Why visit Santa Claus
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Santa Claus Museum and Village and Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in Santa Claus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a town in Spencer County, Indiana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 2,586 at the 2020 census. It is home to numerous Christmas-themed attractions, including Holiday World & Splashin' Safari and Santa's Candy Castle.
From the Wikipedia article Santa Claus, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks6
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
United States historic place in Spencer County, Indiana
Santa Claus Museum and Village
Museum · 1.0 mi
Tourist attraction in Santa Claus, Indiana
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
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Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Sports field and stadium · 0.9 mi
Amusement park
425 E. Christmas Blvd., Santa Claus
Restaurants and cafes9
George's Gluten-Free Pizza & Snacks
Restaurant · Pizza, American · 0.9 mi
The Perky Turkey
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Bubble Tea, Tea, Dessert · 1.0 mi
Santa Claus Brewing Co.
Bar and pub · 0.4 mi
41 North Holiday Boulevard, Santa Claus
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich
20 West Christmas Boulevard, Santa Claus
Mo-Fr 07:00-21:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 09:00-21:00
History
The community of Santa Claus was established in 1849. The story of how it received the name of Santa Claus has roots both in fact and legend. In January 1856, the town applied for a post office to be installed. They submitted their application under the name of Santa Fe. The application was returned to them with the message "Choose some name other than Santa Fe." The process of settling upon the name of Santa Claus has been lost to legend. There are many different versions of the story and there were other choices that the town rejected. What is known is that in 1856, the name of Santa Claus was accepted by the Post Office Department.
From the History section of Santa Claus, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship4
Deutsch Evangelische St. Paul's Kirche
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Santa Claus
37 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 26°F | 3.5 in | 3.0 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 29°F | 3.5 in | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 36°F | 4.8 in | 1.3 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 46°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 58°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 47°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 37°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 30°F | 4.0 in | 1.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Saint Meinrad (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Spencer County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-05-04: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-06-23: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And (Severe Storm)
- 2009-03-05: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Huntingburg Airport (HNB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Dale 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Ferdinand 8 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Huntingburg 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Rockport 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Cannelton 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Jasper 19 mi north, about 31 min by car
- Boonville 20 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Chandler 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Owensboro 27 mi southwest, about 43 min by car
- Evansville 34 mi west, about 55 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Santa Claus Indiana, Sarah Afshar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santa Claus, Indiana (7724450368), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Santa Claus, Indiana (7724454246), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Santa Claus, Indiana (7724455428), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Santa Claus, Indiana (7724451996), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- A beautiful morning on Lake Rudolph - Santa Claus, IN - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (128), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (126), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (129), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (71), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (125), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (127), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (73), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (70), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (123), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (72), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (124), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (69), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (122), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (131), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (183), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (74), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (182), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (132), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (77), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (76), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (133), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Claus, IN, USA - panoramio (121), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Deutsch Evangelische St. Paul's Kirche at Santa Claus, Nyttend, Public domain
- Log Cabin at the Lincoln Living Historical Farm, Rene Sturgell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zinga, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Public domain
- Santa Climbing (41666434762), Drew Tarvin from New York, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Lake Rudolph Tall Grass - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Rudolph Marsh ^ Tall Grass - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Rudolph Marsh - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Rudolph Tall Grass 2 - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Lakeside Woodlands Camper Section. - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- View of Lake Rudolph - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- The Raven Roller coaster across Lake Rudolph - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
- Camper Woodlands - Lake Rudolph RV Resort - panoramio, Mavision PC, CC BY 3.0
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