will be responsible for leaving the pavilions in the same condition in which you found them. Large trash cans are conveniently located throughout the pavilion area.

Meetings or Retreats at the Henshaw House

Hold your next staff retreat, board meeting or planning session at the Henshaw House in the lovely, wooded Russ Pitman Park. You can meet outside around the picnic tables under our pavilions (see above), or you can meet inside the historic Henshaw House. 

The downstairs of the Henshaw House features three connected rooms (a meeting room, living room, and dining room) and a kitchen available for your use. Please check out our downstairs floorplan for room sizes and seating capacities, or come by to see the spaces that are available (photos coming soon). 

The kitchen facilities include: a refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, ice machine, and electric coffee pots. 

Added amenities: forty stacking meeting room chairs, three 6-foot tables, a fixed projection screen for slide or PowerPoint presentations (you supply your own projector), and two downstairs restrooms.

The Nature Discovery Center does not provide food or drinks, but outside catering for your event is welcome. Please have your caterer contact us for guidelines.

Rental fees for meetings held inside the Henshaw House are $30/hour. Please include setup and cleanup time in your calculations. Any part of an hour is billed as a full hour. 

A $100 deposit and signed contract are required at the time of reservation. Payment in full is required 48 hours before the event. Failure to pay will result in forfeiture of reservation and deposit. Cancellations must be made no later than 48 hours before your event. Failure to provide 48-hour notice will result in forfeiture of deposit.