Theme Parks Celebrating Christmas in Six States

COLORADO Santa's Workshop, located in Cascade, Colorado, is a Christmas oriented theme park geared for family fun. This Christmas themed park has been in operation since 1956. As you walk about the park you will hear Christmas music being played. There are shops, each with different gifts and toys, and a "North Pole" in the center of Santa's Workshop. Bring your camera! Santa's Workshop has over 25 rides (ride a reindeer on the carousel or try the Christmas Tree ride) and other attractions such as magic shows, a petting zoo, a picnic area if you choose to bring your own food, and several places to purchase food, including a candy store. Best of all, your child can visit Santa himself in his house! His elves will take a digital photo for you and you have a variety of photo packages you can pick from to purchase.

The park is open beginning May 10th through December 24th from 10 am to 5 pm. During May 10th through May 22 the park is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays and again from August 18 through December 23rd. All other weeks Santa's Workshop is open daily. On Christmas Eve the park is open from 10am until 4 pm. Christmas Day is closed. A rain check will be issued do to inclement weather only if ALL rides are closed for 1 full hour, all at the same time.

Admission rates to Santa's Workshop is as follows: Ages 2-59 is $16.95 per person, Senior Citizens ages 60 and older rate is $14.95, children under age 2 are free. Military rate upon showing ID is $11.00 per person. If you come as a group of 6-19 people your rate is $14.95 per person. You can obtain discount coupons at Santa's Workshop by visiting their website. There are also season pass tickets.

There are also group discounts for family reunions, church groups, scout troops, company parties and birthday parties. For these you must purchase a minimum of 10 tickets in advance via their office. There is an additional $5.95 shipping and handling fee added on to your total. Your payment must be completed before processing. They accept checks, Visa, Master Card, Amex and Discover. There are no refunds on any tickets not used. To avoid the shipping fee of $5.95 you can pick up your tickets at the office, however you must make those arrangements in advance.

You can plan your birthday party for up to 20 people. You have access to a party room for one hour for a fee of $20, which includes a staff member to serve you and your guests, lemonade, ice cream, a birthday button for each party guest and your party themed paper products. You may bring your own birthday cake. If you'd like to schedule your party at Santa's Workshop, call 1-719-684-9432. This $20 fee is an additional charge over your admission price per person into the theme park.

Most of the rides are geared for kids, although there are a couple bigger rides which will require an adult rider or have height restrictions.

Santa's Workshop is located on 5050 Pikes Peak Hwy in Cascade, CO 80809. You can visit their website at www.santas-colo.com for more information or call 1-719-684-9432.

PENNSYLVANIA Christmas in Hershey Park is a wonderful time of year to visit this theme park. Although Hershey has over 50 rides during regular operating hours, Christmas at Hershey only has a select number of rides open (about 30) for children and their families. Roller coasters are NOT open during this time. SORRY! Christmas at Hershey begins November 14th and ends December 31st. Hershey is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and in November from the 17th thru the 20th and closed again on the 24th and 25th. Check their calendar for exact operating times as they vary by day and weekends.

Admission into Christmas in Hershey is $9.95 for all ages 3 and up. Children 2 and under are free. They offer single day passes as well as two and three day passes and combo ticket packages which include admission into Dutch Wonderland is also available for purchase. The Hershey Lodge and other nearby hotels can accommodate your overnight needs.

Enjoy your stroll through Hersheypark Christmas Candylane where trees are twinkling with lights! See Hershey's characters walking about dressed for the Holiday. Stop and browse in one of the many gift shops, join in singing at their Christmas show and you can even have Breakfast with Santa on select days for an extra charge. For a real treat you can actually meet all nine of Santa's reindeer, including Rudolph! You can visit Santa! Purchase Chocolate Currency as a souvenir or gift in denominations of $1, $5 and $10. It has the same value as regular cash, used only at Hersheypark! Hershey's Chocolate World tour is also open. Take a seat aboard the slow moving cars and enter the world of chocolate! Learn the history and technology it takes to make what else but Chocolate! See all simulated factory operations of making chocolate. See wrapping candy machines, conching machines, mixing machines and even go thru the oven!
It's a great free family ride for all ages, and at the end be treated to a complimentary piece of Hershey's chocolate! The mega chocolate gift shop is a must see for all you chocolate lovers!

Bundle the kids up! It's cold outside, especially while on the rides! Don't forget your camera! Visit their website at www.hersheypa.com/events/christmas/ for more information.

VERMONT Santa's Land located in Putney, Vermont is an outside attraction for little kids and their families. At Santa's Land North Pole Village you can walk from one Christmas decorated house to another. Try some homemade fudge at Santa's Sweet Shoppe, watch a Christmas film in the Ding-Dong School House, there's candy for sale at the Candy Cane Cupboard or try your luck at some games in the arcade. And of course, visit Santa.

Santa's Land also has rides for the kids! Hop on the merry-go-round, take a spin in the tea cups, ride Santa's Alpine Train or try a slide! They have three different size outdoor slides. The Playscape slide, the North Pole Iceberg Slide and the GIANT slide. These are not water slides. Just play areas for kids. Also at Santa's Land is a petting zoo and walk-through Deer Park where you can touch the animals. See also a camel, llamas, pigs, turkeys and miniature ponies!

This park first opened on August 10th, 1957 by renowned DJ and co-founder of WOR radio station in New York City. He operated Santa's Land for over ten years then sold the park in 1970 to the Brewers family who now run the park.

Santa's Land is open Memorial Day Weekend through August 25th daily from 10 am to 5 pm. From August 30th to December 21st, the park is open weekends only (Sat and Sun) from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission prices are as follows: Adults ages 16 and up, $15.00 per person. Kids ages 3-15, $13.00 per person, kids 2 and under are free. Seniors ages 65 and older, $10 per person and they offer a $3.00 discount for all military persons with proper ID. You can also rent out the entire park for private parties of 100 people or more. See their website for details.

