While Missouri isn’t the first place most people think of when dreaming of a Christmas vacation, the state has a surprising amount of excellent places to enjoy the holiday season.

From postcard-beautiful small towns like Weston, St. Charles, and Hermann, to larger cities like Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri has a Christmas town for everyone. And if you would rather spend Christmas in a tourist destination that features 6.5 million lights and a theme park, Missouri has that, too.

If you are looking for a Hallmark movie downtown, Weston should be at the top of your list. The 1830s architecture and hilly terrain transport you to a place that feels nothing like Missouri. 

You can find a Christmas store, a candy store, a wine company, a pottery shop, and a pub all within a couple blocks in the historic downtown. Weston also has a boutique hotel and some fun B&B options.

During the Christmas season, be sure to catch the Historic Candlelight Homes Tour and a carriage ride through town.

If you are looking to indulge any vices, McCormick’s Distilling Company gives tours of the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi, Weston Tobacco Company sells fine hand-rolled cigars, and O’Malley’s Pub is located 60 feet underground and was originally established in 1842. 

Located only half an hour from St. Louis, the town of St. Charles looks postcard-ready over the holiday season. The brick streets, gas lamps, and beautiful architecture make for a perfect Christmas scene.

St. Charles also embraces its role as a Christmas town, with a month of festivities that are collectively known as St. Charles Christmas Traditions. Some of the traditions are run-of-the-mill Christmas classics, like trolley and carriage rides, caroling, and a Santa parade.

Some of the traditions are – less conventional. Included among these is the Krampus Karnival, which occurs Friday nights in December and celebrates a Christmas custom that is a bit darker than Jolly Old St. Nick.

On Wednesdays, Main Street turns into “A Christmas Carol Stroll,” and the town does a surprisingly good job of feeling like 19th century London.

While you are in St. Charles, be sure to partake in some roasted chestnuts – which are actually roasted on an open fire. Once January arrives, it’s hard to find fire-cooked chestnuts!

Anyone seeking a German Christmas in the Midwest should consider Hermann. As a town that calls itself the “sausage-making capital of Missouri” and also hosts one of the better Oktoberfests in the region, Hermann is perhaps the most vibrant German town in all of Missouri.

An early-November Christmas Open House kicks off the season early, ensuring that the holidays last nearly two full months rather than just a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Evergreen – Hermann’s “cozy little parlor” – turns into “A Marshmallow World” during the holiday season, so you should have no trouble finding a fun place for winter drinks.

Christkindl Markt at Hermannhof is one of the top German Christmas markets you can find anywhere in the Midwest, and a Holiday House Tour and lantern parade contribute to the festive feel of the town. 

While enjoying your German Christmas, be sure to stop in at the Hermann Wurst Haus, a fun German butcher shop with (at least) 62 different kinds of German sausage and Bratwurst.

If you are looking for a Vegas Christmas without leaving the Midwest, Branson is the easy choice.

Silver Dollar City, the amusement park at the heart of Branson, gets decked out in 6.5 million lights. The park looks like Clark Griswold teamed up with a stylish designer, and every photo you take will look like it is Photoshopped.

Joy on Town Square is the exhibit at the center of the park, complete with an 80 foot Christmas tree. The Christmas at Midtown display takes things a step further, with a 90 foot Christmas tree, illuminated moving trains, lighted tunnels,and angels flying overhead. Lastly, if Christmas parades are your thing, Silver Dollar City gives you multiple options to attend.

If you are looking for shows, shopping, and a blindingly-bright lights display, you really can’t beat Branson and Silver Dollar City anywhere in the Midwest. 

For anyone that wishes to see the beauty of the lights without shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, the displays actually begin in early November – so arrive before Thanksgiving and you can enjoy the Christmas magic with less traffic.

Lots of small towns celebrate the Christmas season with a live performance of “A Christmas Carol.” But Warrensburg, Mo. really takes things to the next level.

In early December, downtown Warrensburg becomes “A Dickens Christmas,” complete with Santa’s arrival on a train, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, wagon rides, and a tree lighting ceremony.

Another fun tradition is Tiny Tim’s Soup Stroll, a cooking competition that the local chefs take quite seriously.

Downtown decorations are beautiful, and the Christmas parade draws a good turnout each year.

Kansas City has a number of great options for the holiday season.

The Country Club Plaza is a century-old shopping district that serves as the de-facto center of KC’s Christmas scene. The Spanish architecture is beautiful all year, but it looks its absolute best when decorated with Christmas lights. The Plaza lighting ceremony draws a huge turnout annually, regardless of the weather.

Just a few miles north, stop at Union Station with its massive Christmas tree, model train exhibit, and Christmas display. And a short walk from there, you will find Crown Center, with its skating rink which has become a Kansas City Christmastime tradition. And since “Christmas towns” have been popularized by Hallmark movies, we should point out that this area is the literal home of Hallmark.

Another worthwhile stop is Nine Zero One Igloo Bar at The Fontaine. This rooftop experience is unforgettable, and Nine Zero One gets bonus points for keeping the Christmas-themed bar open all the way through March!

St. Louis has almost everything you could ask for in a Christmas destination, as long as you don’t mind spending the holidays in a populous area.

Winterfest at Gateway Arch Park features s’mores, a charity fun run, hot cocoa, and ice skating. And since St. Louis is a great hockey town, there are also hockey lessons and hockey tournaments.

If low-budget community theater isn’t your style, the acclaimed Repertory Theatre of St. Louis performs “A Christmas Story” annually. 

The city also utilizes some of its more famous attractions, with Wild Lights at the Zoo and the lights at the Botanical Gardens.

Be sure to catch some pop-up Christmas bars while you’re in town, as well.

This Kansas City suburb has a beautiful shopping district that looks particularly stunning during the Christmas season. With the storefronts decorated, downtown Lee’s Summit has the quintessential Christmas town appearance.

The town’s drive-through Christmas in the Park is locally famous and well-attended, so you will want to budget some time for sitting in traffic. But as long as you don’t mind waiting in line, it is one of the best lights displays anywhere in the area.

Kirkwood’s farmers market, The Summit, takes Christmas seriously. The Gingerbread Shoppe and The Tree Lot take over the market for the holiday season, and both are worth checking out for anyone in the area.

Christkinl Markt (Christmas market) in a fun little college town. What’s not to love?

Fans of Victorian architecture should see St. Joe at least once. Historic mansions dot the town and the downtown architecture is more spectacular than non-locals would ever imagine.

Another charming, quaint St. Louis-area town, come to Kimmswick on the first Saturday of December for the Old Fashioned Christmas Festival.

Historic KC-area town dresses up for Christmas quite nicely. Vaile Mansion Christmas tours are a can’t-miss highlight.

This sleepy riverside town has a fun holiday tradition — a Christmas-themed postmark for any letter that passes through the Noel post office.

Christmas on Main lasts the entire season, with plenty of events and cute storefront displays.

International Christmas Towns

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