Need to find a gift, but don’t want to give more stuff? Or, looking to treat yourself to a year full of new experiences? We have the perfect solution! Annual memberships are a perfect gift idea for kids and adults alike. We’ve got 7 great Rochester-area memberships that give the gift of experiences and memory-making all year long!
SPARK
A membership to Rochester’s own Children’s Museum is the perfect gift for kids. SPARK offers people of all ages the opportunity to learn about the world, each other, and local environments through hands-on, inquiry-based exploration and play. With maker spaces, special events, fun programming, rotating exhibits, and plenty of space to play, there’s always something fun happening at SPARK!
Memberships: Adventure, Family, and Explorer memberships range from $10.84 to $16.67 per month (12-month minimum, plus a 4% service fee). New parents can also sign up for a free Discover membership!
The Dumpling Club
The Dumpling Club is an online masterclass created by Rochester’s own Tiffany Alexandria of CHOOCHOO-ca-CHEW. This course welcomes home cooks into the flavorful world of handmade dumplings. After spending thousands of hours perfecting her dream dumplings and discovering countless tips and tricks along the way, she now shares everything she has learned so others can make delicious dumplings with confidence.
The self-paced course teaches students how to fold, pleat, and fill dumplings, how to work creatively with ingredients available where they live, and how to demystify common Asian pantry items. With step-by-step video lessons, bonus lessons, and valuable resources, The Dumpling Club provides all the guidance needed to master dumpling making and enjoy the process from start to finish.
The Dumpling Club Membership: $98 includes lifetime access, community access, a dumpling cookbook full of filling and sauce recipes, bonus lessons, resources for ingredients and tools, and more!
Boundless
This membership is all about PLAY! Boundless is an incredible 40,000-square-foot facility that provides year-round indoor play, activity, and social space for kids and adults of all abilities.
Memberships: Monthly memberships start at $37.50 and annual memberships start at $375, with two accompanying adults included on every visit. Physical and digital gift cards are available, too!
Rochester Art Center
Love art? Membership at the Rochester Art Center includes free admission to exhibitions, discounts on ticketed workshops and events, 10% off in the Gallery Shop, and more! Plus, be part of supporting and sustaining the arts community in Rochester.
Memberships: A range of membership levels, starting at $40 annually (or $3.50 per month)
Quarry Hill
An absolute gem in our community, Quarry Hill Nature Center offers year-round free access to nature, programming, and a beautiful nature center, thanks to the generous donations and memberships from our community.
Members at Quarry Hill receive priority enrollment and discounts on summer nature camp, discounted program fees, discounted cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals, discounts on birthday parties and space rentals, members-only events, and more! Not to mention, members enjoy knowing they are directly supporting Quarry Hill’s mission of “opening eyes and minds through natural science discovery.”
Membership: Donate $60 or more and enjoy member benefits for the calendar year!
Roca
Roca is Rochester’s indoor climbing, yoga, and fitness center. Their amazing facility is designed to serve a wide range of needs, from children and beginners to advanced and competitive climbers. Roca offers a full range of training, classes, yoga, fitness, competition teams, and more! Punch cards may be shared with multiple people, and punches never expire!
Memberships: A wide range of options, including gift cards, day passes ($24 with gear), 10-visit punch cards (starting at $162), monthly memberships (starting at $68 per month), and annual memberships (starting at $679)
Minnesota State Parks Annual Permit
With 75 state parks and recreation areas, Minnesota has an abundance of spaces around the state for anyone looking to spend more time in nature! State parks are open year-round, with frequent events and programs on a variety of topics and activities. Plus, there are 10 state parks 90 minutes or less from Rochester! At $35 for an annual vehicle permit, this gift is a bargain! The permit gives unlimited visits to every Minnesota state park and recreation area for a full year from the month of purchase.
Annual Vehicle Permit: $35 ($26 for each additional vehicle)