Visit their website at http://www.santasland.com/home.html for further information and cute pictures. They are located on 635 Bellows Falls road in Putney, VT.

NORTH CAROLINA Lights on the Neuse, Christmas Park is an outdoor lighted park open weekend nights from November 23rd through December 27th from 6pm to 9 pm. On Christmas Eve they are open 6pm to 8 pm and they are closed on Christmas Day.

Adult tickets cost $8.00. Children ages 5-12 are $5.00 and under five years of age are free. If you come with a group of 30 or more people there is a discount. A portion of all sales are donated to Heartland Hospice at the Johnston County office. For discount information call 1-919-553-0016.

At Lights on the Neuse, Christmas Park, you can meet Santa! Climb aboard his sleigh and sit on Santa's lap! Santa's very own photographer will put your picture in a very special souvenir frame for you! Visit the Sweet Shoppe for a hot cup of apple cider, coffee or hot chocolate. There's a variety of Christmas candies to buy as well. And popcorn too!

The main attraction is the 30 minute mile long tractor-pulled hayride which takes you through an extravaganza of lights and Christmas music! The hayride will take you to the banks of the Neuse River and back again. Along the route you will see 15 lighted holiday scenes! Lights on the Neuse uses more than a million lights! See displays such as the Nativity Scene, Country Church, 12 Days of Christmas, Candy Cane Lane, a 40 foot Christmas tree and much more! They update their attractions every year so each time will be slightly different! Visit their website at www.lightsontheneuse.com/Christmas_hayride.html for pictures and more information.

NEW YORK Santa's Workshop, located in North Pole (seriously) NY is an adorable theme park for kids (adults too!) This park is a village of Alpine type buildings located on the side of Whiteface Mountain. This park has been in existence since 1949! Visit Santa's house, see the live Nativity Pageant, go inside St. Nicholas Chapel and listed to the pipe organ, see Mother Goose characters walking about the village. There is Tannenbaum, the talking Christmas tree! Visit Santa's reindeer in their barn and feel free to feed them too! The Candy Shop has homemade treats and well as hot and cold drinks and see the candy maker in action too! Mother Hubbard's Country Kitchen is open for lunch and snacks. They have a children's menu as well.

There are many crafters here you can watch in addition to the candy lady. Watch the glassblower make ornaments, visit the Toy Shop and see hand made wooden toys, or maybe watch the Blacksmith make a reindeer shoe! The shopkeeper at the World of Christmas Shop can personalize selected gifts for you too!

You can climb aboard Santa's sleigh and have your picture taken (with the live reindeer, too) The Post Office will have your picture package ready, whichever one you choose! Rowdy's Reindeer Games is the arcade for family fun. With each paid admission to Santa's Workshop, you will receive free tokens for the arcade! Visit Elmer, "The Know it All" Elf and be sure to drop a coin into his Wishing Well (money goes to the Santa's Toy Lift Fund, which helps less fortunate children!)

Rides? Yes! There are kiddie rides, and some of the cutest Christmas themed holiday rides you'll ever see! Ride the Reindeer Carousel, hop on the Candy Cane Express, ride the Christmas Tree, take a ride on Santa's Sleigh Coaster or maybe the Peppermint Swing or Kiddie Bobsled. There are 8 rides totally, all included in the price of admission so ride as often as you like!

Santa's Workshop is open June 28 through September 1, 7 days a week, from 9:30 am to 4 pm. All rides and shows included. Children (2-16) $16.95, Adults $18.95 and Seniors $16.95. September 6-Oct.13 the park is open 10 am to 3:30 pm Sat and Sun only and Columbus day. November 22-December 21 & Friday November 28 hours are 10 am to 3 pm.

If you go during the Christmas Season for the Village of Lights, which is November 30th through December 21, the park is open only on Sundays from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm with limited rides and shows available. All admissions cost $7.95. And during December 22nd and 23rd, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm with limited rides and shows available at $7.95 per person. New York sales tax of 7.75% is additional per person year round.

For further information about Santa's Workshop, visit their website: www.northpoleny.com/index.cfm

TEXAS Santa Land, The Magic Forest, in Lindale, Texas, is a drive thru park. You can drive with your own vehicle or take a ride on Santa's open trailer thru 24 acres of lights! Over 2 l/2 million lights! There are many displays along your route, approximately 29 in all, including Christmas Tree Lane, a 250 foot tunnel of dancing lights, Poinsettia Patch and a 12 foot high Saluting Soldier! There is a Religious section where you can see scenes of The Manger, The Last Supper, Jesus Carrying the Cross, the Empty Tomb and more. There is also the "Our Angel Land" section, which is dedicated to all families who have suffered the loss of a child.

The Gift Shop is open till 10 pm daily. There is also a concession stand where you can purchase hot chocolate, coffee, hot apple cider, cold drinks and snack items as well.

Santa Land is open nightly, 6 pm - 10:30 pm. Beginning in November. Admission is $20.00 per car, $30.00 per commercial sized van with 15 person capacity. Any vehicle carrying over 15 people will be $3.00 per person. The cost for Santa's Trailer ride is $10.00 per person, $7.00 per person for groups of 25 people or more. There are restrictions to oversized vehicles. These can be parked in the gift shop parking lot. Visitors must ride Santa's Trailer.

Santa Land is located on I-20 between Dallas and Louisiana, better knows as East Texas. This drive-through park is open rain or shine! Call for exact 2008 dates at 1-903-882-1518 or if you have any questions regarding the size of the camper you may want to drive through. There are restrictions.

For more information, visit their website at: www.santalandtexas.com/

Merry Christmas!

M.Soozan