We love our four seasons in the Quad Cities, and are sharing some of our favorite things to do during the winter months. Whether you prefer to stay cozy inside or bundle up for an outdoor adventure, we have you covered!
1. Hit the Slopes
Snow Star has all things snow on lock (they even have snow guns for when Mother Nature isn’t producing). Take lessons, go tubing or take off on the 40’ jumps. All abilities are welcome!
2. Take a Hike or a Bike (Ride)
We don’t fear the outdoors when it’s cold! Instead, we put our winter gear on and hit the trails. The Quad Cities is fortunate to have numerous well kept trails for use all year round. You can even rent snowshoes!
Winter Hiking & Snowshoeing QC | Visit Quad Cities
If you’re extra adventurous, you can go fat tire biking on any of the FORC mountain biking trails. Just be sure to follow the rules to keep things safe for everyone!
Winter Biking in the QC | Visit Quad Cities
3. Listen to Live Music
Whether you want to see a chart-topping artist with thousands of fellow fans, hit a music festival, or listen to your favorite indie artist, the Quad Cities live music scene has it all.
4. Eat, Drink & Be Merry
Why not get some comfort food? Visit a crowd favorite QC restaurant. We’re more than just taco pizza around here (but that’s also worth the stop)!
The QC Ale Trail is a self guided brewery tour that uses an app or a paper passport to track your stops. Visit all 17 breweries (at the time of this posting) for a special prize!
The QC Coffee Trail is mobile based (no app required) and gets you discounts and fun prizes.
In November, two very merry winter activities are the Quad City Arts’ Festival of Trees and the Festival of Trees Parade! Later in the season, catch Christmas in the Village and the Quad City Botanical Center’s Winter Nights Winter Lights (more than 160,000 lights). These winter wonderlands are QC classics!
5. Get Some Retail Therapy
For items extremely unique to the QC, check out the shops in downtown Davenport, the Village of East Davenport and downtown LeClaire (home of the American Pickers). There are also two malls in the Quad Cities (the closest to campus is Northpark Mall) and plenty of local shops for those rare finds.
Shopping | Visit Quad Cities
6. Pamper Yourself
The QC are no stranger to luxury in the form of spas, nail and eyebrow bars and even a blow out salon. You could go higher end at the Spa at Hotel Blackhawk or keep it more affordable at the Institute of Therapeutic Massage. A great middle ground option is the Spa at Rhythm City where booking any one service affords you access to their spa room for the entire day! These are just a few of the many salon and spa options in the Quad Cities.
7. Out of the Ordinary
Our students love to go off the beaten path! Here are a few of their favorites.
Blackhawk Bowl, located on the lower level of the Blackhawk Hotel (a must-see)
Analog Arcade Bar (Davenport and Moline)
Armored Gardens – Exactly 100 beers on tap, this is a great atmosphere to unwind and have a good time! Check out their patio during the summer months for life sized chess, ping pong, and more!
TBK Sports Complex – This is where you go to escape – in their escape rooms! There’s also a two level arcade and bowling.
8. Laugh It Off
We’ve got some theatrical talent in the QC and countless options to check out those who make us laugh and smile (praise!). One not listed on the Visit Quad Cities blog is ComedySportz, an improvisational comedy show put on using audience suggestions while teams compete for the audience’s laughter and approval.
9. Indoor Sports Venues
Sports enthusiasts have no shortage of sports bars to catch a game but, for those in-person experiences, check out the Quad City Storm (hockey) and the Quad City Steamwheelers (indoor football). Both are hosted at Vibrant Arena at The Mark along with larger concerts, Disney on Ice, etc. You can also check out The Rust Belt for the occasion WWE or MMA event.
10. Grab a History Lesson (The Fun Kind)
Past-era museums. Check. People museums? Got ‘em. But we also have interactive museums dedicated to art, science, military, agricultural equipment (John Deere Pavilion), trucking and geology.
PRO TIP: if you have nieces, nephews or children of your own, the Family Museum is a must-see!
Museums & History | Visit Quad Cities
