Becoming a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah marks a huge milestone for Jewish teens and their families. After your child has spent so many hours studying, practicing, and preparing, you’ll want to celebrate their major accomplishment with family and friends.
Traditional locations like your synagogue’s social hall or hotel ballrooms can be convenient options for a celebratory party following the bar or bat mitzvah service. But if you’re looking for a unique experience, the DC area has many venues where guests can play games, explore interesting sites, and have fun while celebrating your child.
Read on for our list of fun bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah venues in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. And if you’re looking for more ways to celebrate with your tween or teen, check out our Kids' Birthday Party Places Guide for DC, which includes our list of teen birthday party ideas.
Fun Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Venues in Washington, DC
1. Boardwalk Bar and Arcade
For a laid-back celebration with a nostalgic beach vibe, check out this fun venue. Enjoy views of the Potomac from the extensive covered outdoor patio and play games like pinball, shuffleboard, Skee-Ball, and more. The catering menu includes boardwalk classics like pizza, pretzels, popcorn, and cotton candy. Boardwalk Bar and Arcade has four spaces for semi-private and private events of varying sizes, and can accommodate up to 210 guests for a private event with a food and beverage minimum.
2. Spin
For a unique and fun way to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, check out Spin, where guests can enjoy serving, smashing, and volleying on the 13 ping-pong tables throughout the venue. Spin offers private dining spaces with on-site catering and can accommodate groups of all sizes, from intimate gatherings up to parties of 500.
3. Throw Social
The bright pinks, blues, and greens at Throw Social transport you to a tropical Florida beach scene. Lounge in the cabanas or on the rooftop deck and play games including light-up ping-pong, shuffleboard, and giant Jenga. The menu includes sliders, flatbread, and tacos, and the venue can host private parties for up to 500 guests. You have the option to add extras including live entertainment, a photo booth, balloons, and more.
4. Mansion on O Street
A party at the Mansion on O Street includes more than the traditional dining, music, and dancing. Here, guests can explore a unique venue with treasure hunts, themed rooms, secret doors, and hidden passages. Various packages include options for sit-down or buffet dining, a dedicated event planner, and a DJ. The Mansion on O Street can accommodate parties of up to 200, and staff can coordinate all details including flowers, cake, and invitations.
5. International Spy Museum
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to celebrate in style at the International Spy Museum. The venue offers event spaces with stunning views of the US Capitol, Washington Monument, and Potomac River with room to accommodate up to 250 guests. Packages can include the opportunity to explore the exhibit spaces for thrilling accounts of real-life secret agents, covert missions, and espionage.
6. City Experiences Private Boat Charter
For a unique celebration with spectacular views of DC’s monuments, charter a City Cruise along the Potomac River. The boats have onboard catering, a dance floor, and rooftop decks from which to enjoy the view. There are a variety of vessels to choose from, with capacities reaching up to 600 guests.
7. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum
The Capital Jewish Museum provides a beautiful and historic space for a Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah as the home of the oldest synagogue in Washington, DC. You can hold your child's ceremony in the historic sanctuary, enjoy views of the US Capitol from the building’s terrace, and explore the museum’s exhibitions full of interesting stories and artifacts. The museum can accommodate up to 150 guests for a seated reception.
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Auto enthusiasts will love partying at The Rev Room at Flemings Ultimate Garage. Photo courtesy of the venue
Fun Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah Venues in Maryland
8.The Rev Room at Flemings Ultimate Garage— Rockville
For the classic car enthusiast, nothing beats The Rev Room’s showroom event spaces. Choose from a selection of sleek and colorful flashy rides, including T-birds, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces, to add flair and color to your child's Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. Each showroom accommodates up to 250 guests.
9. Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar — National Harbor
Host your child’s bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah at Bobby McKey’s for an entertaining live show with dueling musicians singing and playing requested tunes on the piano. A party at Bobby McKey’s also includes in-house catering, audio-visual equipment, decorations, and more. The venue can accommodate up to 450 guests.
