A Santa Claus Museum, Christmas Lake Gold Club, a lake named Rudolph, and a Santa-special post office that receives around 20,000 letters a year... Santa Claus is the place to be if you love all things Christmas. Confused? We are not referring to Santa Claus, the legendary figure with his snow-white beard, but to the place named thus in Indiana, the US. The quaint town celebrates Christmas throughout the year and is often named one of the world’s top Christmas destinations too by many publications.
Interestingly, there are many factual and legendary stories behind the place’s name. In the early 1800s, it was named Santa Fe though in 1856, it was renamed ‘Santa Claus’ by the postal department. Still, its name wasn’t noticed much, until a postmaster here apparently began promoting its postmark. Gradually, the place started getting numerous mails addressed to Santa Claus and it even became tough for the officials to handle them.
Santa’s Candy Castle, the first tourist attraction here set up in 1935, was the first-ever themed attraction in the whole of the United States. Toy Village, a handful of miniature fairytale buildings, The Santa Claus Town News (the town’s first newspaper), a 6-meter-tall statue of the legendary figure erected at the highest hill of the town, Holiday World that claims to be the world’s first theme park (1946) and more are specialities of the town that tourists find interesting. Tour experts say it is a great place for family vacations as there are many options to indulge in family-oriented fun.
How to reach
Louisville International Airport is the nearest airport to Santa Claus. Interstate 64 also provides direct access to Spencer County which houses the town.
