Before Santa Claus Land and Holiday World, There Was SantaClaus Town

If you've been around long enough and you're from the tri-state area, there's no doubt in my mind that you have memories of Santa Claus Land. Opening 80 years ago, in 1946, it became Holiday World in 1984 with the addition of Halloween and Fourth of July sections. Splashin' Safari was added in 1993.

What you may not remember, and I expect that very few will, is an attraction that predated Santa Claus Land and was once its competitor.

SantaClaus Town

When a man named Milton Harris envisioned what a town called Santa Claus, Indiana, could become, he acted on his instincts, and, voila, SantaClaus Town was born. Its debut came by way of the dedication of Santa's Candy Castle, which is still a thriving enterprise. That happened in December of 1935. Later, the Candy Castle was joined by Santa's Workshop and the Toy Village.

When Harris began converting his dream into reality, he went full-throttle, not only acquiring the requisite amount of land but also securing sponsorships from national toy manufacturers and candy manufacturers.

SantaClaus Town Fades Into Obscurity

In 1946, as we all know, competition arrived in the form of Santa Claus Land, and stiff competition it was. Yet, despite diminishing returns, in terms of tourism, SantaClaus Town was in existence until, in a state of disrepair, it closed for good in 1970.

But Santa's Candy Castle remains a popular stop for visitors to Santa Claus, Indiana. It's not only a premier location to load up on candy from across the decades, but it also serves as a reminder of how the entire town's roots and how it came to be one of the nation's top tourism destinations.