Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:00 pm
The Board of Trustees of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County invites you to join us for an evening benefiting the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits. We are delighted to welcome you back to NHM as we launch our new annual gala – Night of Wonder.
CO-CHAIRS
MEGAN MCGOWAN EPSTEIN & ALAN EPSTEIN RICK GENOW & MARY FULGINITI-GENOW
We are thrilled to honor L.A. native Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, for her tireless work to uplift women and girls, and advance community well-being in L.A. and beyond.
Proceeds from the event will support and expand our commitment to being museums of, for, and with L.A., while advancing our work to conserve and document the rich biodiversity of our urban landscape–bringing the wonders of nature to life for over 1.2 million visitors each year, including 200,000 school children.
Join us for an evening celebrating the resilience of our community through some of NHMLAC’s signature programs including: Girls in STEM, Outdoor Equity Programs and Marine Teen Internships, our Living Collections and Nature Gardens and the City Nature Challenge, celebrating its 10th anniversary!
Festive cocktail attire
Due to the immersive nature of the event, comfortable shoes are encouraged.
6:00 pm
Arrivals and Cocktail Hour
Explore the new Commons Plaza (named among Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2025) and state-of-the-art Commons Theater, then join us on the red carpet in the Judith Perlstein Welcome Center as you walk alongside Gnatalie and Barbara Carrasco’s breathtaking mural
LA History: A Mexican Perspective. Enjoy cocktails and appetizers in some of NHM’s most iconic spaces.
7:30 pm
Dinner and Program honoring the Duchess of Sussex
Dine under the stars in the North Garden among a breathtaking landscape evocative of L.A.’s rich flora and fauna. Guests will hear brief remarks from NHMLAC leaders, as well as from the Duchess of Sussex.
Blazing Star Sponsor (Lead Sponsor:
• Two tables (20 attendees total) with premier
• Top Tier listing in all printed materials, invitation and Night of Wonder website
• The opportunity to host an NHMLAC
• Recognition on the Annual Donor Wall
• Behind-the-scenes tour of La Brea Tar reception for 8 people
Scarlet Larkspur Sponsor ($100,000.00
• One table (10 attendees total) with exclusive
• Top Tier listing in all printed materials, invitation and Night of Wonder website
• The opportunity to host an NHMLAC
• Recognition on the Annual Donor Wall
• Behind-the-scenes tour of the Dinosaur reception for 6 people
Sponsor: $250,000.00)
premier VIP seating materials, including the event website
scientist at your table
Wall in the Grand Foyer
Pits + champagne
$100,000.00)
exclusive seating
materials, including the event website
scientist at your table
Wall in the Grand Foyer
Dinosaur Institute + champagne
California Poppy Sponsor ($50,000.00)
• One table (8 attendees total) with preferred seating
• Listing in all printed materials, including the event invitation and Night of Wonder website
• The opportunity to host an NHMLAC scientist at your table
• Recognition on the Annual Donor Wall in the Grand Foyer
Juniper Sponsor ($25,000.00)
• One table (8 guests total) with preferred seating
• Listing in all printed materials, including the event invitation and Night of Wonder website
• Recognition on the Annual Donor Wall in the Grand Foyer
Single Event Ticket ($1,500.00)
• One seated ticket to Night of Wonder
Thank you to our early event sponsors! This list acknowledges sponsorships received before April 30, 2025.
Scarlet Larkspur Sponsors
Payden & Rygel
California Poppy Sponsors
Esther S. M. Chui-Chao
Megan McGowan Epstein and Alan Epstein
Rick Genow and Mary Fulginiti-Genow
Naomi and Fred Kurata
Nickelodeon
Juniper Sponsors
Amgen
Victoria Aparece
The California Wellness Foundation
Heather and Dirk de Roos
Nancy and John Edwards
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Michael and Wanda Jones
Deborah and Ivan Kallick
Alexander and Elizabeth Kendall
Richard and Bettina Moss
Jenna Perlstein
Peter and Marcie Scranton
Sheldon and Cindy Stone
Jun Xu and Peggy Hsieh
(213) 763-3379
nhm.org/nightofwonder