Gift These 13 Tennessee Experiences This Holiday Season

Give the gift of music by purchasing early bird tickets to the RiverBeat Music Fesitval, taking place May 1-3, 2026 at Tom Lee Park. Three days of incredible music are part of the larger Memphis in May International Festival. The lineup and ticket information will be announced soon, but past artists include Missy Elliott, Cage the Elephant, Benson Boone, Flo Milli and many more.

• Pricing Information: While 2026 tickets have yet to go on sale, tickets for 2025 started at $50 for a single-day pass.

The historic Orpheum Theater hosts everything from Broadway and theatre performances to comedy, concerts, dance performances and movies. Gift tickets to a performance and let your loved ones experience talented performers in the historic theater. Blue Man Group, “The Sound of Music” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Back to the Future: the Musical,” "Six" and “Dancing with the Stars Live” are just some of the shows on tap for 2026.

• Operational Hours: The box office is open weekdays, 9 AM - 5 PM, as well as 2 hours before events for the Orpheum Theatre and 1 hour before events for the Halloran Centre. 

Save a seat for your loved ones at an upscale restaurant like Acre. The inventive food and warm, sophisticated interiors make Acre a destination for locals and visitors. Need gift certificate ideas? Give a restaurant gift card and let those on your holiday list experience entrees like roasted Coho salmon, braised beef short rib with potato puree and broccolini, and lamb tenderloin along with craft cocktails and must-have desserts.

• Operational Hours: Acre is open 5 PM to 9 PM, Tuesday through Saturday
   
• Acre has gift cards ranging from $25 to $250. 

Give the gift of barbecue with a gift card to Central BBQ, which specializes in slow smoked hickory and pecan barbecue with a combination of dry-rub spices. The holidays will be merry when your loved ones can start planning their trip to Memphis for pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked sausage and smoked turkey. 

• Operating Hours: Central BBQ is open from 11 AM to 9 PM, 7 days a week.
   
• Pricing Options: Gift Certificates can be purchased in $25, $50, and $100 amounts. Looking for an even more creative way to gift an experience? For $120 you can ship 2 slabs of ribs to family or friends. 

Located on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, Old Dominick Distillery carries on a family passion for stories and spirits in downtown Memphis. Give your loved ones a behind-the-scenes look at this local distillery that produces a line of whiskeys, vodkas and a revival of Domenico’s Pre-Prohibition southern infused whiskey. Tastings are included in included in the tour and one of the best experience ideas for Christmas. 

• Operational Hours: Old Dominick Distillery opens daily at noon. 
   
• Pricing Options: Gift experiences range from the "Making the Memphis Spirit" tour at $15 or the "Beyond the Barrel" experience at $50. You can send the experiences via email and let them choose their dates and times. 

Gift a romantic stay at White Squirrel Winery (they have a Romantic Winery Loft AirBnB Suite onsite) this holiday season. Your special someone will love touring the 90-acre property and sampling the varieties of wine in the tasting room. Try the robust dry red wines, fruity white wines and sweeter wines like Moscato. Buy a bottle of your favorite and enjoy it on the patio or among the vines.

• Operating Hours: White Squirrel is open on Friday & Saturdays from 1 PM to 6PM and on Sundays from 1 PM to 5 PM.
   
• Pricing: Bottles start at just $14.99 and can be purchased on the property.
   
• Seasonal Events: White Squirrel Winery is hosting their 10th Annual, White Squirrel Valentine Wine & Dine 4-Course Dinner on February 10th. Purchase tickets and give gifts of experiences for Christmas this holiday season.

Share the “South’s Grand Hotel” with a gift certificate for a hotel stay, in-room dining, a meal at Capriccio Grill or Chez Philippe, Peabody Deli & Desserts, the Lobby Bar, Corner Bar and Feathers Spa. Peabody Hotel stays can include the Ducky Day Family Package which will make your special someone an Honorary Duckmaster who assists the Duckmaster march the Peabody ducks to or from the lobby fountain at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Seeing the famous Peabody Duck March is one of Tennessee's treasured family experiences for Christmas and beyond.

• Pricing Options: Gift Certificates can be given in amounts from $5.00 to $1000.00.
   
