INDIANAPOLIS — Yes, there is an actual city named Santa Claus and it’s in Indiana. But how did it get the name? Mostly, by mistake.
The town, originally known as Santa Fee, applied for a post office in the 1850’s but because there was a town with a similar name they were denied, according to the official Santa Claus, Indiana website.
Legend has it that the people of the town were meeting at a church to discuss the name on Christmas Eve when a gust of wind suddenly blew the doors open and the parishioners heard children shouting, “Santa Claus! Santa Claus!” It was then that the decision was made.
The name was accepted by the United States Post Office Department and Santa Claus, Indiana came to be on May 21, 1856.
Now with the slogan, “America’s Christmas Hometown,” it is one of the only places in the world where you really can enjoy Christmas all year.
The town is bustling with a Santa Claus Museum & Village that dives into the history of the city, Frosty’s Fun Center that is a retro themed arcade, and not the least of which is Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari that features roller coasters, water rides, and games galore all in a themed setting.
To learn more about the city and it’s background, please view here.
