Winter Activities

Explore this UI campus and community hub of global visual culture. Whether you enjoy the main galleries, an exhibition, or join for a lecture, drawing series, or performance — there’s plenty to enjoy at the museum for all ages!

Want to enjoy this outdoors this winter? Johnson County’s Avian Adventure is a self-paced science-based, county-wide scavenger hunt all about birds! Discover how parks and greenspaces support birds, while learning about the vital role birds play in our ecosystem!

There is no charge to participate and the program is open to all ages!

The Hall of Birds?! Rusty the Giant Sloth?! No matter how long it’s been, the Museum of Natural History in MacBride Hall is and Iowa City classic. It’s the second oldest museum in the United States west of the Mississippi River. Established in 1858, the museum has been free and open to the public for more than 160 years housing specimens, objects, and artifacts on display to support learning and exploration.

Not looking to venture in the cold, but want to get out of the house? A show is the perfect solution! Look out for Building Tours and free community gallery events in addition to evening concerts - all a great way to engage with this old gem!

FilmScene is an absolute treasure. Pick any day of the week and there is a stunning film on the screen. Whether you consider yourself a cinema savant or simply enjoy the movies occasionally, FilmScene has beautifully programmed series supporting film for children, b-movies, showings w/ the filmmakers themselves, and more!

As cozy as it is sitting inside and watching the snow fall, getting outdoors can be even more fun. Here are a few Iowa state parks that make bundling up worth it for the memories made, whether it's in your hiking boots or snowshoes, or maybe on skis or a snowmobile!

Nearly every Tuesday evening from 6-7pm, the wise gardeners of our state are serving up knowledge on a wide variety of gardening topics. Check out the lineup and see if there’s something that helps your gardening endeavors! Defying Tomato Disorders, Seed Saving for the Home Gardener, and How to Create an Out-of-the-Ordinary Theme Garden are just a few of the classes!

Maybe game nights are already a regular things in your home - we love them at our house! If not, go ahead and bring out one of your favorite old games or puzzles and bring the household together for a good time! Need to stock up on some new games/puzzles? The Haunted Bookshop in downtown IC has a brilliant collection, and they’re great with recommendation for your preferences!

In addition to this year’s classes, all previous garden seminars are on Youtube! Endless 40 minute classes taught by master gardeners on everything from houseplant propagation to starting your own cutting garden. Winter is a great time to learn more and start new gardening plans for the coming season.

You read that right! You’re never to old to grab a pile of sheets, build a wall made of cushions, and make the most perfect fort.

Who doesn’t love getting a real letter or card from a friend or family member? Send a note to a friend you haven’t been able to talk to for awhile, an update to your cousin, or maybe a few thank you’s to folks who’ve been supporting you lately.

This could mean many different things! Maybe you want a less cluttered closet. Maybe the furniture doesn’t feel like it’s in the right arrangement. Maybe you’ve got a smattering of things you no longer use, but haven’t gotten rid of. Plan some time for yourself, to make those things you’d like to have, happen.

Looking to pick up some sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, mending, or quilting skills?! The beautiful folks who run Home Ec. can help!

Home Ec. features a workshop space for sewing projects and a community “living room” where people can spend time together, show their work, chat, knit, crochet, spin or stitch in good company.

They offer an array of classes as well as private lessons for those that want to learn a new skill or get help starting or finishing a project.

With a monthly open woodshop, classes in ceramics, 3D printing, and laser cutting — the Fab Lab is the perfect places to both learn the basic of these crafts, but continue on once you’ve got your footing!

The Senior Center has a boat load of classes available! With a vision to extend social involvement and end social isolation for people age 50+, their classes span a variety of topics as wide as you’ll find at the university plus a great amount of arts & leisure workshops and groups. There are also many educational opportunities for caregivers, those in grief, planning in many aspects of aging.

It’s nearly impossible to explain the massive amount of ways to engage with Public Space One in a short paragraph. They’re an event space, home to community libraries, host to readings/concerts/exhibits, supporters of artist residencies, and providers of numerous opportunities to learn new forms from community members who are professionals! This link takes you to upcoming workshops, but we encourage you to explore all of the resources and programs they provide.

Many of you are familiar with the Parks and Rec Catalogs, filled with a huge number of classes indoors and outdoors. Ceramics, Drawing, Stargazing, Kids Arts, ASL, Flower Pressing, movie nights, DIY gardening, and a full program of sensory classes means a great time for your whole household!