Hiller Aviation Museum — California

60-guest evening dinners, venue-confirmed · California · One event per evening, exclusive use · From $2,000 facility rental

Hiller Aviation Museum is a California aviation museum that opens its Gallery for private evening buyouts, and the museum books only one event per evening, so a group has the space to itself. For a 60-guest corporate dinner the museum’s own recommendation is cocktails in the front portion of the Gallery and dinner in the middle portion. The venue rental runs $2,000 for the facility, with a $800 cleaning fee and $650 of required event security on top — $3,950 in total including a $500 refundable damage deposit, or $3,450 once that deposit comes back, and catering is not included in any of those figures. Seven interactive exhibits come with the rental at no extra charge, and setup and teardown time is included free. Check availability or request a quote for Hiller Aviation Museum on VenueKonnex.

Space Features

• The Gallery — the main event floor, used in two portions: the front portion for cocktails and the middle portion for a seated dinner. The museum confirmed this layout for a 60-guest evening event.
• Flight Sim Zone (upstairs) — a simulator room available for an additional $375 per hour, accommodating 40–50 people per hour. Each station takes a pilot and a copilot, who take turns at the controls.
• Exclusive use: the museum books one event per evening, so an evening rental is a full buyout of the event space.
• Additional time for setup and teardown is included at no charge.

Included With the Rental

Seven interactive exhibits are open to guests during an evening event, included in the facility rental:

• Wright Model B Simulator
• Fokker Tri-plane that guests can sit in
• Helicopter Simulator
• Google Earth Monitors
• Paper Plane Launcher
• 777 Landing Simulator
• Blue Angels cockpit that guests can sit in

Best For

• Corporate dinners with a team-building component
• Private evening receptions and cocktail-plus-dinner formats
• Company offsites and group activity nights
• Milestone celebrations wanting an exhibit-led setting

Pricing & Booking Terms

The museum quoted the following breakdown for a private evening event. Every figure below is venue rental and required services only — catering is not included and is priced separately by the caterer.

• $2,000 — facility rental
• $800 — cleaning fee
• $650 — security, required for all events
• $500 — refundable damage deposit, returned if there is no damage
• $3,950 total, or $3,450 net of the refundable damage deposit
• $375 per hour — Flight Sim Zone, charged separately from the facility rental

• Deposit: a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit holds the date.
• Balance: the remaining balance is due 5 days before the event.
• Payment: the museum accepts check and credit card.
• Setup and teardown: additional time is included at no charge.
• A shorter three-hour event window is available in place of a four-hour one, and the museum has offered a discount for it.

Catering & Vendors

• Catering — outside catering allowed. Groups are not required to select a caterer from the museum’s list.
• The museum maintains a Preferred Vendor List, but an outside caterer may be used provided the museum can work with that caterer in advance.

Convenience

• Typical event windows are 6:00–10:00 PM, 6:30–10:30 PM and 7:00–11:00 PM.
• Setup and teardown time sits outside the booked event window at no additional charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many guests can Hiller Aviation Museum host for an evening event?
The museum confirmed a 60-guest evening event in the Gallery, with cocktails in the front portion and dinner in the middle portion. The upstairs Flight Sim Zone separately accommodates 40 to 50 people per hour.

What does it cost to rent?
$2,000 for the facility rental, plus an $800 cleaning fee and $650 of required security, and a $500 refundable damage deposit — $3,950 in total, or $3,450 once the deposit is returned. Catering is not included in those figures.

What is included in the rental?
Exclusive use of the event space for the evening, seven interactive exhibits open to guests, and additional setup and teardown time at no charge.

Can we bring our own caterer?
Yes. The museum keeps a Preferred Vendor List, but groups are not required to use it; an outside caterer is permitted as long as the museum can coordinate with that caterer in advance.

What deposit is required?
A $1,000 nonrefundable deposit holds the date. The remaining balance is due 5 days before the event, and the museum accepts check and credit card.

How much setup and teardown time is included?
Additional setup and teardown time is included at no extra charge, outside the booked event window.

Is there a team-building activity on site?
Yes. The upstairs Flight Sim Zone is available for $375 per hour and handles 40 to 50 people per hour, with each station seating a pilot and a copilot who take turns at the controls.

What events is it best for?
Corporate dinners with a team-building component, private evening receptions, company offsites and group activity nights.

Last updated September 2026.

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