Gift-giving during the holiday season can be a lot… of STUFF. Looking for great gifts that support local businesses, but without accumulating more things? Give an experience gift instead! Our Guide to Rochester MN Experience Gifts has great ideas for experience gifts for kids and adults on your list. Don’t add to the post-holiday clutter, and give the gift of an experience!
Classes, Education, & Memberships
Art Heads Emporium
Gift Cards Available
Give the artist or art-lover in your life a gift card for creating class! Art Heads Emporium offers a wide variety of classes and workshops: painting, acrylic pour-on ceramic coasters, pressed florals, wreath making, candle pouring, woven tapestries, and so much more.
Bleu Duck Kitchen- Sunday School
Sunday School Tickets | Gift Cards Available
Treat the culinary enthusiast in your life to Bleu Duck Kitchen’s Sunday School classes! Bleu Duck offers a variety of Sunday instruction courses from building a charcuterie board, cookie making/decorating, special-occasion meals, and more.
Nana Gogo Toybrary
Nana Gogo Toybrary is Rochester’s first TOY library! Children can check out and return toys, just like a library! The ultimate solution to toy clutter, Nana Gogo Toybrary membership is the perfect gift for littles with constantly-changing interests in toys.
Pure Rock Studios
$140- 4 30-minute Private Lessons | $260 – 4 60-minute Private Lessons | Gift Cards
People of all ages will love music lessons from Pure Rock Studios! Whether a beginner, a performer, or anything in between, Pure Rock offers lessons for a variety of instruments and skill levels.
Red Barn Learning Farm
$35- Season Pass | Ages 1 to Adult. Good for all public events
Gift Cards available in various amounts
Red Barn Learning Farm, located in Hayfield, MN, is a real, working farm where kids and adults can learn about and interact with a large variety of barnyard animals. Jump in the corn pit, pet the goats, feed the rabbits, donkeys, and cows, and more.
Rochester Art Center
$5- General Admission | Ages 21 and under- FREE
$40- Single Yearly Membership | $65- Yearly Membership for Two
Support our local Arts scene with tickets or a membership to Rochester Arts Center. Participate in creating new art during Open Studio, every Friday and Saturday from 11am-2pm.
SPARK Children’s Museum
$12- Single Day Tickets | Ages 1 to Adult. Tickets can be used any day SPARK is open
$159 – Family Package | 1-year membership. 2 Adults and up to 4 Children
SPARK Children’s Museum offers hands-on experience with exhibits where kids learn through play. Learn about how water moves, how electricity powers a city, climb the helix, and build and tinker.
Outdoor & Indoor Active
Ironwood Springs
Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch offers a wide range of activities for all seasons. In the winter, zoom down their tubing hill and use a rope pull to get back to the top. Warm weather means that their zip lines (including adaptive zip lines), slingshot and shooting range, bouldering, and so much more are open. A wide variety of Horse Programs are available as well.
Minnesota State Parks
For outdoor and nature enthusiasts, give a gift card to Minnesota State Parks! Gift cards can be used for park passes, camping, tours, canoe/paddleboard/kayak rentals, and so much more. With **74** State Parks throughout the state of Minnesota, the adventurer in your life will LOVE this gift!
Radiant Sōl Yoga Studio
$17 Drop-in Class | $150 – 10 Class Pass | $120 – 1 Month Unlimited Yoga | Gift Cards
Give your favorite yogi classes at a local yoga studio! Radiant Sōl offers a variety of yoga and hot yoga with infrared heat classes for all experience levels and abilities.
Roca Climbing & Fitness
$17- Day Pass (no gear) | $23- Day Pass (with gear rental)
$80 – 5 Visit Punch Card (no gear) | $105 – 5 Visit Punch Card (with gear rental)
Additional punch cards and gift cards are available
Roca Climbing & Fitness is an indoor climbing gym that offers a large number of auto-belays, as well as top rope, lead climbing, and bouldering. Roca’s facility also has a fitness center, yoga studio, and climbing training area with a Kilter board. Climbing classes and yoga classes are offered.
Rochester Recreation Center
Daily/ Monthly/ Yearly Adult, Youth, and Family Passes available
The Rochester Rec Center offers a variety of year-round indoor activities. Passes are good for open gym, open swim, open skate, and some for pickleball. Stay active all year round!
Rochester City Golf Courses
Season Passes for Youth, Young Adult, Adult, Couples, and Seniors
Give the golfer in your life a year on the links! Passes good at all 4 Rochester City courses.
Steeplechase Snow Tubing
$15 – 1 hour | $24 – 2 hours | $40 – 4 hours Tickets can be used any day Steeplechase is open
This tubing park is open for the 2022-23 season! Featuring multiple tubing runs plus a ski lift to get back to the top, this gift is sure to be a hit. Fridays and Saturdays are extreme snow tubing, with lights and music on the mountain!
Live Sports, Shows & Entertainment
Escape Challenge
Pricing varies depending on size of group | Gift Cards Available
Instead of exchanging gift cards with the other adults in your life, why not book an escape room? The perfect activity for families, friends, or co-workers, this interactive challenge is fun experience for the whole group.
Goonie’s Comedy Club
$19 (most nights) advance ticket | $25 at the door | All shows 18+
Laughter- what a gift! Purchase tickets to a comedy show and treat someone to an evening of laughs and fun.
Mayo Civic Center Events
Ticket prices vary
With a wide variety of shows, concerts, and events every month, there’s sure to be something for everyone! From classic rock to country, comedy, ballet, and WWE Wrestling, you’re sure to find a show for someone on your list.
Rochester Grizzlies Hockey
Single Game tickets: $11 Adults | $8 Student/Senior | $6: First Responder /Military /Children 4-12, 4 and under are free
NA3HL team the Rochester Grizzlies bring all the excitement of live hockey all winter long! Support our local teams and players while enjoying the experience of the crowd live, right here in Rochester.
Rochester Honkers Baseball
$125 – 12 Game Flex Pass General Admission | $150 – 12 Game Flex Pass Box Seats
Cheer on the Rochester Honkers baseball team all summer long with one of these great holiday flex pass bundles! Summer and baseball just go together, and this is a gift that they will look forward to.
For more gift ideas, check out our guides to gift giving for Foodies, and consider supporting local artists, makers, and producers at one of these Holiday Shopping Events.
