The holidays are coming and what better way to get the family into the festive mood than with a visit to see Father Christmas? And you needn’t have to travel far… Before the big man dashes back to Lapland to decide who has been naughty or nice and then distribute this year’s Christmas presents, he will be paying a visit to a number of places across the North West, including Manchester, so the little ones can tell him exactly what’s on their wish list. From Santa’s grottos to festive train rides, we’ve rounded up the best places where you and the kids can meet Father Christmas in and around Manchester this winter.
1. The Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre has announced that their popular Christmas grotto will be making a return once again this winter. Described as “an immersive wonderland”, The Grotto: Dear Santa will take Manchester families on a magical adventure to meet Father Christmas.
Santa is expected to be a busy man as children are invited to head to an exclusive top-secret tour of The North Pole Headquarters, where holiday cheer comes to life. With the help of Santa’s Elves, families will embark on a whimsical adventure through Candy Cane Land, The Enchanted Forest, The Merry Makers Studio, Santa’s Study, and finally, the cosy cabin to meet the big man himself.
📍The Orient, The Trafford Centre, Trafford Park, Stretford, M17 8WW.
📅 The Grotto: Dear Santa will be open from November 16 until December 24.
🎟️ Tickets are priced at £25 + booking fees for children (which includes a gift) and £7.50 +booking fees for adults.
2. The Ice Cream Farm
Located just over an hour’s drive from Manchester, The Ice Cream Farm in Cheshire is definitely worth a trip out of the city in order to see the big man – plus there is plenty to see, do and eat. The Ice Cream Farm is hosting a Santa’s Grotto and Elves’ Workshop where kids can meet and greet Father Christmas in his festive lodge; choose a gift from the Elves’ Workshop; enjoy Christmas activities; make reindeer food to take home for Christmas Eve; and choose two scoops of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream in a collectable mug. Plus, there are SEN sessions and a dedicated SEN Santa’s Grotto available too on November 23 and 24.
Families can also experience bottomless breakfast with Santa, cookie making with Santa’s elves Trixie and Mixie as well as Storytime with Santa complete with a photo opportunity, a snack box and a gift for each child. And what’s a trip to The Ice Cream Farm without ice cream? Try specials like Vanilla Oreo, Marz, BlackBerry Panna cotta and Salted Toffee Popcorn, as well as returning festive favourites Mince Pie, Christmas Pudding and Chocolate Orange.
📍The Ice Cream Farm, Newton Lane, Tattenhall, Cheshire, CH3 9NE.
📅 Santa’s Grotto and Elves’ Workshop is available to book between November 30 and December 24.
🎟️ Tickets for the Grotto cost £28.50 for children and £2.50 for adults, with Cookie Making with Trixie and Mixie costing £12 as an add-on. You can book all experiences here.
3. Dobbie’s Garden Centre
Father Christmas is set to land his sleigh at Dobbies’ Altrincham store near Manchester for Meet Santa, a new experience for 2024 that will take place in November and December. Customers will get the chance to say hello to Santa, tell him any Christmas wishes, receive a gift and capture a photograph. Booking is encouraged but not essential.
Dobbie’s is also hosting a Santa’s Breakfast event where families with kids under 10 years old can enjoy a festive morning tucking into a delicious breakfast together. Children over 3 years old will build their very own festive soft toy to take home, getting to stuff, fluff and name their toy, with a birth certificate to mark the occasion. And Children under 3 years will receive a special soft toy from Santa and the elves will also encourage everyone to join in family-friendly activities.
📍Dobbie’s Garden Centre, Green Ln, Timperley, Altrincham, WA15 8QP.
📅 Meet Santa takes place from November 28 to December 24 across 21 stores and Santa’s Breakfast takes place from November 30 until December 24.
🎟️ Meet Santa experience costs £8.99 per child and Santa’s Breakfast costs £16.99 for children (3-10 years), £13.99 under 3s and from £8.60 for adults. You can book here.
