Santa Claus, Indiana: Where Christmas Happens Year Round

Santa Claus, IN is one of those rare places that makes it easy to celebrate the Christmas spirit on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The name of the town seems to say it all. But is the name deceiving? Read this article and you be the judge…

The Location

Santa Claus, Indiana is located in Spencer County, which is in the southwestern part of the state. According to the 2010 census, population was at 2,481. The town is between the Ohio River and Interstate 64.

The History

The town of Santa Claus has a rich history that goes back to the late 1840’s. Originally known as Santa Fe, (pronounced Santa Fee), however, the name was not accepted by the US Postal Service because there was already a city that had that name established with the USPS. For a period of time this place was known as the ‘nameless town’. But after several town meetings and much discussion, it was later decided that the name Santa Claus would be used.

Themed Attractions

Whether your preference is camping, museums, or fun in the sun, Santa Claus, IN can deliver. The town offers a variety of things to do for the entire family. Santa’s Candy Castle includes a candy theme and Santa’s workshop. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari is renowned for the world’s longest water coasters. This park is divided into 4 sections where you will find celebrations for Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and Halloween.

Santa Claus also offers the Santa Claus Museum, Santa’s Stables, and Christmas Lake Golf Course. Plus, it’s home to Lake Rudolph campground & RV Resort and Santa’s Lodge. There really is something for everyone!

More Than A Theme Park

Although many people think of Santa Claus as a great place to visit because of the themed attractions, others know the area is a perfect place to live. Most of the residents live in the gated community called Christmas Lake Village. The place includes 2,500 acres beautifully developed around 3 lakes: Lake Noel, Lake Holly, and of course, Christmas Lake. Street names conjure up thoughts of the holiday season. Holiday Village is another popular neighborhood in the area.

Christmas Lake Village are all named after the Christmas season. Many residents also live in Holiday Village, a subdivision on the north side of town.

Final Thoughts

If you want to enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic and your regular routines, why not visit Santa Claus, IN? It’s centrally located and rather easy to get to for most U.S. residents. In fact, it may be ‘on the way’ to your next destination.

Debbie Allen is a professional content writer that saves all her letters from Santa every year – they are favorite Christmas keepsakes!

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christmas Shopping – The Fun, The Memories, & Christmas Letters

Every year my husband and I head out to the stores and malls to collect gifts for all of the people we love.  We plan on going during the weeks when the stores aren’t as crowded. We go out and have dinner alone together. We love to see how the store windows are decorated. I don’t understand how anyone can help but be caught up in the spirit of Christmas. It gives us time out of the house to reconnect during the sometimes hectic holiday season.

There are many people on our Christmas list. We try to find something special for each and every person on our list. That is easier for some than others. Let’s face it – there comes a time that children become difficult to buy for. At least that’s how it seems to me. Not only do the gifts they want get more expensive, I honestly have trouble picking out what they will actually want or use.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago when getting a letter from the North Pole was the highlight of my grandkid’s Christmas. Now they ask for things I have to Google just to find out what I’m looking for. I gave up on buying clothes for my older grandkids - I have been told that I don’t know what is in style. Besides socks I take them with me to buy their clothes. I remember going through this same thing with my own kids as they were growing up and with my parents when I ‘suddenly got smarter than them’. It happens to all of us as we age. It’s simply part of becoming a teenager.

Okay, back to shopping. When my husband and I are out shopping we like to recall memories about Christmases we have shared in the past. We laugh about how cool the kids thought they were the year they got an autographed picture of Santa. We have collected so many Christmas memories together that we never run out of things to talk about while we shop. As we talk we collect more and more bags. Every once in awhile we will run across something that we just know someone special will love. Those are the gifts I look forward to giving the most.

We still buy toys for the youngest children. John and I love going to the toy store. We revert back to children as soon as we walk in the door. We have no trouble finding a gift from Santa for every kid in our life. Sometimes I have to remind John to behave himself. I think we try out about every toy in the store. Little kids are so easy and fun to shop for. Every year we go overboard at the toy store - I guess we just can help ourselves.

We try our best every year to get what is in our kids' letters to Santa. we have never had a Christmas where the little kids were unhappy with what they got. I like it when they open up things they weren’t expecting. I enjoy the surprised look on their faces. We try our best to give all the children in our lives happy Christmas memories to carry with them for the rest of their lives.