When you enter the town of Santa Claus, Indiana you’re greeted by a sign proclaiming that you have reached “America’s Christmas Hometown”. The town of Santa Claus was once known as Santa Fe. To avoid continually getting mistaken for the city of Santa Fe that is located in New Mexico, Santa Fe, Indiana opted to become Santa Claus. Adopting the name Santa Claus allowed the small Indiana town to embrace the spirit of Christmas year-round.
The town of Santa Claus features a Candy Castle, a Santa Claus Museum, and a team of elves who answer letters addressed to Santa Claus. Santa Claus is even home to a 22-foot concrete statue of Santa Claus. In the month of December, the town of Santa Claus features elaborate Christmas light displays, food trucks that serve Christmas treats, and a chance to eat Christmas dinner with Jolly Old St. Nick.
Many visitors consider Santa’s Candy Castle to be the main attraction in the town of Santa Claus. If you have a sweet tooth, you will wonder if you have died and ascended to heaven once you explore the Candy Castle’s selection of rare old timey candy, handmade confections, and Frozen Hot Chocolate. Santa’s Candy Castle even features a wall of Pez dispensers for the avid collector in your life.
For those who love Christmas but can only tolerate the frigid Midwest during the summer months, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari features a roller coaster, water slides, and a holiday-themed light show that lights up the sky during the month of June. Visitors can see a pumpkin, Santa, a turkey, and an American flag grace the sky during their summer vacation.
If Christmas is your favorite holiday, you can visit the heartland instead of trekking to the North Pole to spend quality time with Santa and his elves.
Photos by Drew Tarvin/Flickr, Scott/Flickr.
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