Location — To Be Delightful

Have no reservations about booking a party at these exciting venues.

By Debbi Karpowicz Kickham

If you're wondering where to throw your next bash, these nontraditional celebration sites add drama, excitement and the “wow” factor to weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties and more.

Saddle Up: You might guess from the giant neon cactus that greets passersby that the famous Hilltop Steak House adds panache to private parties. The Hilltop — famous for its cow-topped restaurant roof on Route 1 in Saugus — hosts assorted functions, from weddings to school events. At off-site locations, its Chuck Wagon catering ropes everyone in with Grade-A cuisine for brunch, lunch and dinner. (781.233.7700)

Score Big: If you have anywhere from 50 to 15,000 guests, the FleetCenter is your place for a winning wedding, awards banquet or fundraising gala, offering lunch in the Premium Club, skating on the arena ice and receptions on the parquet floor. You can even use the video scoreboard to make a presentation. With a wedding at Fenway Park , you'll be in your personal field of dreams. This crackerjack idea can include “Here Comes the Bride” played on the stadium organ, ring bearers in baseball uniforms and a signed bat instead of a guest book. For a wedding cake, call on Finale for its “Sox Celebration,” a chocolate ganache and passion-fruit mousse cake plated dessert decorated with a Green Monster tuile cookie and two red chocolate socks. (FleetCenter: 617.624.1306; Fenway Park : 617.226.6791; Finale: 617.338.3095)

Classic Choice: Brookline 's Larz Anderson Auto Museum hosts dinner and dancing amid priceless automobile collections and historic artifacts. Rent the 1888 Carriage House for corporate dinners, cocktail parties and wedding receptions, as well as access to the public galleries, where vintage cars are displayed: Bugattis, Packards, Stanley Steamers, a Rolls-Royce and even an 1899 Winton Runabout. (617.522.6547)

Two Thumbs Up: For Oscar-worthy celebrations, rent Dedham Community Theatre for your next children's birthday party. Up to 50 children can enjoy a PG-rated movie and the newly remodeled atmosphere. (781.326.0409)

Party Artsy: For hands-on happenings, Framingham 's Danforth Museum of Art hosts birthday party workshops. Kids and their guests can enjoy one-and-a-half-hour art workshops through more than 10 outlets, including mobiles, easel painting, clay sculpture and even a treasure hunt, and a private half-hour celebration. They get magical memories plus super party favors: their handmade artwork. (508.620.0050)

American Gothic: Groton 's elegantly restored Barn at Gibbet Hill was designed by pro Peter Niemitz, the mastermind of a slew of stylish restaurants nationwide. This 100-year-old cattle barn and working modern farm is available for bar and bat mitzvahs, bridal showers and anniversary parties. Five hundred acres of nature trails with panoramic views of the unspoiled countryside, and the remains of an old castle, add to the rustic charm. (978.448.3233)

Cutting Edge: A castle full of fun tempts guests at the Worcester Higgins Armory Museum , which is devoted to the study and display of arms and armor. Your funky fete includes its vaulted Great Hall, fencing demonstrations and even a live knight. For kids, nothing beats the birthday party with Renaissance costumes, knighting ceremony for the birthday lord or lady and cake cutting with a sword. (508.853.6015 ext. 26)

Soothing Soirees: The party planning is so big at Giuliano , a Boston day spa, that they employ a full-time person to handle corporate and group special events. The nontraditional spa gatherings started with bachelorette parties: brides and bridesmaids sip champagne between pre-wedding pedicures, manicures and facials. The spa has since brought in caterers, bartenders and servers, handling groups of up to 95 people. (617.262.2220)

Above and Beyond: At the Prudential Center's Skywalk Observatory , 700 feet up on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower , the sky's the limit. Private functions here hold up to 1,000 guests, with each corner serving cuisine matching the area it overlooks: Chinese (Chinatown), Italian (North End), Back Bay bistro (South End) and even hot dogs (Fenway Park). (617.859.0648)