Book your next special event at the
Museum of Photographic Arts!

Plunge into the world of phototgraphy and film!

Let the Museum of Photographic Arts in historic Balboa Park host your upcoming wedding, social or corporate event. Located on the Prado in the Casa de Balboa, MoPA was recently renovated and boasts state-of-the-art facilities including a 226-seat theater, reception area and gallery space. Our David C. Copley Atrium offers a unique setting for receptions and seated dinners, plus the opportunity for your guests to view MoPA's impressive exhibition galleries. Located within the museum, the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Theater presents an intimate meeting forum which can accommodate a variety of multi-media presentations.

MoPA is available for private functions seven days a week. Our preferred caterers will customize a menu to meet your group's special requests and provide an unforgettable dining experience.

If you wish to schedule a preliminary tour of our facilities or have any questions, please contact the Special Events Department at 619.238.7559 ext. 290 or events@mopa.org

General Facility Rental Guidelines and Fees

Weddings at MoPA

Preferred Caterers

For availability please email the Special Events Department at events@mopa.org

David C. Copley Atrium: · 2,400 square feet · Exhibition galleries · Features porcelain travertine flooring, 6 large skylights set in a 24-foot-high ceiling and adjacent photographic galleries · This grand venue is perfect for elegant receptions for 200, seated dinners for 150 and dancing with the beauty of Balboa Park just steps away

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theater: ·Ideal for film screenings, conferences, classes, and wedding ceremonies, this theater can accommodate a variety of events. · Features spot-lighting and ceiling “twinkle lights” · 226-seat theater/guest accommodation · Stage: 18’ wide and 8’ deep · Screen: 23’4” wide and 12’ high · Super VHS, DVD and Laser Disc · Dolby SR Sound · 16 mm EIKI Pedestal projector · Two 35mm CIMPLEX projectors · Two 35mm slide projectors · Guest speaker podium · Handicap accessible (ADA certified/approved)

Capture the majesty and romance frame after frame!

Looking for a hip venue to host your wedding reception?

MoPA is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in town - ask other brides who have hosted their wedding here! Situated at 1649 El Prado, a magnificent Spanish colonial building in the heart of Balboa Park, this reception site offers the best of both worlds - art and nature combined. Surrounded by lush tropical foliage and exotic flowers, Balboa Park is "San Diego's urban jewel;" it is the ideal photo opportunity for all your bridal pictures.

RECEPTION SITE:
Seated dinners for 140 or stand-up receptions for 200 guests can be accommodated in The David C. Copley Atrium. MoPA's spacious special event arena features pristine white porcelain travertine flooring, the perfect neutral palate against which to stage your wedding colors. The 24-foot-high ceilings and white walls create an airy yet intimate setting.

During the reception your guests can view MoPA's impressive exhibition galleries which flank the atrium. Photographers from all over the world continue to grace our walls. With exhibitions changing every three months there is always something new to engage your guests!

CEREMONY SITE:
The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theatre is a technically superb theater and provides an ethereal setting with twinkling lights that mimic the night sky. You have the ability to set any mood by adjusting the light panels that run along the length of the theatre. It provides a beautiful place for your ceremony and is just steps away from the cocktail reception.

CATERING:
Our preferred caterers will customize a menu to meet your special requests and provide an unforgettable dining experience.

Please read our guidelines for facility rentals for more information about holding you wedding at MoPA.

View from MoPA's porch