Named one of the world’s top Christmas destinations by Forbes magazine and billing itself as “America’s Christmas Hometown,” Santa Claus, Indiana, could put even the most resolute grinch into the jolliest holiday spirit.
The town’s original name was actually Santa Fe, which was changed in 1856 when residents requested a post office and were told another Santa Fe, Indiana, post office already existed. In their desire to keep “Santa” in the town’s name, residents decided “Santa Claus” to be the next-best option.
About a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Chattanooga, Santa Claus was home to the country’s first themed attraction, Santa Claus Town, which opened in 1935. That same year, a rival park – Santa Claus Park – also opened in the town, and while the park itself has closed, the 22-foot Santa statue erected for it was restored in 2011. Today it can be found next to the Santa Claus Museum, where you’ll find more information on the town’s interesting history. The museum is a small, nonprofit organization with varying hours, so check to be sure it’s open by visiting the museum’s website, santaclausmuseum.org, or by calling 812-544-2434.
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Since the town’s post office is the only one in the world bearing the name Santa Claus, it becomes especially busy come Christmastime. In 1914, the town postmaster decided to start answering children’s letters, and a group of volunteers calling themselves “Santa’s Elves” has continued the practice every year since, ensuring that each of the thousands of children who pen a letter to St. Nick and mail it to the town receives a reply. (If you’d like to try it out, the address is P.O. Box 1, Santa Claus, Indiana, 47579.) If you’re in town during December, stop in to send out your Christmas cards with a hand-stamped Santa Claus, Indiana, postmark, for which the town holds a competition among local high school students every year.