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Santa Claus, Indiana

Christmas Vacation Destination for Families in Indiana Town Devoted

Nov 5, 2006

Santa Claus arrives in his sleigh at Santa Claus, Courtesy of Spencer County Visitors Bureau

Santa Claus, Indiana pulls out all the stops for Christmas to honor the town's namesake. There is Santa's Candy Castle, Santa's Lodge and a Festival of Lights.

This town features the only post office in the world with the Santa Claus name, sure to impress little fans of Father Christmas. The town initially proposed the name Santa Fe to the U.S. Postal Service before that was rejected and they settled on Santa Claus in the 1800s. The town even has a statue of Santa Claus, erected in 1935 in honor of children.

Today, the charming population-2,000 town takes advantage of its Christmas-themed name to serve as a prime Christmas vacation destination.

Christmas Attractions in Santa Claus

There are several Christmas-related attractions in Santa Claus Indiana, including:

Santa's Candy Castle, a centerpiece holiday attraction here. Free to enter, it was America's first themed attraction when it opened in 1935. It was just renovated and reopened.
Santa Claus Post Office, the perfect place to mail your holiday cards. Visitors get a Christmas-themed Santa Claus Indiana post office postmark. This is also the spot where thousands of letters to Santa Claus are sent.
Frosty's Fun Center, a Christmas themed miniature golf course and arcade. The course features a nine-foot Frosty melting into a running water stream.

Christmas Events in Santa Claus

The Christmas festivities in Santa Caus, Indiana are a treat for children, and include Christmas at the Castle, the Rockport Christmas Festival, Christmas Festival of Lights, Nightmare Before Christmas golf tournament, a live nativity along a nearby town's Main Street and a holiday horseback open house.

Where to Stay in Santa Claus

For the true Christmas experience, the best choice is Santa's Lodge. It features Christmas decorations year-round, you can dine at St. Nick's or visit the on-site Frosty's Fun Center. They also feature special Christmas events at the lodge.

Getting to Santa Claus

Santa Claus, Indiana is located in southern Indiana. It's an hour from Louisville, three hours from Indianapolis, Lexington, Nashville, Cincinnati and Saint Louis, and six hours from Chicago. The tourism office site features directions from several major cities.

The copyright of the article Santa Claus, Indiana in Kid-Friendly Travel Destinations is owned by Kelby Carr. Permission to republish Santa Claus, Indiana in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.