Ninon sold Santa Claus in 1950 when she was 60 and moved back to Los Angeles, where she died in 1963. She found sympathetic purchasers in Doc and Erma Bromaghim, hardworking owners who continued the establishment's many traditions. They eventually sold the property in 1965.
A succession of eight new owners purchased Santa Claus each attracted by its romance without consideration given to the long hours needed to run and maintain the establishment. As a result, the all-important "vibe" of the place slowly evanesced, and what was once enchanting appeared increasingly frayed and tacky.
Santa Claus began its sad demise, as the Christmas Tree Inn was transformed from a beacon of fine dining to serving microwave sandwiches. To lend the appearance of vitality, junk cars driven by mannequins populated the parking lot to the backdrop of warbling holiday tapes played on low-fidelity loudspeakers. In 1991, the state erased Santa Claus from the official Arizona map, and the Christmas Tree Inn closed two years later.
For decades, Santa Claus's deteriorating buildings were a weird amalgamation of fading holiday cheer overlaid with recent gang graffiti. Despite nearby commercial development along U.S. Highway 93, the funky eatery was never resurrected, and the remaining buildings were razed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though a lumber operation used much of its open space as a staging area for a few years, most of the fantastical structures-The Good Witch's Bakery, The Chapel of the Little Shepherd, Santa's house managed to remain standing. Still, the living ruin tended to attract the usual suspects: vandals and thieves.
As the park stood there abandoned, nostalgia for it began to grow. One day, somebody's Christmas wish came true: in 2014, the logging operation sold the property-Santa and all-to an independent investor, who vowed to reopen Santa's Village. There was just one catch: its new identity would be "SkyPark at Santa's Village," featuring ziplining and mountain bike trails and other activities that you'd never see at the North Pole.
This could be a dream come true for many but how much of the original merriment would be preserved at Santa's Village? Two years later, it's still unclear. Santa's Village still hasn't reopened, and its new owner, Bill Johnson, is being mysteriously tight-lipped about it. In emails sent earlier this December, SkyPark at Santa's Village announced, "We tried folks, we really tried to get the Park open this year." After bumping the opening date from May 2015 to Summer 2015, now they are projecting Summer 2016.
The former bee hive. Some of the old attractions will not be able to be used when if? the park is restored.
So what is it about the original Santa's Village that people want back? A visit to the Facebook fan page for the original Santa's Village, created and run by local designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, gives a glimpse into the magic of the mid-century theme park. Because they both grew up going to Santa's Village, Kidney says they wanted to create a forum for people to share their memories and reminisce.
In addition to sharing memories, the admins for the Facebook page also get asked a number of oddball questions including about the theme park's famous "Pixie Dip" a packet of seasonings from the Mrs. Claus' Kitchen that you could stir into sour cream to make a dip (and various other recipes). "People are crazy about it," Kidney says, "and constantly ask us if it's still available somewhere." (It's not yet.)
"The original park had such great design and a wonderful color palette," said Kidney, who's one half of the design team better-known as Kevin and Jody. They both worked as art directors for Disney, and they were designers for Disneyland for many years. “We've found so much inspiration from those miniature buildings, bridges, turrets, and candy canes. It had so much whimsy and charm" he said, noting the collection of Santa's Village memorabilia he's amassed over the years, including View-Master 3D reels, a record album, a jigsaw puzzle, and a lot of postcards. "For years, we thought these things would be the only thing left of Santa's Village that we could 'return' to."
Despite all the suspicion and intrigue surrounding the new SkyPark at Santa's Village, Kidney says he's very excited about the possibilities, noting: "I don't think any of us ever expected that even a portion of the park could be reopened."
To those contemplating a trip to the site to check on its progress, SkyPark has advised via email that the place is "in "No Peeking" mode and will remain so until opening day." And they’re not just saying that pop culture historian Charles Phoenix, who has contributed to much of the online storytelling of the park's days of yore, was denied access when he tried to visit unannounced on December 18.
Though information on the park's reincarnation is scant, we do know that all of the original Santa's Village stores and buildings remain on the property, as do some of the rides. New safety laws, however, will not permit the use of some of the old attractions in their original ways (like the bumblebee monorail). The rest of the rides were sold off years ago. Santa's house has been restored, and Santa is promised to be at the park year round. There will also be new characters introduced to the wonderland.
The former bumblebee monorail. The park is slated to reopen in the Summer of 2016, as "Skypark at Santa's Village".
