8 Of My Favorite Things About Kansas City Christmas Getaways

I’ve made multiple trips to Kansas City during the holiday season over the years. Each return visit, we sought something new to see, while returning to some of our favorites. It’s been fun watching my kids grow up and associate a trip to Kansas City with Christmas. There are so many things you could do during a KC Christmas getaway! Read on for my family’s favorites!

Updated: This post was written in December 2015 and updated in November 2025. Help me keep this post updated! If you know of an event that has changed, please comment and let me know. Events are subject to change.

Disclosure: Our visits were hosted by the fine folks at Visit KC, Visit Kansas City Kansas, and Visit Overland Park. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own. This post may include affiliate links.

Crowds around the tree at Union Station in Kansas City

Favorite things to do in Kansas City during the holidays

Kansas City has a ton of FREE things at Christmas time, and like every other city, some things you have to pay for. The activities listed aren’t just limited to Kansas City city limits; I included some nearby cities that are close enough to Kansas City to include in planning outings. I’ve also updated this list with trips we’ve taken around the holidays since this post was originally written.

With that in mind, here are the top picks for holiday fun:

1. Ice Terrace at Crown Center

Where: Kansas City, Mo.

Cost: $10 for adults and children 4 and older, and FREE for children under age 4. Skate rental is $6.

There’s just something special about ice skating outdoors. The Ice Terrace is a large ice skating rink at Crown Center, and it can be a pretty popular place. When we went, there was a long line to get in. There is an admission fee, plus the cost of renting your skates, but kids won’t forget skating there (especially at night).

The Ice Terrace at Crown Center is open throughout the winter in Kansas City.

The season runs daily from early November to early March (weather permitting). It officially opens Nov. 7 this year. The only day it’s closed is Christmas Day.

2. Union Station’s free Home For The Holidays displays

There is plenty of free Christmas things to see at Union Station in Kansas City, including seeing the large indoor Christmas tree and the model train display.

Where: Kansas City, Mo.

Cost: Some things are FREE, ticketed events include the movies, theater shows, and the planetarium shows

Union Station is was decked out to the max each Christmas time during “Holidays Come Alive at Union Station.” You can visit several areas for free so come by to see the huge indoor tree (the largest in the area), and perhaps catch a live performance.

Union Station usually has several events every year in November and December. There are holiday movies at the theater, holiday laser lights shows at the planetarium, and live theater. There’s also an indoor, walk-through “Holiday Reflections” Experience.

3. Crown Center Christmas

Where: Kansas City, Mo.

Cost: FREE

From indoor trees to outdoor trees…dazzling is the best way to describe Crown Center at Christmas time. At the center is the Mayor’s Christmas Tree. On our first visit, there were photo opps and a free kids area outdoors. Now, it’s gone Hallmark Christmas.

Crown Center is Hallmark’s headquarters, so it’s a natural fit that it’s now the location of the Hallmark Christmas Experience. It’s a free outdoor event with vendors, photo opps, and light shows. My impression during my walk through last year is that it’s mainly for shoppers more than anyone else. There are also ticketed Stars on Stage events where you can see favorite stars from Hallmark Christmas movies.

Head indoors at Crown Center for more holiday cheer. During our visit, we saw Santa and heard a choir singing. If you want to go straight to Santa instead of wander around, go to Level 1 Showplace.

Tip: The tree is next to the Ice Terrace, so you can visit both in one single go. Union Station is also easy to get to because of The Link, an indoor walk-way connecting different buildings in the area.

4. Festivities at the City Market

Where: Kansas City, Mo.

Cost: FREE

Every year, the City Market celebrates Christmas. The Merry Market, held on weekends from Thanksgiving through Dec. 21. It’s a FREE and open-air market featuring local makers plus street food, holiday drinks, entertainers and other festivities.

5. Country Club Plaza Lights

Holiday decorations and lights at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City

Where: Kansas City, Mo.

Cost: FREE

Country Club Plaza is another well known spot in Kansas City that really embraces Christmas — it’s aglow with thousands of lights. As much as I wanted to shop here, the kids made that impossible, so we just marveled at the lights and enjoyed the street buskers strumming some holiday tunes. Hopefully, you have better luck with getting your kids to go shopping!

If you’re in the city on Thanksgiving, you can attend the lighting ceremony. The Plaza Lighting Ceremony will take place on Thursday, Nov. 27., from 6 to 8:30 p.m., and includes live performances. The Plaza Lights shine daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., Thanksgiving through Jan. 11, 2026.

6. Knights of Lights

Where: Kansas City, Kansas

Cost: Early bird tickets are $6-$10

Kansas City Renaissance Festival puts on the annual outdoor favorite, Knights of Lights. It’s got the twinkle lights, plenty of lights, but maintains the Renaissance vibe with unique performances, food, and characters roaming around. If you have young kids, they’ll love the mini train ride and decorating cookies with Mrs. Claus. Even my big kids liked the cookie decorating.

One thing to keep in mind: This is a rain or shine event. If there’s a little melt in the snow — as was the case when we visited — it can get a wee bit muddy. Don’t wear your favorite leather shoes, is what I’m saying.

7. Holiday Lights at the Farmstead Lane

Where: Overland Park, Kan.

The Deanna Rose Farmstead is a seasonal attraction in Overland Park, so at Christmas time, you can’t actually visit the farmstead and see the animals. However, there’s still a great reason to keep the farmstead on your to-visit list. The farmstead has the exterior of the barn and surrounding trees decorated with thousands of lights that are set to music. It’s a free light show.

This year, the lights will be on Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, 2025 from 5 to 10 p.m. You park your car, tune your radio to the station and watch the show. The actual farmstead isn’t open for visits in the winter; this is strictly stay-in-the-car kind of stuff. I highly recommend bringing a little stash of goodies for kids to keep them occupied if the novelty wears off quickly.

8. The most Christmas-y Neighborhood in America

Where: Overland Park, Kan.

Cost: FREE

I dubbed it that, but all of Johnson County knows it as Christmas Place, the No. 1 neighborhood to see lights (23 homes on two cul-de-sacs). We stumbled upon it on our way back to our hotel. Find Christmas Place at 131st Place and Antioch in Overland Park, Kan.

Where to stay for a KC Christmas getaway

We’ve stayed at many hotels in Kansas City (both Missouri and Kansas sides). I choose where to stay based on where our evening outings are going to be. So if we’re going to Knights of Lights, I’d stay somewhere in KCK. If I was going to go to a concert or something on the Missouri side, it’d make more sense to stay nearby.

If you’re headed to Overland Park, the DoubleTree Hotel had the most welcoming staff we’d ever had the pleasure of meeting (no exaggeration). The lobby had several Christmas-y displays.

Sheraton at Crown Center gave the DoubleTree staff a run for their money in the friendliness department. The nice things about this location is the Link, elevated walkways connecting the hotel to Crown Center and on to Union Station. It was pretty handy when it rained during our visit and I imagine it’s heavily used in the bitter winter. The kids also liked the rooftop pool.

On the Kansas side, one of the newest hotels is gearing up for its first holiday season: Margaritaville. While their gorgeous outdoor pool is closed for the season, they will be decking out their cabanas with heaters and lights for a cozy holiday experience.

And, if you have young kids you already know about this place…Kansas City, Kan., has a Great Wolf Lodge.