WinterFest at Worlds of Fun:

New to the park this year, for six weeks beginning November 24, is WinterFest. Das Eishaus Skating is “one of the largest ice skating venues anywhere,” according to Worlds of Fun. Santa will be there to take pictures. A Christmas show is put on every night. Even the Worlds of Fun Railroad will be transformed for the holidays.

Ice skating:

At Crown Center Ice terrace, regular admission is $6, and skate rental is $3 (or skaters may bring their own). November through January, the rink is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, and open to 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.

The Ice at park place is open November through February.

Admission is $8 and skate rental is $3 (but again, skaters can bring their own skates).

Monday through Saturday the rink is open from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, or on Sunday from 12:00 to 8:00 pm.

Tubing at Snow Creek:

Snow Creek also offers skiing, but no experience is needed for tubing on this seven-hundred-foot long slope. Tubing costs $28 from Friday to Sunday, but is only $20 on Thursdays.

Holidays tours at the Strawberry Hill Museum:

Weekends from 12:00 pm to 4:15 pm, there are guided tours of this house that preserves ethnic heritage in Kansas City. Sixteen immigrant nationalities are featured for the holidays.

Winter Star Tour at the Planetarium at Union Station:

Star tour at the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium. The show, with a run time of about 30 minutes, journeys through the night sky from December 16 to January 7. The cost is $7 per person.

Santa Dives at the Kansas City Zoo:

Santa scuba dives in the penguin exhibit on the weekends. You can take a photo with him while he swims through the Helzberg Penguin Plaza. On December 16 and 17, the Zoo will become the Winter Wonderland. The lion pride will be given a Christmas tree and presents, and Polar Bear Passage will become the North Pole.

Esther Rose // Staff Writer