Rental Information

To schedule a site visit or for more information, please contact

Hayley Rosenberg, Development Coordinator

To schedule a site visit or for more information, please contact Hayley Rosenberg, Development Coordinator, at 713-527-1621 or hrosenberg@hmh.org.

RENTAL OVERVIEW

Events at the Museum
Holocaust Museum Houston is foremost considered to be a place of respect and remembrance. The following policies are guided by the Museum’s mission, the need to ensure the safety of its exhibits, care of the building and its high standards of hospitality. Holocaust Museum Houston invites you to host meetings and events at the Museum. However, political or fundraising events for organizations other than HMH are not permitted. Holocaust Museum Houston reserves the right to refuse rentals based on availability, safety or inappropriateness of the proposed event as it pertains to the Museum’s mission.

Event Hours
Holocaust Museum Houston is available for rental seven days a week. However, in observance of Shabbat, the Museum does not host events on Friday evenings. Events in the exhibit areas and/or Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater cannot begin until 5:00 p.m. when the Museum closes to the public unless special accommodations have previously been arranged. All events must conclude by 10:00 p.m. Events held on weekends and holidays will incur a surcharge of $100 per hour to cover overtime expenses.

Exhibit Areas
Please note we do not allow any photography, videography, food and/or beverages in any of the exhibit areas. Food and/or beverages are only allowed on the Moral Choices Hall, which is located on the second floor of the Museum.

Reserving an Event Space
Interested parties may submit a request online at hmh.org or contact Holocaust Museum Houston to discuss date(s) and spaces. Upon mutual agreement, the Museum will provide a Facility Rental Agreement to the Licensee. An event is not considered confirmed until the Museum has received the following:

• Facility Rental Agreement is completed and signed by both parties
• 25% non-refundable deposit of rental fee
• Certificate of Insurance

Facility Payments
Payments are accepted via major credit card and/or check. Credit card payments may be submitted online at hmh.org or by emailing us at events@hmh.org. Checks should be made payable to Holocaust Museum Houston and mailed to the address below:

Holocaust Museum Houston Accounting Department
5401 Caroline Street
Houston, TX 77004

Event Balance / Cancellations
Licensee must pay a 25% non-refundable deposit to confirm event rental. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the scheduled event. Any fees incurred during the event will be billed promptly after the event and will be due within 15 days upon receiving the invoice. Licensee may cancel reservation no less than 30 days prior to the scheduled event without further payment of balance. If a cancellation is made less than 30 days prior to the scheduled event, Licensee must pay the full balance. All cancellations must be in writing. Holocaust Museum Houston retains the right to cancel an event at any point should the Licensee fail to comply with any of the terms contained in the Facility Rental Agreement, or due to acts of nature, or special security issues, or other occurrences beyond the control of the Museum. In such instance, the Licensee will be given as much advance notice as possible and any fees paid will be refunded.

Nonprofit Discount
Discounts for nonprofit organizations are available. Please contact Holocaust Museum Houston for a quote.

Certificate of Insurance
To confirm space rental, Licensee must submit a Certificate of Insurance naming Holocaust Museum Houston as an additional insured and demonstrate full liability insurance and property liability insurance in an amount no less than $1 million combined single limits for the duration of the event.

Building Policies
Holocaust Museum Houston is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is not permitted inside the buildings or on the premises, including outside areas such as the amphitheater. The City of Houston Noise Ordinance shall be abided by for any outside activities, playing of music, or any other noisy activities. Firearms, including without limitation handguns, shotguns and rifles (whether concealed or openly carried) are prohibited on the Museum premises and parking areas pursuant to Sections 30.06 and 30.07 of the Texas Penal Code. All large bags, backpacks, briefcases and packages must be checked at the Front Desk. All hand-carried items are subject to inspection.

Catering
Holocaust Museum Houston is pleased to provide excellent in-house catering by Chef Smirnov Catering, who is happy to customize a menu for your event and will work closely with you to ensure your chosen menu is prepared exactly as you wish. Kosher catering is not required. However, out of respect, foods such as certain seafood and pork products cannot be served at the museum. Seafood and shellfish that cannot be served include shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, catfish, octopus, swordfish, skate, eel, sturgeon and clams such as mussels, abalone and scallops. Animals that cannot be served include rabbit and all pork products including ham and bacon.

Alcohol
Holocaust Museum Houston’s in-house caterer, Chef Smirnov Catering carries a liquor license and is approved by the Museum to serve liquor during Licensee’s event. Under no circumstances is liquor to be sold by the Licensee during the event. It is illegal to serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 21 years. It is the responsibility of the Licensee to enforce this regulation.

Open Flame Policy
Open flames are prohibited. Sterno flames associated with catering are permissible but require constant attention. Battery operated candles are allowed.

Event Floor Plans
Holocaust Museum Houston must approve event floor plans at least 3 days prior to the event.

Set-Up
Space rental fee includes 1 hour for set-up. Special arrangements to arrive more than 1 hour prior to event start time must be made with HMH 3 days prior to the event. Each additional hour will incur a $100 fee. Upon arrival for set-up, Licensee must check in with HMH staff. Please note set-up in the exhibit areas and/or Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater cannot begin until 5:00 p.m. when the Museum closes to the public.