10. Wonderfly Arena — Arbutus and Timonium
For a party where kids can play, check out Wonderfly Arena, a sports complex that was purpose-built for hosting unique and interactive private events. Choose from a variety of activities to entertain your guests including bubble ball, arrow tag, Nerf wars, virtual-reality gaming, basketball, ping-pong, corn hole, and more. When you host an event at Wonderfly you get the entire space—which can accommodate up to 150 guests—exclusively for your group.
11. Glen Echo Park — Glen Echo
Glen Echo Park provides a unique and entertaining venue for your celebration. Now a national park, it was once a popular amusem*nt park, and it still offers plenty of fun and whimsical charm. Host your reception in the Bumper Car Pavilion, a classic ride converted into a party space for up to 200 guests, or in the historic Spanish Ballroom, which can seat up to 450. Make your party extra special by renting the antique Dentzel Carousel for your guests to ride.
12. VisArts — Rockville
If your child is artsy, VisArts might be a good venue for their bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah. Packages include the Artist’s Concourse, which provides access to gallery spaces, artist studios, and the Buchanan Room featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, a built-in dance floor, and space to seat 160 guests. VisArts provides tables and chairs, colorful paper lanterns, granite-topped lighted bars, and the option to add on a custom art activity.
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Party amidst the Space Shuttle Discovery at the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Photo courtesy of the museum
Fun Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Venues in Northern Virginia
13.National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center— Chantilly
For a truly one-of-a-kind experience, host your child's party amidst the planes, spacecraft, and other fascinating artifacts at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Special events are held after public hours, so the entire venue is exclusively your group's to explore. An additional rental fee allows guests to enjoy the museum’s flight simulators and view large-format films in the IMAX theater.
14. Punch Bowl Social — Arlington
This innovative entertainment venue is full of fun and games. You can rent a single room for a small group, a full floor, or even the entire venue. Available activities vary depending on which space you rent, but can include bowling, karaoke, roller ball, darts, ping-pong, bocce, arcade games, and more. The top floor can accommodate up to 550 guests, while the lower levels can each hold 100 to 150.
15. Continental — Rosslyn
The Continental is a stylish pool lounge with a relaxed, laid-back feel. You can rent the full house for larger groups of 150 to 300, or reserve one or both lounge rooms for smaller groups of up to 100 guests. Available games include pool and ping-pong, and the catering menu offers an array of tasty appetizers including quesadillas, soft pretzels, sliders, wraps, wings, and more.
16. The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanic Gardens — Vienna
You’ll be surrounded by beauty at The Atrium, situated within Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. The indoor space is available year-round and has glass walls providing gorgeous views of the gardens. At events held during regular operating hours, guests can explore and enjoy the 95 acres of public gardens. The building can seat up to 230 guests and rentals include tables, chairs, a dance floor, and other amenities, plus a one-year garden membership.
17. K1 Speed — Sterling
For your thrill-seeking child, consider holding their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah at K1 Speed, an indoor electric go-kart racing venue. Party packages include a qualifying race and a final event race, a private party room, pizza and drinks, and a podium ceremony to award medals to the top racers and the guest of honor.
Fun Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah Venues with Multiple Locations in the DC Area
18. Pinstripes — Washington, DC and North Bethesda, MD
Pinstripes offers a traditional ballroom setting with the added fun of bowling lanes and bocce courts. The on-site restaurant provides in-house catering, and flexible event spaces can be configured for smaller gatherings or for larger seated dining affairs for up to 180 guests at the Georgetown location or 300 guests in North Bethesda.
19. Top Golf — National Harbor and Germantown, MD; Ashburn, VA
At Top Golf your guests can enjoy a high-tech golf game that’s fun for all skill levels. Top Golf offers a catering menu and private and semi-private event spaces in a variety of sizes including the Signature Room, which seats up to 200 or 250 guests depending on the location.
