In These Christmas Towns Across America, You Can Celebrate the Holidays All Year Round

When this Indiana town changed its name from Santa Fe to Santa Claus after it was discovered there was another town by the same name in the state, it had an unintended consequence. Children started sending their letters to Santa here and in 1914 a well-intentioned postman began responding as Ol’ Saint Nick. The town eventually erected a statue of Santa in his honor. Today, visitors can learn about the history of the statue and the post office at the Santa Claus Museum, where they can mail a free letter to Santa and receive a personalized reply in December. Santa himself can be found here even in the off-season, and children can sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas year round. There’s also a Holiday World theme park, a Christmas village, and plenty of Christmas stores where you can get your decor fix nearby.

In this small town, named after St. Nick’s home base, “the spirit of Christmas lives all year round.” On the town website, they have a year-round Christmas countdown, and locals leave decorations up on their homes and storefronts, no matter the season. 

Residents here display lights and garland all year round, and the town’s main attraction is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, an 8,000-square-foot one-stop shop for all things Christmas that claims to be the largest such establishment in the world.

Travelers can actually follow this town’s guiding landmark if they’ve lost their way. Dubbed “Christmas City, U.S.A.” by the Chamber of Commerce, the town’s main attraction is a “star of Bethlehem,” inspired by the one the three wise men followed. This modern interpretation is made from LED lights and is perched atop a hill.

This Upstate village is home to Santa’s Workshop, a year-round outdoor theme park complete with lights, sleigh bells and reindeer.

This small mountain oasis is best known as the home of Dollywood (the Dolly Parton-owned theme park), but it also features a remarkable Christmas village, The Incredible Christmas Place. The Inn at Christmas Place, their year-round resort, is always in the holiday spirit. 

Not only does this town seriously deck its halls for Christmastime, it also contains a Santa Claus training center. At the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School workshop,  student Santas from around the world gather to share their love of Christmas and learn everything there is to know about embodying St. Nick’s spirit —from his magical belly laugh, to the perfect “ho ho ho.”


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