Explore the true magic of Christmas with us this 2024. Bigger, better and with more magic than ever, delight your little ones at this immersive experience.
30th November – 22nd December
Kindly sponsored by: Stooke, Hill & Walshe and The Gateway Nursery
Santa’s Grotto & Village of the Elves
You are cheerily invited by the enchanted woodland elves to visit them and Santa Claus.
Bringing together the wonderments of Elvish culture and the enchantment of Santa Claus, this magical experience will delight little ones and big ones alike.
Ticket Types
Tickets are limited to ensure each family gets the chance to fully enjoy the experience.
Time slots are based on entry into the gardens, not to see Father Christmas, which will be between 40 and 50 minutes after your slot is booked. (4.30pm entry to garden would mean seeing Father Christmas at about 5.15pm and returning back to the start at 5.30pm).
The fully immersive theatrical experience for the whole family which lasts up to an hour and takes you on a wondrous adventure through the beautifully decorated gardens, meeting singing reindeer and real elves before boarding a train to the enchanted wood and Father Christmas.
Each booking allows entry for up to 2 adults or children aged 13 and over. You can also add up to 4 additional adults for an extra cost.
Children aged 1-12 will require a ticket to attend, and children aged 0-12 months can be added for an additional fee. Please note that this add-on is based on our baby night experience, which differs from the full experience. For more details on what the baby night includes, please refer to the specific tickets available.
Early-season Pass
Sat 30th Nov – Wed 4th Dec
Ticket includes:
- Passport posted to your Little Ones
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Reindeer food making activity
- Gingerbread decorating activity
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Train ride
- Visit Santa and receive a gift
£22.50 per child
(Maximum 5 per booking)
Mid-season Pass
Thu 5th Dec – Wed 18th Dec*
Ticket includes:
- Passport posted to your Little Ones
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Reindeer food making activity
- Gingerbread decorating activity
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Train ride
- Visit Santa and receive a gift
£25 per child
(Maximum 5 per booking)
*Excluding Sat 14th Dec
Peak-season Pass
Sat 14th Dec &
Thu 19th Dec – Sun 22nd Dec
Ticket includes:
- Passport posted to your Little Ones
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Reindeer food making activity
- Gingerbread decorating activity
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Train ride
- Visit Santa and receive a gift
£30 per child
(Maximum 5 per booking)
*Select nights only
Each booking allows entry for up to 2 adults or children aged 13 and over. You can also add up to 4 additional adults for an extra cost.
Children aged 1-12 will require a ticket to attend, and children aged 0-12 months can be added for an additional fee.
Please note that this add-on is based on our baby night experience, which differs from the full experience.
For more details on what the baby night includes, please refer to the specific tickets available.
Cookie Class Add-on (£10per child)
Arrive 30 minutes before your booking slot and bake some cookies with Mrs Claus.
Will you go for vanilla or nutmeg, choose milk choc and white choc chips, or do you prefer raisins?
Mrs Claus and her helpful elves will be delighted to chat to you and have a photo with your little one.
Once finished the cookie batter will be whisked away and baked ready for when you return from the grotto experience.
The Mrs Claus Cookie Class add-on is available on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd December.
Welcome to Santa’s Grotto & Village of the Elves
The Post arrives
Delivered directly to you from the Village of the Elves is your little one’s passport, an important document to allow them passage to this magical realm and to see Santa. This is the first glimpse into the immersive experience and can be given to them by you at a time you feel best. Now the countdown begins, the whole family, big ones too, will hardly be able to contain their excitement for the fun to come.
The Experience Begins
After having their passport stamped it’s time to start the journey. Using a vast cast and splendid set design, the hour-long experience will transport you through some wonderful adventures. Through the lightshow and on to Marshallows hut, where little ones will get their very own chocolate dipped, sprinkle covered marshmallow. Visit the Gonk Garden and explore with plenty of photo opportunities.
All aboard
After passing through the light tunnel, your family will go through station security, to ensure that only those on the nice list board the train. Once all checked through, the family will embark on our very special train for a journey around the top of the gardens, passing Snowy the snowman and disembark at Grotto Junction, the entrance to the Village of the Elves.
Village of the Elves
Meet the Elvish reindeer keepers at the entrance to the Village of the Elves, where littles ones will get to make their very own reindeer food, as well as meeting Blitzen, who loves to sing! After waving goodbye to Blitzen and the elves, you’ll meander through the wintery forest and on to the main village square where the journey continues.
Those magical extras
The main square is the hub of the Village of the Elves, here Gumdrop and Sugarplum will decorate gingerbread with you, Cogs and Tinker will show you the sleigh and the rest of the elves will show you their wares – little ones and big ones alike will be able to spend their Elvish Knots (Elf currency) on games and treats.
Visit Santa
Having refuelled at Cocoa’s café, the elves will take you through to see Father Christmas, where little ones will be surprised by his knowledge of their year, their friends or pets and whether they have a chimney or not. Having bid Father Christmas goodbye, his trusty elves will take little ones to the toy store where shelves of gifts are ready to be selected.
Departure Lounge
Before or after your visit to Father Christmas, join us in the Departure Lounge where little ones
can watch Christmas tales or play with interactive games while big ones relax.
Serving food between 4.30pm and 6.30pm each night, including hot dogs, sausage
baguettes and freshly prepared pizza (which are also pre-bookable).
A selection of festive treats and drinks are available between 4.15pm and 7.30pm each night.
Thank you to our Santa’s Grotto & Village of the Elves Sponsors:
Stooke, Hill & Walshe
Offering you a complete estate agency service from the moment your home goes onto the market until the day you move
The Gateway Nursery
Gateway is a fully inclusive nursery that welcomes everyone and can provide care and learning for all children within the local community and beyond.
