WHAT IS THE SANTA EXPERIENCE?
Step into the magic of Christmas like never before!
This isn’t just a visit with Santa—it’s a full-blown holiday adventure! Your ticket includes a dreamy horse-drawn carriage ride, a personal visit with Santa himself, and a trip to the North Pole, where the fun truly begins!
Glide across the sock-skating rink, bounce to your heart’s content, play festive games, snack on holiday treats, get creative at the craft tables, and strike a pose in our selfie station—because memories this magical deserve to be captured!
Your journey starts with a cozy carriage ride through our enchanting grounds, leading straight to Santa’s house for a one-on-one, 15-minute visit with the big guy. Our photographer will be there to capture every giggle, wide-eyed wonder, and even those adorable shy (or teary) moments. Your photo gallery will be ready in just two weeks for purchase, so you can relive the magic all season long.
The Santa Experience is unlike anything you’ve ever seen—and once you visit, it’ll become your new favorite holiday tradition!
Photo Only Sessions
This is a 15-minute visit with Santa only. Specially designed for infants or anyone that would like to avoid the carriage ride. Photos will be taken and are an additional purchase.
5 child/person limit. Prints and Files are an additional purchase.
The FULL Santa Experience
Your group will board the horse drawn carriage for a ride around the grounds arriving at Santa’s house. There, you’ll have a 15-minute visit with Santa, with photos capturing all the emotions, smiles (and some tears) of your child. Photos will be available for purchase in an online gallery in 2 weeks.
Prints and Files are an additional purchase
Then it’s off to Santa’s North Pole Tent!! Parents can enjoy snacks, coffee and hot cocoa while the kids skate on the sock skating rink, jump in the bounce house, and take selfies in the igloo photo booth.
We want all of our parents and guardians to really be in the moment with your kids while they visit with Santa. We ask that you please do not take photos or video with your phone.
HOW MUCH?
PHOTO ONLY SESSIONS are $200 for up to 5 kids. This is a 15 minute visit with Santa and Photo session ONLY. Prints and Files are an additional purchase.
FULL SANTA EXPERIENCE Admission is $300 for a group of up to 4. Babies under 1 do not have to count towards your total. Additional people, of any age, are $50 per person.
We can accommodate a few more people on the carriage ride if you have more than 8 people. This would be a custom quote and we would need you to contact us for this.
This admission gets you on the carriage ride, the visit with Santa, all of the fun activities at the North Pole Tent, snacks & treats.
As always, photo prints and files from the visit with Santa are an ADDITIONAL PURCHASE. Digital file and print prices available upon request.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Tickets go on sale October 1st. A ticket sale link will be sent to those on our email list and in our facebook group or sign up for the email list HERE.
KEEP SCROLLING FOR FAQ’S
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What should I wear??
Whatever you want. We have guests come dressed in their Sunday best but we have also had people come dressed in matching Christmas PJ’s. So please choose outfits that represent your own style. Make sure to bring coats and hats and scarves for the carriage ride. November weather is very unpredictable and it can still be very cold. Our carriage is covered….so the show still goes on even if it’s raining.
What are the details?
The carriage ride is about 15 minutes, the Santa visit is 15 minutes, and there is unlimited time for playing at the North Pole Tent.
Can we take our own pictures with our phone?
We want all of our parents and guardians to really be in the moment with your kids while they visit with Santa. You don’t want to miss a second of it. We ask that you please try to refrain from taking photos or video with your phone.
Can we split our session with another family?
We highly suggest NOT doing this. If you have a toddler especially. Toddlers need time to warm up to Santa most of the time. This would be time that would be taken away from another child. Our goal is to get away from the “mall experience” and allow every child to spend as much time with Santa as possible. Sharing your 15 minutes with another family isn’t fun for any of the kids.
What happens with bad weather?
Our carriage is covered, the North Pole tent is heated and Santa is in the cozy house….so the show still goes on even if it’s cold & raining.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Due to the limited nature of our appointments, we do not give refunds for sessions that are cancelled. You are welcome to “sell” your session to someone else but please keep in mind we highly discourage splitting sessions between families. So it is recommended that you sell your tickets to one family that can take them all and not try to split them up.
How do I get there?
The venue is St. Stephens on the Hill. 895 Grayson Road Eldorado Illinois
Follow GPS to Hwy 142 and then turn right onto Grayson Road. Go .9 miles down Grayson Road. Turn left where you see the cream metal buildings with green roofs and yellow St Stephens on The Hill sign. Follow the gravel road up the hill. Once you are here you will park at the top of the hill at the veranda. This is where you will sign in for your session.
How are my images delivered?
Images will be delivered roughly 2 weeks after the session. They will be delivered to you in an online proofing gallery that will be emailed to you. Make sure to save our email in your account so that our emails don’t go to your junk mail and you miss important information. Prints and digital files are an additional purchase. These will be purchased from this gallery.