Looking for somewhere magical to see Santa this year? Below you'll find The North Pole, Orlando, New York City, Chocolate Town USA, Bethlehem CT, Santa Claus Indiana... and other fine places to see the jolly guy in red. (Be sure to click through to p. 2.)
1. The Polar Express
*Photos courtesy of the Grand Canyon Railway.
Polar Express train rides are a lovely Christmas experience, and not only do kids see Santa, he gives them a silver bell souvenir. These train rides bring to life the story from the classic "Polar Express" children's book. Families can get onboard at the Grand Canyon Railway, Adirondack Scenic Railroad, and lots more tourist railroads. Book early, these Polar Express train rides are popular!
2. More Christmas Trains
The "Polar Express" -- a very specific holiday season train experience, themed to the classic children's book -- is just one type of "Christmas Train": many other tourist railroads run special Santa train rides or perhaps a "North Pole Express". You can count on seeing Santa, on probably on some hot cocoa on board or milk and cookies; maybe elves, Rudolph, carolers... (Book early!)3. Holiday Windows in New York
Photo courtesy of About.com Guide for New York City Travel.
In New York City, the Christmas spirit gets started with Santa's appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The famous department store is also known for wonderful Christmas window displays. Other famous stores -- Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Barney's New York -- also put on fabulous holiday window displays.
4. Hershey PA: Christmas Candylane and More
photo © Teresa Plowright
Hershey PA-- aka "Chocolate Town"-- has lots of Christmas fun including opportunities to see Santa. The HersheyPark theme park opens up for Christmas Candylane, with more than 1 million twinkling lights, Santa and live reindeer, a Christmas show, giant carousel and other decorated rides.
Families can also enjoy: Hershey Sweet Lights, a two-mile drive through woods filled with light displays; "Christmas in Chocolate Town" Holiday Dinner Musical; Dutch Winter Wonderland (a half-hour drive away). Special packages at Hershey Hotel and Hershey Lodge feature breakfasts with Santa, Family New Year's Eve, and more.
5. Bethlehem CT: "The Christmas Town"
Bethlehem is a pretty place in Connecticut's Litchfield Hills, about 100 miles from NYC. Each December, thousands of people visit to mark their Christmas mail with the Bethlehem postmark, and with special rubber-stamps known as "cachets". The best time for families to visit is during the Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival in early December. Opening night has a candlelight processional, and arrival of Santa to light a 75-foot Christmas Tree.6. Santa's Village, White Mountains, New Hampshire
Photo courtesy of Santa's Village.
This amusement park for little kids is open for the summer season, with Christmas-themed rides like the "Reindeer Coaster" and the "Yule Log Flume Ride": kids can see Santa and and his reindeer even in July. Santa's Village re-opens after Thanksgiving for special weekends leading up to Christmas Eve.
7. Breckenridge, Colorado
This Colorado ski resort not only has great snow-sports but a quaint Victorian town, that gets even quainter when its in Victorian Holiday mode. Decorations on Main Street, Christmas Bazaar at Old Town Hall, Christmas tree light-up with fireworks, strolling carolers, and Santa visits.8. Christmas in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, with its adobe architecture, is famous as a beautiful town, and glows during the holiday season when thousands of "farolitos" -- "little lanterns"-- line walkways and rooftops (-each one a small paper bag with sand in the bottom and a small candle inside.) A good place for kids to see Santa and his elves is "Christmas at the Palace", with Hispanic, Anglo, and Native American Christmas traditions.9. Disney Christmas - at Walt Disney World
photo courtesy of Walt Disney World.
Starting in November, Walt Disney World gets all lit up for Christmas, 1500 trees go up, and major celebrations get underway. In the Magic Kingdom, Mickey has a Very Merry Christmas Party on many nights, and Mickey's Very Merry Parade features a March of the Wooden Soldiers and dancing gingerbread men. At Epcot, Holidays Around The World has story-telling and traditions from different countries. Also at Epcot is the Candlelight Processional: a celebrity narrator presents the Christmas story, with music by a choir and 50-piece orchestra.
At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights has 5 million of 'em-- twinkling lights that is, that twinkle even more in nightly "snow". And that's far from all...
10. Universal Orlando
photo courtesy of Universal Orlando.
On most nights in December, Macy's Holiday Parade takes place in the Universal Studios theme park at Universal Orlando: a special version -- with authentic balloons and floats -- of the famous Macy's Parade that takes place in New York City every Thanksgiving. Santa figures large in this Parade, of course.
Meanwhile, over in Universal Orlando's other theme park, the Islands of Adventure, it's Grinchmas in Seuss Landing.
