This past weekend we started our fall break early with a hosted trip to Santa Claus Indiana. YES! There is a town called Santa Claus and I needed to know more!
My six year old daughter shares my obsession for all things Christmas with me. We start Christmas music in July and it’s always ok to light a Christmas candle while cleaning the house. Because of our love for Christmas I had to take my family on a small trip to Santa Claus to get into the holiday spirit.
Check-In to the Hotel
We left early on a Saturday morning and headed south to Santa Claus Indiana. We quickly checked into the Comfort Inn & Suites in Rockport IN (20 minute drive from Holiday World). Let’s just say that we don’t stay anywhere that doesn’t have super bouncy beds, a pool and a delicious continental breakfast. Those free breakfasts are the highlight of our stay and the Comfort Inn & Suites breakfast did not disappoint. I’m pretty sure between the 4 of us we tried every single item on the buffet and it was all delicious.
Holiday World Splash & Safari
We’d been to Holiday World 3 years ago with my sister’s family when Sophia was just 3 and it was a BLAST. I couldn’t wait until she was older and brave enough to ride more rides. Happy Halloween Weekends are going on right now and it’s now my favorite time to visit Holiday World.
You’ve heard the commercials where they boast about having free soda, free sunscreen and free parking. All of these are AWESOME but the extra shows and attractions during Happy Halloween Weekends were what made our trip so special. Some of the added attractions include: a 12 acre corn maze, LOL Halloween Magic Show, Monster Mash show and the Scare BnB.
Our Favorites at Holiday World
Our two favorite Halloween additions were the Holidog’s 3D Halloween Adventure and The Wacky Workshop of Wonders. It’s perfect to head to the Ice Cream Shop right next to The Wacky Workshop of Wonders 30 minutes before showtime to get an ice cream to enjoy while you watch. Also, if the line is short for the Pumpkin Funnel Cake please get one for me and let me know how it is! Every time we went to check it out the line was 50+ people long. Also, our favorite ride in the park was the Turkey Twirl!
TIP: If you’re planning a trip to Holiday World, get excited by listening to their podcast with your family. They’ve got some great info and tips there. Also, if you’re going in October, be sure to bring lots of warm gear because it could get cold at night. Next time, I want to stay in the Lake Rudolf Campground and RV Resort because they do lots of fun Halloween activities for families and everyone decorates their camp sites!
Things to do in Santa Claus
There is so much to do as a family in Santa Claus Indiana. History of the Town of Santa Claus and Lincoln’s boyhood home draw in a huge crowd. If you want a truly magical Holiday, spend it in Santa Claus doing all the classics!
Santa’s Candy Castle
I am smitten with Santa’s Candy Castle and the history behind the first themed attraction in the US.
The first building in Santa Claus Town was Santa’s Candy Castle, a red brick building with all the elements of a real castle that looked as though it was lifted from the pages of a fairytale. It was sponsored by The Curtiss Candy Company, the creators of the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars, who were famous for their larger-than-life advertising campaigns. Santa’s Candy Castle was dedicated amidst tremendous fanfare on the cold, snowy day of December 22, 1935.
-Santa’s Candy Castle Website santascandycastle.com
We spent over an hour just looking through every type of candy, rembering having them as kids or even having our parents sharing them as candy they had as kids. By far my two favorite things in the shop were the Goo Goo Cluster and the Frozen Hot Chocolate. TIP: Do not skip the Frozen Hot Chocolate! Ask for Kevin, the owner, to get an idea of what the perfect candy is for you and hear more about the 2006 restoration of this historical landmark.
Santa’s Museum and Village
Santa’s Museum and Villiage is home of Santa Claus’s original post office, a 22 ft statue of Santa, a Museum on the history of Santa Claus and a church built in 1880. Within Santa’s Post Office you can write a letter to Santa and have him reply before Christmas. Santa’s Museum is a wonderful testimate to this special town and the magic it holds. The staff working there has great knowledge on what to do in Santa Claus and they have brochures to help you decide what to do next.
Santa Claus Christmas Store
We easily spent an hour in this ‘all things Christmas’ store. It would have been much longer had we had more time to visit. There’s an entire room of Christmas villiages for every theme! There is a bakery with cookies the size of your head. There are more ornaments than you’ve ever seen in one location! Also, the big guy himself is there to have a meet and greet with! If you have that certain person in your family that is hard to buy for, you’ll definitely find something for them here!
We had such a magical time in Santa Claus, Indiana. Thank you to the Spencer County Visitor’s Bureau for hosting our family on this fun trip. I would love to know where you like to eat and play in Santa Claus!
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