Overview
Santa Claus — America's Christmas home town — is a village of 2,600 people (2020) in Southwestern Indiana. The town is a destination for Christmas-related activities.
5 things to do · 1 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Santa Claus
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
A large theme park with several world-class water slides and three wooden roller coasters, "The Raven", "The Legend" and "The Voyage". Originally known as Santa Claus Land, the park exampled to include a Halloween Land, …
Santa's Candy Castle
Christmas Lake Golf Course
Golf, events centre, 19th Hole restaurant.
Frosty’s Fun Centre
Christmas-themed 18-hole miniature golf course, arcade games, restaurant with sandwiches, ice cream and fresh pizza.
Santa's Stables
20-minute and 45-minute horse and pony riding tours.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 28°F. Wettest: May and Apr. (climate data from nearby Louisville)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OWB Owensboro Daviess County Airport, Owensboro — 29 mi away. Directions
- EVV Evansville Regional Airport, Evansville — 34 mi away. Directions
- SDF Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville — 65 mi away (major hub). Directions
Santa Claus is 8 mi south of Ferdinand and 5 mi east of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park on Route 162.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Christmas Lake Golf Course, Frosty’s Fun Centre
- Lunch Brick Oven Pizza
- Afternoon Santa's Candy Castle, Santa's Stables
- Evening American Legion Post 242
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The town was once named Santa Fee. The name was changed in 1856 as it sounded too similar to Santa Fe, Indiana, a settlement 200 mi to the north.
Christmas Boulevard is the main street; other roads bear the names of the Three Wise Men, Chestnut by the Fire and Santa's reindeer. Letters to Santa Claus have been answered locally since 1914, with 20,000 personal replies sent annually by a group of 200 volunteers, many of whom come from afar.
Among the local landmarks are the old church, the post office and a 10-foot statue of Santa Claus. Kringle Place, the main shopping area in Santa Claus, is a mix of Christmas-themed shops and everyday chain stores. There are models of Santa everywhere. A gated residential community, Christmas Lake Village, was established in the 1960s.
The main events take place on the first three weekends in December. There's a candy shop, a toy store and Christmas cards which may be mailed with the local postmark.
All times listed are in the Central time zone (GMT-6).
- Santa Claus tourism website
Get in
Santa Claus is 8 mi south of Ferdinand and 5 mi east of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park on Route 162.
Get around
There is no local public transportation; the nearest taxi is 20-30 miles distant.
Do
Do Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
A large theme park with several world-class water slides and three wooden roller coasters, "The Raven", "The Legend" and "The Voyage". Originally known as Santa Claus Land, the park exampled to include a Halloween Land, a 4th of July Land, a Thanksgiving Land, and the Splashin' Safari Water Park.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Stay Santa's Lodge
Indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool, catch and release fishing, ziplines, paddle boats, and a bounce house. Room prices include parking and wi-fi. St Nick's Restaurant serves seasonal full service breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Restrictive policy requires first night paid in advance and three days notice to cancel; smoking is prohibited, pets are not welcome.
Go next
- The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and state park are 5 mi west.
- Ferdinand is the closest town.
Nearby
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Park · 3 listings · 4 mi away
Ferdinand
City / town · 7 listings · 8 mi away
Jasper
City / town · 36 listings · 19 mi away
Owensboro
City / town · 28 listings · 26 mi away
Evansville
City / town · 45 listings · 36 mi away
Henderson
City / town · 15 listings · 41 mi away
Brandenburg
City / town · 15 listings · 42 mi away
Corydon
City / town · 41 listings · 44 mi away
My experience
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