Santa's Village (Jefferson, New Hampshire)
A welcome sign at Santa's Village
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| Location | Jefferson, New Hampshire, USA |
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| Coordinates | 44°25′35″N 71°29′45″W / 44.42639°N 71.49583°WCoordinates: 44°25′35″N 71°29′45″W / 44.42639°N 71.49583°W |
| Opened | 1953 |
| Operating season | May through December |
| Rides | |
| Total | 23 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 4 including HoHo H2O Water Park |
| Website | Santa's Village |
Santa's Village is a Christmas-themed amusement park located in Jefferson, New Hampshire, United States.
Most of the 23 rides have Christmas or winter-themed names, such as "Rudy's Rapid Transit Coaster" 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 movie called "A Tinkerdoodle Christmas". Visitors can visit Santa's home, sit in his rocking chair, and have a picture taken with Santa.
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 to the park Santa Claus who was accompanied by real reindeer 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 "[b]y 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. Macaws performed in the park, roller-skating around the stage and balancing bikes on a tightrope.
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