• Seasonal Events: Celebrate each season with bookable specialty events including: Afternoon Tea with Santa, Christmas Cookie Decorating, New Year's Eve Champagne Lounge, and so many more.

Big Cypress Lodge is located inside the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid and offers a mix of elegance inspired by the great outdoors. Gift an experience or stay to a loved one so they can explore one of the more than 100 unique rooms, world-class dining and recreation. Special packages include family fun packages, concert packages and Memphis Grizzlies game experiences. You can also add on gifts like a Big Cypress sherpa blanket, Big Cypress Lodge puzzle or chocolate caramels in addition to gifting an experience for Christmas.

• Seasonal Events: be sure to check out their events and activities calendar that is updated seasonally.

Purchase a Magnolia Manor & Chapel gift certificate to enhance someone’s holiday season. All gift certificates are treated as cash, so your loved one can customize the trip to their liking-- making this one of the best gift certificate ideas for travel. Packages include romantic getaways, babymoons, a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival, or the Lover’s Picnic Adventure that includes seasonal flowers upon arrival, a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic sparkling cider, two keepsake wine glasses, tickets to Tennessee Safari Park, Crown Winery Tour or Discovery Park of America, and a picnic basket stuffed with cheeses, preserves, cured meats, crackers, baguette, grilled artichoke, nuts, fruit and sweet treats and pickles and olives.

• Pricing Options: "brunch for two" starts at $50, while massage packages start at $165. To let them choose their own gift experience, choose any amount above $25 for email delivery. 
   
• Seasonal Events: Check out the event calendar for more experiences such as the tea service, sunday brunches, and more.

A gift membership to Discovery Park of America includes unlimited admission to the museum and park, access to members-only programs and events throughout the year, access to the Trapper’s Cabin, presale opportunities to events and programs, unlimited access to the Tower, 10% off in the Gift Shop and 10% off in Sabin’s Café. Your membership also offers you free access to thousands of museums across the country that are part of the ASTC Passport Program.

• Operational Hours: Discovery Park of America is open Tuesday through Sunday until 4 PM.
   
• Pricing Options: Individual gift memberships can range from $50 for a child or $80 for an adult. Looking to gift family experiences for Christmas? Family membership pricing starts as low as $110.
   
• Seasonal Events: Seasonal gift experiences for kids, that are both educational and adventurous, can be found and purchased on Discovery Park's events calendar.

Gift the Ultimate VIP Tour this holiday season, the best way to see one of Tennessee’s iconic attractions - Elvis Presley's Graceland. The VIP Tour includes an expert guide, seeing Elvis’ planes, meal voucher at one of the restaurants at Elvis Presley’s Memphis and a private lounge. Your loved ones will tour Graceland in a small group of up to 10 guests, a self-guided tour of the custom jets, full access to Presley Motors Automobile Museum, Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum and self-guided tours of the Elvis Discovery Exhibits, an exclusive photo opportunity, a keepsake backstage pass and Personal Graceland Archives Show and Tell session.

• Operational Hours: Graceland is open daily from 9 AM to 4 PM.
   
• Pricing Options: Explore ticket and tour packages with pricing starting at $18.50.

If you have a birder or nature enthusiast on your list, book an eagle tour for them in January or February at Reelfoot Lake State Park in Tiptonville. They’ll join experienced park naturalists on bald eagle and waterfowl tours. During the two-hour tour, eagles can be seen perching, flying and snatching a fish from Reelfoot Lake. In March and April, the park hosts deep swamp canoe tours where you can usually see nesting eagles; and May through the end of September, scenic pontoon boat tours are hosted where you can see blue herons, ducks and eagles.

• Pricing Options: Eagle Tours are bookable from the park's event calendar and cost $20.00 per birder. Need other gift certificate ideas? A Tennessee State Park gift card is a great way to let your loved ones choose their own outdoor adventure.

Have a history buff on your Christmas shopping list? Gift them a history tour with A Tour of Possibilities. The Essence of Memphis Tour is an eye-opening and entertaining tour that takes guests through the city to iconic stops like National Civil Rights Museum, The Pyramid, Historic Beale Street, Stax Museum of American Soul Music and many more.

• Operational Hours: Tours are offered Thursday through Sunday.
   
• Pricing options: Tours cost $72 a person. Gift Cards are also available for purchase.