Santa's Village is a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

-themed

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

located in

Jefferson, New Hampshire Jefferson is a New England town, town in Coos County, New Hampshire, Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,043 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is home to parts of the White Mountain National Forest in ...

. Most of the 23 rides have Christmas or winter-themed names, such as "Midnight Flyer" and "The Great Humbug Adventure". The rides are designed for families with children under age 13. There are also three theatres, two of which present live shows and a third that features a

3-D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of Stereoscopy#3D viewers, special glasses worn by viewers. 3D films were prominently featured in the 1950s in Amer ...

called ''A Tinkerdoodle Christmas''. Visitors can visit Santa's home, sit in his rocking chair, and have a picture taken with Santa.

History

Santa's Village was the brainchild of Normand and Cecile Dubois who, in the early 1950s, wanted to create something novel to their region. Seeing deer crossing the road sparked Norman's belief that the North Country in New Hampshire would serve well as Santa and his reindeers' home. On Father's Day, in 1953, the family amusement park was opened for the first time to the general public. In its first year, the park had pony rides and showcased Francis the Famous Mule in a mule performance. The amusement park staff frequently gave her oats from a whiskey bottle to wheedle her to move. The Duboises also invited

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

to the park; he was accompanied by real

reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...

and numerous elves. The park was later enlarged to include a "Santa Schoolhouse", a "Blacksmith Shop", "Santa's Workshop" and a chapel. In 1955, the park was open from June to October. By 1969, the park also had playgrounds, restaurants, and a "Jingle Jamboree". The Dubois family added a dancing chicken and rabbit performance to the park's activities. By 1974, the Dubois' son-in-law, Michael Gaynor, took over the park's management after the couple retired. The admission for people over four years old in 1974 was $3. Peggy Newland of '' The Nashua Telegraph'' wrote in 2010 that " the 1980s, the park had grown to a 'real' amusement park". The park was further expanded, with a "Yule Log Flume" that glided down a Christmas-themed river, carrying people around the park.

Macaw Macaws are a group of Neotropical parrot, New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful, in the Tribe (biology), tribe Arini (tribe), Arini. They are popular in aviculture or as companion parrots, although there are conservation con ...

s performed in the park, roller-skating around the stage and balancing bikes on a

tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

. In 1986, Jack Barth of '' Spy'' wrote that Santa's Village has a "strange arrangement", in that to take pictures, people poke their heads out of a cake made of plaster. The grandchildren of Normand and Cecile Dubois manage the park. They added a "Polar Theater" with 3D shows that include elves that dance and a tree that sings, as well as "Skyways Sleighs", which transport people through the sky to different parts of the park. Near the park's duck pond is a life-size

Nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmastide, Christmas season, of ar ...

. The park also has a

wishing well A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe water well, wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the notion that water housed deity, deities or had ...

, where children can make a wish and toss coins in. The money from the wishing well is given to marginalized children through the form of Christmas gifts. In the first year of the village, more than $1000 from the well was used to buy gifts for marginalized children.

Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...

wrote in his autobiography ''The Hardcore Diaries'' that he has a Christmas fixation and that "every good thing in my life somehow leads me back to Jefferson, New Hampshire, and the trip to Santa's Village my parents took me on when I was only three years old". In his list of top ten amusement parks, Foley placed Santa's Village first, writing that " at it lacks in rides, it makes up for in personal nostalgia, a beautiful location, and the magic of Christmas in the summer".

Attractions

Roller coasters

Rides

Santa’s Water Park

The waterpark is typically open seasonally from May to September, featuring various waterslides and pools.

Former Attractions

* Rudy's Rapid Transit; A steel

Zierer Zierer Karussell- und Spezialmaschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG (Short name: Zierer ) is a German company located close to Deggendorf. Zierer manufactures ESC and Force line of roller coasters, as well as panoramic wheels, wave swingers, flying car ...

Tivoli roller coaster with a reindeer-themed train, which prior to Santa's Village operated at New England Playworld in

Hudson, New Hampshire Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located along the Massachusetts state line. The population was 25,394 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-largest municipality (town or city) in the state, by populatio ...

. The ride was replaced by Midnight Flyer (1988 - 2023).

Animal attractions

Reindeers rendezvous at reindeers' barn where kids can feed reindeers "cookies" (carrots - available from Santa's helper). File:Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire reindeer.jpg, alt= File:Santas Village reindeer rendezvous Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt= File:Reindeer Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt= File:Reindeer Calf Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt= File:Reindeer Rendezvous Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt= File:Reindeer Barn Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt= File:Reindeer barn Santas Village Jefferson New Hampshire.jpg, alt=

Notes

References

External links

* *{{RCDB, 4659, Santa's Village Buildings and structures in Coös County, New Hampshire Amusement parks in New Hampshire Amusement parks based on Santa Claus Tourist attractions in Coös County, New Hampshire 1953 establishments in New Hampshire Jefferson, New Hampshire Amusement parks opened in 1953