Treat your loved ones to uniquely Kansas City experiences this holiday season

While experiences can’t be wrapped in paper or tucked under the tree, they make some of the best and most memorable gifts. We’ve compiled ten ideas to help you give your loved ones a uniquely Kansas City experience this holiday season. They range from pottery and plant care classes to ice skating, movie nights and trips to family-friendly attractions around the metro.

Looking for a more tangible gift? We’ve got lists for edible gifts, clothing, and home decor gifts from local businesses.

This list is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to all the great experiences available in Kansas City. Instead, we’re highlighting ideas recommended by our readers and colleagues that offer a small selection of the city’s exciting offerings.

Have a bookish happy hour at Afterword Tavern & Shelves

This combination cocktail bar and bookstore features the cozy furniture of a lush reading room and a multi-page cocktail menu inspired by great works of literature. Sit at the bar to watch the resident mixologists at work or get comfy on a velvet couch to read brand-new fiction or beloved classics. This cozy Crossroads spot offers views of the city and a bustling warmth that makes it perfect for a wintertime date or outing with friends. Board games and a small selection of food are also on the menu.

Afterword Tavern & Shelves is located at 1834 Grand Boulevard.

Go ice skating at Crown Center

Currently celebrating its 50th year in Kansas City, the Crown Center Ice Terrace is a popular destination for city residents and tourists alike. Admission for those over the age of four is $8, while skate rentals for the duration of your visit are $5. Younger kids get in free. The Ice Terrace is open seven days a week from late morning until the evening. You can find the exact hours on its website here. And this excursion isn’t just for the holiday season— the rink will stay open until March of 2023.

The Crown Center Ice Terrace is located at 2425 Grand Boulevard.

See the holiday lights at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

This popular Overland Park attraction may be closed for the year, but visitors can still enjoy a spectacular holiday light show when they stop by. Families are encouraged to stay in their cars and enjoy the moving light display at the farm’s entrance from the parking lot, where they can tune in to 90.5 Rose FM and hear the show’s festive holiday soundtrack.

Visitors on select days can also enjoy kettle corn, hot chocolate, hot dogs and cotton candy from Jack’s Kettle Corn food truck while they watch the show. And if you can’t make it out to the farm, check out these other places to see holiday lights around Kansas City.

Deanna Rose Farmstead is located at 13800 Switzer in Overland Park.

Take a Pots & Pints class at Driftwood Ceramics

Treat your loved ones to an evening of wheel-throwing with their favorite beverages— alcoholic or not. For creative types who aren’t ready for a month-long commitment to a pottery class, this date-night event offered almost every weekend is a perfect option.

Students spend two hours making a vessel of their choice on the pottery wheel from start to finish while sipping wine, beer or another drink. Classes are limited to eight students at a time, allowing the instructor to offer personalized advice and feedback. Setup, clean-up, glazing and two kiln firings are all included in the price, allowing participants to return a few weeks later and pick up their completed homemade creation.

Driftwood Ceramics is located at 1827 Buchanan Street in North Kansas City.

Attend GloWild at the Kansas City Zoo

GloWild is a nighttime spectacle featuring intricate silk lanterns depicting wildlife, plants, Kansas City landmarks and Asian cultural symbols. The festival is thought to be the largest of its kind in the Midwest, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 11.

On the one-mile paved route, visitors will see an underwater tableau complete with jellyfish and a sea turtle, a variety of large animals from the African savannah, an elaborate glowing dragon and more. Tickets to the event are not included in regular zoo admission, but buying a ticket to visit the zoo during its normal hours is not required before buying a lantern festival ticket. You can buy your tickets to GloWild on the Kansas City’s Zoo’s website.

The Kansas City Zoo is located at 6800 Zoo Drive.

Tour the J. Rieger Distillery

J. Rieger & Co.’s iconic brick distillery is located in the historic Electric Park neighborhood of the East Bottoms. Take a trip through the distilling process and see how grain becomes the refined alcohol this company is known for. Tours max out at 18 people, so it’s recommended to book in advance on the distillery’s website. Each tour concludes with a tasting of J. Rieger’s vodka, whiskey, gin and caffe amaro. Guests under age 21 are allowed on the tour for just $5, but they won’t be allowed to sample the libations.

The J. Rieger Distillery is located at 2700 Guinotte Avenue.

Sample wine at Marco Polo Selections

This Waldo wine shop and tasting room offers imported wines from small vineyards that you’d struggle to find at a typical grocery or liquor store. Its selection includes family wines from Croatia, Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Turkey and elsewhere. Each week, shop co-owner Nate picks nine wines for the shop’s “tasting wall.” Book a table for a tasting and your party can sample four of your choice. Tastings are free, but reservations are required. This local shop offers a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere perfect for a date night or an outing with friends.

Marco Polo Selections is located at 336 W. 75th Street.

Take a plant class at Paradise Garden Club

This beautiful plant nursery doubles as an artistic space in the Crossroads where visitors can admire a variety of plants and take classes in home horticulture. The classes offered include Plant Basics, Propagation, Cactus Care and Tropical Plant Care. Lessons are hands-on, engaging, and a great way to spend an hour with loved ones regardless of your plant skill level. Other recent DIY classes have included terrarium building, cactus bowl building and mini Christmas tree potting. Check out the full list on the shop’s website.

Paradise Garden Club is located at 1621 Locust Street.

Enjoy a movie and game night at Screenland Armour

One of the most popular independent movie theaters in the metro area, Screenland Armour is known for showing an eclectic mix of new releases, retro flicks, cult classics and indie films. Treat the movie buff in your life to a screening to enjoy cinema the old-fashioned way— popcorn in hand. Afterwards, venture around the back of the building to access one of North Kansas City’s hidden gems: Rewind Video. This retro-inspired bar and video game lounge is located in the movie theater’s basement, and features plentiful couches, neon, game consoles and beverages for a fun night out that feels like a chill night in.

Screenland Armour and Rewind Video are located at 410 Armour Road in North Kansas City.

Visit the Wonderscope Children’s Museum

From an indoor jungle gym to a mock grocery store, the Wonderscope Children’s Museum is a space designed entirely for kids. Exhibits include a sports arena where visitors can run and play, an art and design studio where they can let their imaginations run wild, and a water attraction where they can direct the course of rivers, waves and whirlpools using hands-on tools. The museum also hosts events like movement workshops and arts & crafts time for young visitors. Admission is $12 for kids aged 2-15 and $9 for those 16 and older.

The Wonderscope Children’s Museum is located at 433 E. Red Bridge Road.