Electrical Needs
All electrical wires, power cords, or other wires must be taped to floors with gaffers tape provided by the Licensee. No usage shall be permitted that may, in the judgment of Holocaust Museum Houston, overload or otherwise compromise the electrical systems of Holocaust Museum Houston.

Clean-Up
All events must conclude by 10:00 p.m. If additional hours are arranged after 10:00 p.m., an additional fee of $100 per hour will be charged. After the event, before leaving the Museum, the Licensee must perform a walk-through of the rental space with HMH staff. Licensee is responsible for all damage to the Museum and to Holocaust Museum Houston’s personal property therein, or to the property of any third person which is on loan to Holocaust Museum Houston, caused by the acts of Licensee or Licensee’s agents, servants, employees, or guests, whether accidental or otherwise. Licensee further agrees to leave the premises in the same condition as existed on the date that possession thereof commenced which includes but is not limited to the removal of all trash generated by the event, removal of all furniture, equipment, décor, signage, etc. No overnight storage of décor, signage, and/or equipment is allowed. Holocaust Museum Houston does not provide staff to move tables, chairs, props, electrical/staging equipment, decorations, etc. provided by decorators, caterers and other vendors.

Décor and Signage
All décor and equipment rentals must be made by the Licensee and approved by Holocaust Museum Houston. Decorators, rental equipment companies, and other vendors must arrange arrival times prior to the event. All deliveries must go to the loading dock entrance or an entrance designated by HMH staff. All decorations and signs provided by the Licensee must be freestanding and not interfere or disturb in any manner Museum exhibits or other property. No nails, tacks, unapproved tape or glue may be used on the walls, floors, or other surfaces. The Licensee must receive approval for any equipment/décor hung from any surfaces. If tape is needed, the Museum will provide the appropriate tape for the Museum walls, with sufficient notification of the request. Museum artifacts, exhibits or furnishings may not be moved. The Museum prohibits the following: firearms, live animals, fog, soap bubbles, fireworks, special effects smoke, helium balloons, and open flames. Confetti, bird seeds, rice or other small items may not be thrown inside the Museum. However, flower petals and bird seeds may be thrown outside.

Floral
Flower arrangements and plants must be pest-free and in water only. No dirt will be permitted on the premises. All floral arrangements must arrive and leave the Museum on the same day. No flowers/plants may be left in the Museum overnight.

Parking
Validation tickets for self-parking may be incorporated into your event package. If you would like to provide valet services, please see our Preferred Vendors List. The Licensee is entirely responsible for any and all costs and liability associated with valet services shall be the sole responsibility of the Licensee.

Security
Holocaust Museum Houston requires security to be present at all events. During Museum’s hours, Holocaust Museum Houston will provide security. Additional security may be requested and/or required at an additional charge during regular Museum hours depending on the size and nature of the event. Security for all after-hours events is mandatory. Security officers are under direct supervision of the Museum and only Museum staff are to give instructions to security personnel. The Licensee and its guests must comply with all security requests. If Licensee, its vendors, featured presenters or guests should have their own additional private security, HMH must be advised in advance of the event and such private security must coordinate with Museum security.

Emergency Situations
In the event of a serious emergency (Fire, Police, Medical), immediately call 911, and notify HMH staff. If for any reason evacuation of the facility becomes necessary, please exit quickly but calmly following the directions of HMH staff in your area. If possible, please take staff and/or guest list and proceed as directed by HMH staff.

Audio & Visual
Any A/V needs must be discussed with Holocaust Museum Houston prior to the event to determine feasibility. Typically, the following are available: podium microphone, lavaliere microphones, wireless handheld microphone, DVD/CD, TV, computer/laptop, overhead projector and projector screens. Licensee must save presentations and/or any other electronic documents on a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Drive. An A/V Setup Fee of $75 will be incurred if audio visual equipment setup is required. An A/V Technician Fee of $200 will be incurred if an A/V technician is requested to be on-site for the duration of the event.

Invitations and Printed Materials
All printed and web materials relating to events that reference Holocaust Museum Houston must be submitted to the Museum’s Marketing Department for review and approval no less than 72 hours prior to being printed and/or posted online.

Media / Photography / Videography
Per Museum policy, photos and videos may not be taken in the exhibit areas. Photos and videos may be taken in designated rental spaces with pre-approval from HMH staff. All Media inquiries and/or requests should contact HMH for arrangements.

Guest List
In order to provide background information to the museum and security staff, a guest list of the names of all registered attendees must be provided prior to the start of the event. This list will not be used for solicitation.

Preferred Vendors List
Holocaust Museum Houston’s Preferred Vendors List includes Valet Services, Floral, Photography and more. Should the Licensee opt to use a non-Museum recommended vendor, the names and contact information of such vendors must be provided to Holocaust Museum Houston prior to the event.

Guided Tours
Private, docent-led tours are available upon request at least 15 days prior to event. Tours are available in Spanish, English and French.

Museum Speaker
If you’d like for a HMH representative to speak to your group about the Museum, please let us know!

Museum Memberships / Door Prizes
Holocaust Museum Houston is pleased to offer membership discounts or door prize items for your guests. Please inquire 15 days prior to event.

Museum Gifts
Holocaust Museum Houston Store offers an array of extraordinary items for sale including jewelry, collectibles, décor, books and more! Museum store is open during Museum hours and items can be pre-purchased for attendees prior to event.

Facilities Rental Interest Form (PDF)
Audio/visual Equipment Request Form (PDF)
Events Package (PDF)