Visit Santa’s Grotto Experience
in Milton Keynes!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to visit us at Woburn Sands Emporium! Bring the kids and share in the Christmas magic with a trip to visit Santa in his beautiful grotto, right here in Milton Keynes! It’s a wonderful experience for kids of all ages.
Your go-to in Milton Keynes for family events and fun throughout the year!
Making magical memories
Christmas is the most magical time of year! Especially when you get to experience your children’s joy and excitement and relive your own festive childhood memories. An annual trip to meet Santa is something that all small children – and a lot of us adults! – look forward to most during the festive season.
Share happy memories with your children with a visit to Santa’s grotto. It’s a truly magical and festive experience, that we can’t wait to share with you. Our Christmas grotto welcomes visitors every weekend in December and daily during the week leading up to Christmas.
An Unforgettable Grotto Experience
Welcome to Santa's grotto! One of Santa's elves will warmly greet you as you arrive, before taking you to meet Santa Claus!
Your trip through the Christmas grotto will take you past Santa’s workshop and mailroom, where he reads your letters and wraps the presents. Next, you’ll visit the Reindeer Food Bar to prepare and bag up some reindeer treats to take home, ready to leave out for Santa's little helpers on Christmas Eve. Finally, you’ll get to the grotto where your child will meet the man himself for a friendly chat and receive a gift.
Photos with Santa and photo gifts will be available to purchase on the way out.
Weekends up to Christmas from Sat 30th November, plus Wed 18th, Thurs 19th, Fri 20th Dec, and then Mon 23rd, Tues 24th December.
10am - 4.20pm with sessions starting every 5 minutes.
Child £16
Adult £5
Baby under 12 months £7
SEN sessions
9am - 9.50am with sessions starting every 10 minutes.
SEN child £16
SEN adult £16
Adult £5
Santa Paws
Wed 18th Dec am
Thurs 19th Dec pm
Dog ticket £7
Child £8
Adult £2
Multiple Dates30 Nov 2024, 09:00 – 16:20Woburn Sands, Newport Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8UF, UK
Multiple Dates30 Nov 2024, 09:00 – 10:00Woburn Sands, Newport Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8UF, UK30 Nov 2024, 09:00 – 10:00Woburn Sands, Newport Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8UF, UKMake some magical memories this Christmas walking through the interactive grotto experience before meeting the big man himself! Adapted SEN sessions with longer times in-between sessions to allow the journey to the grotto to be enjoyed in good time taking into account any wheelchair users etc.
Multiple Dates18 Dec 2024, 10:00 – 12:00Woburn Sands, Newport Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8UF, UK
Dogs Can Meet Santa Too!
Your dog is part of the family, and children love to share special experiences and joy with their furry best friend. To make that possible, Santa has said that he’d love to meet your dogs as well! There will be a doggy day at the grotto, where your pet can meet Santa Paws and receive a dog toy. Photo gifts will also be available to capture the memory of meeting Santa!
Children will have fun preparing magic reindeer food
Nikki Starkey
What a fantastic experience. One of the best Santas we've been to. Spent about 40 minutes in total so well worth the money. The elves were so welcoming and friendly and so many beautiful photo opportunities.
Gemma Simpkins
Amazing SEN experience seeing Santa with my little boy. Staff all very helpful and friendly. Santa was fantastic and really took his time with my son. We had a great experience and will definitely recommend and book again for next year.
Leanne
Jones-Weller
Visited the Santa's Grotto at the Emporium and was very pleased with the experience. The staff in the grotto were very friendly and the big man himself was brilliant, a proper looking Santa in my terms. He had no fake plastic beard and really looked the part.
The Origin of Santa's Grotto
Santa’s Grotto, as we know it today, is a tradition that evolved from several 19th-century holiday customs and marketing tactics in Western Europe and the United States.
The concept of Santa Claus (or Saint Nicholas) has its roots in European folklore. Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop known for his generosity, inspired legends of a benevolent figure who delivered gifts to children. In various countries, similar figures—like Father Christmas in England or Sinterklaas in the Netherlands—visited homes to leave presents, often in secret.
The first recorded “Santa’s Grotto” setup was by Lewis’s Department Store in Liverpool, England, in 1879. The store decorated a small area as a magical winter wonderland for Santa to greet children, creating an immersive experience that transported them to Santa’s cozy world. This was highly popular and soon became a marketing staple during the holiday season, especially in department stores and garden centres.
The term “grotto” itself brings to mind a hidden, enchanted place. This helped cultivate an aura of mystery and excitement for children, who imagined Santa’s grotto as a magical place at the North Pole where he and his elves were busy preparing for Christmas.
The “Santa’s Grotto” tradition has persisted as a memorable Christmas event for families, symbolizing a magical space where children can connect directly with Santa Claus.
Make your own history