The longer that SkyPark at Santa's Village keeps the details of its rejuvenation enshrouded in secrecy, the more that nostalgists are inclined to speculate. "People can only be excited about some new paint and a few piles of old rubble removed for so long before they start doubting, you know?" says Rick West, founder of the website ThemeParkAdventure.com, who has been following the Santa's Village story closely. And he makes a bold prediction: "You're in for a huge let down," he says, "If it does eventually re-open, it's not going to be the theme park we all want back.I don’t see any Christmas miracles saving Santa's Village at this point."
Even though a lumber operation used much of its open space as a staging area for a few years, most of the fantastical structures-The Good Witch's Bakery, The Chapel of the Little Shepherd, Santa's house managed to remain standing. Still, the living ruin tended to attract the usual suspects: vandals and thieves.
As the park stood there abandoned, nostalgia for it began to grow. One day, somebody's Christmas wish came true: in 2014, the logging operation sold the property Santa and all to an independent investor, who vowed to reopen Santa's Village. There was just one catch: its new identity would be "SkyPark at Santa's Village," featuring ziplining and mountain bike trails and other activities that you’d never see at the North Pole.
This could be a dream come true for many but how much of the original merriment would be preserved at Santa's Village? Two years later, it's still unclear. Santa's Village still hasn't reopened, and its new owner, Bill Johnson, is being mysteriously tight lipped about it. In emails sent earlier this December, SkyPark at Santa's Village announced, "We tried folks, we really tried to get the Park open this year." After bumping the opening date from May 2015 to Summer 2015, now they are projecting Summer 2016.
The former bee hive. Some of the old attractions will not be able to be used when if? the park is restored.
So what is it about the original Santa's Village that people want back? A visit to the Facebook fan page for the original Santa's Village, created and run by local designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, gives a glimpse into the magic of the mid-century theme park. Because they both grew up going to Santa's Village, Kidney says they wanted to create a forum for people to share their memories and reminisce.
In addition to sharing memories, the admins for the Facebook page also get asked a number of oddball questions—including about the theme park's famous "Pixie Dip" a packet of seasonings from the Mrs. Claus' Kitchen that you could stir into sour cream to make a dip (and various other recipes). "People are crazy about it," Kidney says, "and constantly ask us if it's still available somewhere." (It's not yet) "The original park had such great design and a wonderful color palette," said Kidney, who's one half of the design team better-known as Kevin and Jody. They both worked as art directors for Disney, and they were designers for Disneyland for many years. "We've found so much inspiration from those miniature buildings, bridges, turrets, and candy canes. It had so much whimsy and charm." he said, noting the collection of Santa's Village memorabilia he's amassed over the years, including View Master 3D reels, a record album, a jigsaw puzzle, and a lot of postcards. "For years, we thought these things would be the only thing left of Santa's Village that we could 'return' to."
Despite all the suspicion and intrigue surrounding the new SkyPark at Santa's Village, Kidney says he's very excited about the possibilities, noting: "I don't think any of us ever expected that even a portion of the park could be reopened."
To those contemplating a trip to the site to check on its progress, SkyPark has advised via email that the place is "in 'No Peeking' mode and will remain so until opening day." And they’re not just saying that pop culture historian Charles Phoenix, who has contributed to much of the online storytelling of the park's days of yore, was denied access when he tried to visit unannounced on December 18.
Though information on the park's reincarnation is scant, we do know that all of the original Santa's Village stores and buildings remain on the property, as do some of the rides. New safety laws, however, will not permit the use of some of the old attractions in their original ways (like the bumblebee monorail). The rest of the rides were sold off years ago. Santa's house has been restored, and Santa is promised to be at the park year round. There will also be new characters introduced to the wonderland.
The former bumblebee monorail. The park is slated to reopen in the Summer of 2016, as "Skypark at Santa's Village".
The longer that SkyPark at Santa's Village keeps the details of its rejuvenation enshrouded in secrecy, the more that nostalgists are inclined to speculate. "People can only be excited about some new paint and a few piles of old rubble removed for so long before they start doubting, you know?" says Rick West, founder of the website ThemeParkAdventure.com, who has been following the Santa's Village story closely. And he makes a bold prediction: "You're in for a huge let-down," he says, "If it does eventually re-open, it's not going to be the theme park we all want back. I don't see any Christmas miracles saving Santa's Village at this point."
Built in 1937, the small, Christmas-themed collection of gift shops and child amusements went out of business in 1995. In the early 1990s you could still feast on Dasher and Dancer omelettes, Santa Claus burgers, and purchase oil portraits of John Wayne.
The steep-roofed main building sported a sign: "This is it! Santa's Land Office," but the "Office" appears to have been added later, as if someone tried to make a go of another venture. There was also a realtor's sign, hope against hope an investor will find a new use for this classic roadside property.