Thinking beyond the mall this Christmas? Here are 5 fun places to visit Santa.
When a lot of us think about Santa visits, we think of the mall. And you can definitely visit him there. In fact, modern technology has made mall Santa visits more convenient than ever with the ability to make appointments and join virtual queues rather than stand in line.
The pandemic also brought opportunities for virtual visits with Santa, and, you can even track his progress on Christmas Eve on NORAD's website.
If you want your child's visit with Santa to be a bit more out of the box this year, here are five unique ways to meet Santa around Milwaukee this holiday season.
Santa in a chalet
Natty Oaks, a restaurant in West Allis, has gone all in on the trend of cold-weather outdoor dining in specially made structures — in this case, chalets. And for the Christmas season, they've upped the ante by inviting Santa to visit.
You can reserve a chalet for up to six guests on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and Saturdays and Sundays. Each reservation includes 70 minutes in a chalet, with a 15-minute visit from Santa, including a photo opportunity. You'll also get $50 worth of food, beverage credits, a candy treat from Freese's Candy Shoppe, hot cocoa and a candy charcuterie board.
Natty Oaks: 11505 W. National Ave., West Allis
Santa in a Christmas town
Cedarburg is one of those picturesque small towns which are delightful to visit this festive time of year. While you're wandering the main streets and shopping, you can also schedule a time to have the kids visit with Santa in a gingerbread house-looking Santa's Workshop. He'll be there Fridays and Saturdays during the Christmas season as well as Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Santa's Workshop is on Washington Ave. near Cedarburg's City Hall.
A playdate with Santa
Little Sprouts Play Cafe, with locations in Mequon and Shorewood, is a fun destination for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and their grownups any time of year, and they have plenty of options for Santa visits.
In addition to breakfasts with Santa, families can also reserve times for groups of people at the play cafe for private visits with Santa. And, with Santa Deliveries, the jolly old elf will make outdoor visits right to your house to accept wish lists and take photos.
Shorewood Little Sprouts: 4606 N. Wilson Dr.
Mequon Little Sprouts: 1406 W. Mequon Rd.
Father Christmas in a historic mansion
This Santa visit is a blast from the past, so he's known as Father Christmas. On Sunday afternoons through Dec. 18, Father Christmas will visit the historic Pabst Mansion, where families can visit him while admiring the many rooms' holiday decorations.
The Pabst Mansion: 2000 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee
Hot chocolate and a playground with Santa
The Big Backyard in New Berlin is the place to go for kids who love playgrounds when it's too cold to spend an hour or two outside. And on Friday evening open play sessions in December, Santa will be hanging out, ready for Christmas lists and photo ops. Oh, and also hot chocolate.
The Big Backyard: 2857 S. 160th St., New Berlin
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's where you can visit Santa around Milwaukee this Christmas
