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All the United States California Near Lake Arrowhead SkyPark at Santa's Village
AO Edited

SkyPark at Santa's Village

Costumed elves and mountain bikers co-exist peacefully at this abandoned Christmas-themed adventure park.

Near Lake Arrowhead, California

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Karen
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Santa and Mrs. Claus outside the beautifully refurbished, Santa’s House at SkyPark at Santa’s Village.   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Inside Santa’s House, Santa looks over the “Good List.”   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Santa and Mrs. Claus with their dog, Arrow of the Northwoods, outside the Gingerbread House Bakery.   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Santa’s Village makes believers of us all!   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Santa enjoying zip lining at his favorite summer vacation spot at SkyPark!   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Northwoods characters at SkyPark at Santa’s Village add entertainment and fun to the experience!   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
  lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
  lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
Way at the back of the Village, but worth the walk. The Gingerbread Bakery has the best ginger doodles!   lovelakearrowhead / Atlas Obscura User
the new zip line thru the trees   jondi letnap / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The original Santa’s Village opened in 1955, six weeks before Disneyland, near the mountain resort of Lake Arrowhead. For years, it thrived as a year-round destination for families, with horse-drawn coach rides, a monorail, free-roaming reindeer, and tours of Santa’s house and workshop.

Bankruptcy, a destructive 2003 wildfire, and its misguided use as a logging site all eventually contributed to its demise, and the property sat abandoned for years. 

New owners took over in 2016 and added mountain biking trails to the 230-acre property. As locals themselves, they opted to keep the Christmas village layout when they realized how it triggered treasured childhood memories for many southern Californians.

Now it is known as Sky Park at Santa’s Village -- a one-of-a-kind business model that combines kids’ activities like pedal cars and mini-train rides with an outdoor adventure theme that includes ax-throwing, fly fishing, and ziplining.  Giant candy-cane street lamps and gingerbread houses line the main thoroughfare, and it’s not unusual to see cyclists changing a tire on astroturf beneath a giant Christmas tree as stroller-pushing parents stream by on their way to the Magic Tree bouldering room or the Silver Bells skating rink. Old amusement park rides from the park’s earlier days are scattered on either side of the bike trails, and there is a figure-eight hiking trail that runs through the park. Joyful shouts from exhilarated bikers can be heard 

The food options reflect the park’s wide-ranging customer base, ranging from burgers, pit BBQ plates and craft brews to hot chocolate, ginger doodles and ice cream.

Related Tags

Abandoned Abandoned Amusement Parks Santa Claus Abandoned Santa Parks Ghost Towns Disaster Areas Ruins

Community Contributors

Added By

kcmick

Edited By

jenlukehart, Joanna, Dirk Rock, Qbeing...

  • jenlukehart
  • Joanna
  • Dirk Rock
  • Qbeing
  • jondi letnap
  • lovelakearrowhead
  • nadiahmad
  • carterofmemphis
  • Laura Randall
  • Collector of Experiences

Published

December 24, 2015

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa's_Village_(Lake_Arrowhead)
  • http://www.santasvillage.net/santas.village.history.html
  • http://www.skyparksantasvillage.com/#!about/cjg9
  • http://skyparksantasvillage.com/
  • https://skyparksantasvillage.com/about-us/
  • https://www.sbsun.com/2015/02/13/the-life-death-and-rebirth-of-santas-village-in-lake-arrowhead/
SkyPark at Santa's Village
Santa's Village
Skyforest
Near Lake Arrowhead, California, 92385
United States
34.232653, -117.169401
Visit Website
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