Say “howdy” to the holidays in Houston this season in College Station for the annual Santa’s Wonderland, a massive, festive, and bright holiday tradition that features a Texas-sized spectacle of lights, gingerbread village, snow playground, live music, and boundless merriment for the whole family.
Ever fantasized the idea of spending the holidays in a winter wonderland but aren’t so hot on the winter aspect? Hitch a ride instead to Santa’s Wonderland in College Station. Here, you can enjoy all of the festivities of the North Pole in a climate that’s more to your fitting.
Opening on November 15, Santa’s Wonderland is a magical holiday event and extravaganza bustling with seasonal festivities whether you’re on the Naughty or Nice List. The massive event is organized in different areas, including: light trails, Santa’s Station, Farm, Town, Big Red Barn, and the West Pole.
Lights
At Santa’s Wonderland, visitors can enjoy a stocking’s worth of opportunities to experience the LED-lit magic of Christmas. Such includes their Santa’s Hayride Tour, which whisks visitors through their breathtaking displays of over 4 million holiday lights while seated on freshly bundled hay.
Additionally, those on the Nice List, aka VIP, can hitch a ride on dappled and decorated pearl white, horse-drawn limo carriages through the trail of lights while enjoying courtesy holiday music, and hot cocoa.
Visitors can also hoof it through the Walkable Trail of Lights at Santa’s Farm – a tunnel lit with millions of lights that which offers the picture-perfect backdrop for your family’s Christmas Card, is so inclined.
Santa’s Station
Need to get in a good word with the big man, himself? In addition to being able to pen a letter to Santa at their Post Master in Santa’s Station, Santa, fitted in big black cowboy boots and hat, will be available to give you the chance to make a case for yourself on the Nice List.
Tinsel the Elf will also be on hand to give you a heads up status on what list you land on this year, while also providing an official North Pole certificate.
Visitors here will also have the chance to meet Mrs. Claus, who will at select times host special readings of her favorite Christmas stories.
While in Santa’s Station, you can also take a stroll through Gingerbread Lane, a Texas-sized gingerbread village that took 1,500 hours of work and a full year to develop. Made entirely with edible gingerbread, candy, and icing, Gingerbread Lane features over 2 tons of icing, 400 pounds of candy, and 500 pounds of gingerbread dough.
Santa’s Farm
At Santa’s Farm, visitors have the chance to lace up their ice skates on their outdoor skating rink and pirouette under the Texas stars. Other notable attractions here include the West Pole Express Train Depot, Frostbite’s Snow Playground, Christmas Light Maze, and Santa’s Lone Star Lane.
Santa’s Town
Food and drinks will be available in Santa’s Town, where visitors can feed their holiday appetite on a fabulous variety of sweet and savory local eats. Texas BBQ, homemade pizza, half-pound burgers, funnel cakes, pies, Dutch Over peach cobbler, and their “World Famous” cocoa, and more will all be available on their festive menu.
Holiday spirits can be found at St. Nick’s Draw in Santa’s Big Red Barn, the Trading Post, and 3 other locations on the grounds, with craft beer and wine on tap.
At Santa’s Town, visitors can also enjoy live music performed every evening, face painting, a giant Texas flag filled with Christmas lights, and holiday shopping in their village made to resemble an old western ghost town fitted with jubilant lights and decor.
Santa’s Big Red Barn
Here inside Santa’s Big Red Barn, visitors can enjoy their favorite Christmas movies on a giant LED screen in a remarkably cozy and festive environment.
West Pole
For a little more holiday excitement, visitors are invited to mosey down to Frostbite Mountain in the West Pole, where they can glide down a snow-covered luge in snow tubes – just take it easy on the non-chloric, silicon-based kitchen lubricant, eh, Clark Griswold?
Other notable attractions in this area include their Texas Snow Globe Experience photo-op, Santa’s Livestock and Rodeo Barn, as well as campfires and roasting pits ready for fireside s’mores and hotdogs!
Santa’s Wonderland opens from November 15 until December 30. Tickets are now on sale starting with Pre-Season Online tickets at $56.95 for adults, $51.95 for children 12 and under. Special packages and VIP tickets options are also available. Open rain or shine.
Santa’s Wonderland is open from November 15 to December 30 at 18898 State Highway 6 South, College Station, TX 77845.
See also: 17 fantastic things to do at Christmas in Houston