Lighting Partners: Festive Lights
“As specialists in feel good lighting, we pride ourselves on being the best at what we do; offering quality, decorative lights across the globe”
Additional experiences
Baby night for single child families with a child under 12 months old: £12.00
What’s included with your ticket:
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Train ride
- Christmas Characters to interact with
- Visit Father Christmas and receive a gift
Dates of Baby Night:
2nd December only.
For those without children or children aged 13 and over: £10
Tickets include:
- Mulled wine (non-alcoholic alternative available) and mince pie on arrival
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Christmas Characters to guide you through the experience
- Train ride
Dates of Adult Night:
- 3rd December
- 9th December
£25 for 1 child and up to 2 adults. £50 for 2 children and up to 3 adults. £75 for 3 children and up to 4 adults.
Ticket includes:
- Passport posted to your Little Ones
- Chocolate dipped marshmallow with sprinkles
- Reindeer food making activity
- Gingerbread decorating activity
- Photograph opportunities plus event photography*
- Train ride
- Visit Santa and receive a gift
Our SEN nights run in the same way as our full experience but with some differences to help support children with additional needs. These differences include:
- Reduced guest numbers – less likely that there will be any queueing
- Reduced noise
- Reduced ‘flashy’ effects in the garden (lights set to solid or soft fades)
- Characters with knowledge how they might need to support children
Dates of SEN Night:
- 10th December
- 16th December
Booking info
Our booking protection allows you to change your booking or cancel with up to 72 hours notice, meaning additional school activities or unknown nativity plays won’t put you out. The £5 fee covers any eventuality and entitles you to a full refund.
Elvish Knots are the currency of the Elves. While you can still use card in the Village of the Elves, GBP is not legal tender.
Each Knot is worth £1 and everything in the Village is priced in knots.
We suggest buying between 3 and 5 knots per child although even a single knot will give them a chance to pay for a go on the Bauble in a Bucket village game.
The Village is home to:
- Cocoa’s Cafe (priced at 3knots)
- Bauble in a Bucket (priced at 1knot)
- Tinker’s Gifts (priced between 2 and 4knots)
- Fudge’s Fudge (priced at 3knots)
And don’t forget – you can also keep an Elvish Knot as a souvenir.
To help spread the cost you are able to pay a deposit when booking with the rest of the balance due on or before 6th November*
*Please note any balances left unpaid at this point will be automatically cancelled with a full loss of deposit.
Dates
Dates of the full experience:
- 30th November (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 1st December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 4th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 5th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 6th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 7th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 8th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 11th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 12th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 13th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 14th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 15th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 18th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 19th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 20th December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 21st December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
- 22nd December (Slots from 4pm – 8pm)
Everything you need to know
Bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable.
However, you can protect your booking for those unexpected situations by purchasing our Booking Protection.
Booking protection:
Our booking protection allows you to change your booking or cancel with up to 72 hours notice, meaning additional school activities or unknown nativity plays won’t put you out. The £5 fee covers any eventuality and entitles you to a full refund.
Deposit option:
To help spread the cost you are able to pay a deposit when booking with the rest of the balance due on or before 6th November*
*Please note any balances left unpaid at this point will be automatically cancelled with a full loss of deposit.
We will have a range of food and refreshments available to purchase at the experience such as:
- Hot drinks including speciality hot chocolates
- Cold drinks
- Mulled wine (non-alcoholic available)
- Cakes
- Marshmallow skewers
- Sausage baguettes
- Hot dogs
- Soups*
- Festive paninis*
- Fresh Pizza
*Select nights only
Yes – We have toilets within the building at the Hospice. These will be clearly signposted and we also have disabled facilities.
Unfortunately, we don’t have baby changing facilities.
There is free on-site parking for you at the Hospice. Please followed the clearly marked fluorescent signs to direct you to the visitor parking. There are also disabled bays available.
All of our pathways from the car park to the building are buggy and wheelchair-friendly.
The fully immersive theatrical experience for the whole family which lasts up to an hour and takes you on a wondrous adventure through the beautifully decorated gardens, meeting singing reindeer and real elves before boarding a train to the enchanted wood and Father Christmas.
Time slots are based on entry into the gardens, not to see Father Christmas, which will be between 40 and 50 minutes after your slot is booked. (4.30pm entry to garden would mean seeing Father Christmas at about 5.15pm and returning back to the start at 5.30pm).
The train ride on the St Michael’s Express is free! This is a open-air land-train with a carriage to carry one family at a time. It’s a really fun and magical way to finish your expereince.
The train ride is included in every ticket-type.
Once your little ones have met Father Christmas, they will be taken by the Elves to the Workshop where they get to select their own gift to take home! These are unwrapped, so that children can pick something they really want. The gifts are a range of toys, games, puzzles and books for a variety of ages.
You’re more than welcome to take your own photos during the experience. However, please be careful to only photograph your own family. Should you wish to add these onto social media, we would suggest that you crop-out of distort any images of people not in your party.
Don’t get scammed!
Scammers ruin the fun for everyone. Often scammers will use fake profiles on social media to try and appear to have tickets to re-sell. These are fake, and they will takes your money and then block you and delete the account.
We will not accept re-sold tickets, even if genuine.
We will only ever accept tickets bought online directly from our website.
Stay safe by only buying tickets directly from us.
Photography Notice
We love to capture images at our events!
There will be photography and video at the Father Christmas & Light Show Experience.
These images will be used for promotional purposes, in future publications and presentations, and on our digital and social media channels, typically within a
five-year period from the event date that you attend.
If you do not wish to appear in any photographs, please inform a member of the
St Michael’s Hospice staff, and they will ensure you are not included in any images. They will aways be wearing identification, and also High Vis Vests stating
Press & Media Team.
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