La Jolla Shores · San Diego

Scripps Seaside Forum

Award-winning oceanfront venue on the cliffs above La Jolla Shores, part of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego — striking modern architecture, floor-to-ceiling glass, and uninterrupted Pacific views from every angle

Scripps Seaside Forum main room
Photo booth at Scripps Seaside Forum
Scripps Seaside Forum detail
16ft
Ceiling height
Power access
11
Events here
12y
Working this venue

What you need to know before booking

Ceiling Height 16ft Multi-purpose auditorium with balcony, four ocean-view conference rooms, and an outdoor garden plaza. The main auditorium has good ceiling height for booth setup near the entrance.
Power Access ✓ Available · 20A Power is available and parking is validated — a genuine plus at this venue. Confirm setup power location with the Scripps events team ahead of time.
Natural Light High Floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the main spaces frames the Pacific Ocean from every angle. Sunset views from the outdoor garden plaza and balconies are extraordinary. This is one of the highest natural light venues in San Diego.
Backdrop ✓ Possible A printed backdrop is completely unnecessary here. The Pacific Ocean and modern architecture do far more than any fabric print. Position the booth to face the glass walls or garden plaza.
Indoor / Outdoor Both available
Load-in Parking is validated for this venue — a real bonus for vendors at a La Jolla location. Load-in is flat and accessible. Confirm your approach with the events team as the campus can be confusing on first visit.
Floor Surface Tile and hardwood indoors, stone and grass outdoors
Noise Level Low

Where we place the booth

Best Placement Inside by the entrance — guests flow through that point naturally and it's the main artery between the auditorium and the outdoor areas. The outdoor garden plaza is exceptional for cocktail hour setups with the ocean as the backdrop.
Space Needed ~90 sq ft
Setup Time ~25 minutes
Open-airEnclosed
★ Insider Pro Tip — 12 years working this venue

Validated parking is included at Scripps — make sure you tell your contact to validate you when you arrive, as this isn't always automatically offered to vendors. The view from this venue is genuinely one of the best of any event space in San Diego. Set up inside near the main entrance and angle the booth toward the glass so the ocean is visible behind guests in the photos. We've had dolphins visible in the background during events here — guests go absolutely wild for those shots.

Everything we know about Scripps Seaside Forum

Scripps Seaside Forum sits on the cliffs above La Jolla Shores as part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego — and the views from this venue are among the most breathtaking of any event space in the city.

The building itself won an “Orchid” from the San Diego Architectural Foundation and a Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects. It’s not just that the views are good — it’s that the architecture was specifically designed to frame them. Floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the main spaces means the Pacific Ocean is visible from essentially everywhere inside the building. The outdoor garden plaza and balconies extend that experience into open air.

After 11 events here since 2014, our placement is always the same: inside, near the entrance, angled toward the glass. Guests flow through the entrance constantly as they move between the auditorium and outdoor areas, so traffic is natural and consistent. The ocean visible behind guests in the photos is spectacular — and occasionally dolphins appear in the background during outdoor events, which generates more social shares than anything else we’ve seen at any venue.

The practical details: parking is validated at Scripps, which is genuinely valuable at a La Jolla location — make sure your contact validates you when you arrive. Load-in is flat and accessible, but confirm your approach route with the events team on your first visit as the Scripps campus layout isn’t immediately obvious. Power is available throughout; confirm your specific outlet location in advance.

The venue accommodates up to 200 guests seated — ideal for weddings and more intimate corporate events where the atmosphere matters as much as the capacity. It books well in advance, particularly for spring and fall Saturdays.

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