Places to Have a High School Graduation Party

Earning a high school diploma is a feat worthy of a huge celebration – but where to hold it? Parents often throw a grad party at home, but there are other places to have a graduation party that don't require you to let crowds of people use your bathroom. A high school grad's celebration can be held anywhere that feels special to the graduate. When you're looking for graduation party location ideas, think about the logistics as much as the cost and the grad's preferences. If it doesn't have bathrooms, take it off your list of places to throw a graduation party.

A park is one of the most common places to throw a graduation party. There should be plenty of room for guests to spread out, the younger kids can occupy themselves running around and there may even be grills there to use for cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. Reserving a covered pavilion lets you hold the party rain or shine.

This tends to be one of the most affordable ways to host a grad party. There may be a fee required to hold your event in your chosen park, but it generally won't be too high. Just scope out the location first to make sure there's plenty of nearby parking and clean bathrooms, and that any older or disabled guests will be able to get to the area you've chosen and access the bathrooms.

Holding the party in a restaurant, country club or event space will be more expensive than throwing the party at home or in a park. For parents who can afford the expense, choosing one of these places to have a graduation party does tend to be much less of a headache than organizing the entire event. You generally won't have to worry about setting up tables, cleaning up afterward, hiring caterers or staffing the event. Parents may only need to bring their own decorations and maybe a cake.

There are a few advantages to hosting a grad party at a sports field or stadium. For one, these venues give kids a built-in activity. If you hold the party at an empty sports field, younger guests can play baseball or soccer while the adults socialize. Or, if you have a local minor league baseball team, the stadium may organize parties on game days. If the graduate is a big sports fan, this might be one of the best places to throw a graduation party. Guests can all gather in a designated location for cake and to celebrate the graduate, then sit down in the stands and watch the game.

Still looking for places to have a graduation party? Take inspiration from the graduate's passions or future plans. Does she love music? See if a local music venue will rent out the space for a daytime party. A graduate who is pursuing a career in art might want the party held at a local art museum or at a venue where people can make their own art, like at a paint-your-own-pottery studio.

Think about places the graduate has loved visiting during childhood. The zoo or a local skating rink or bowling alley could be a fun place to celebrate a student's transition into adulthood – without losing all the fun of childhood. And keep in mind that a great graduation party doesn't have to include dozens and dozens of guests. The grad might prefer to make a guest list of just 10 or so people and celebrate at a local amusement park, at a concert or even at a spa.

As you look for graduation party location ideas in your area, use parents of recent grads as a resource. They may have hosted or attended parties at locations that you wouldn't have thought about on your own.