4. East Lancashire Railway
Steam into Christmas on the East Lancashire Railway’s famously festive Santa Specials, where families can make enchanted memories to share with a trip through the magical Irwell Valley alongside colourful characters and surprises. And what Christmas treat would be complete without a visit from a host of happy elves and Santa Claus himself?
Once you’re settled into your seat, a traditional steam train will haul you to Rawtenstall and back on an approximately 80-minute round trip. Whilst travelling, Santa himself will visit your carriage with a gift for every little one, and there will be plenty of time to have a chat with him and take a Santa selfie or two.
📍East Lancashire Railway, Bury Bolton Street Station, Bury, BL9 0EY
📅 Santa Specials run between November 23 and December 24.
🎟️ Tickets start from £22.50 for children and £23 for adults. Book your tickets here.
5. Lancaster Park and Animal Farm
Alongside all the usual family entertainment at Lancaster Park such as the petting barn, caterpillar ride, pirate shootout, mini quad bikes, swings, slides, ziplines and more, the Oldham farm will also be hosting a Christmas extravaganza for the season. Kids can take a seat in the log cabin and write their letters to Santa or even meet the big man himself in person and receive a small gift.
Visitors can also join Mrs Claus for stories in her Cosy Cottage, take a seat in Santa’s life-sized sleigh and even meet the mean and green Mr Grinch. As well as journeying through the Grotto where you’ll find Santa’s elves, kids can also meet the farm’s furry friends and feed them.
📍Lancaster Park and Animal Farm, Middleton Road West, Chadderton, Oldham, OL1 2TG.
📅 Christmas on the Farm runs throughout the month of December.
🎟️ Adults cost £12 per person, children aged 1-15 with gift included costs £15 per person and babies under 12 months with gift included costs £6.50 per person. Buy tickets here.
6. Cockfields Farm Park
Cockfields Farm Park is going all out for the festive as visitors embark on a magical journey to meet Father Christmas at the Greater Manchester farm. Visitors begin their adventure by following the glow of the “Northern Lights”, leading them to meet Santa’s elves who will check if you’ve been naughty or nice, before encountering Santa in his cosy grotto.
After your encounter with Santa, kids will journey into the indoor Christmas winter woodland toy shop to claim their special present. Visitors can also venture into the teddy building workshop, meander through the Quality Street village and gather around a crackling fire to toast marshmallows and make s’mores. Cockfield Farm Park will also be serving up plenty of Christmas treats like mince pies and hot chocolate and there’s also a German bar offering mulled wine.
📍Cockfields Farm Park, Lees New Rd, Ashton Under Lyne, OL6 8AR.
📅 Christmas Experience runs from November 24 until December 24.
🎟️ Adult tickets for Cockfields Farm Park Christmas Experience start from £27.99, children start from £46.39 and children under 1 start from £15.99. Breakfast with Santa also available with tickets starting from £12.95. Book tickets here.
7. Reddish Vale Farm
Reddish Vale Farm, located south of Manchester, has created a North Pole experience for 2024 where kids can meet Father Christmas ahead of Christmas Day. Visitors can get a full-blown tour of the North Pole Christmas Headquarters without having to catch a flight, featuring an Elf Academy where you’ll test your toy-making skills by building a teddy bear. Explore the Elf village, stopping at Holly Jolly Gumdrop Sweet Shop to receive a special treat and meeting the Pole Office elves.
Kids will also have the chance to visit Mrs Claus to decorate gingerbread (with a festive treat for the grown-ups), Santa’s stables with his farmyard friends, Father Christmas’ toy shop and of course a personal visit from Santa himself. You’ll find lots of jolly photo opportunities for all the family including Father Christmas’s sleigh along the way too.
📍Reddish Vale Farm, Reddish Vale Road, Reddish, Stockport, SK5 7HE.
📅 Reddish Vale North Pole Experience runs from November 30 until December 24.
🎟️ Adult tickets start from £16.50, children from £45.50 and children under 1 from £10. Book your tickets here.
8. Freight Island
This season sees Freight Island undergo a festive transformation to become Winter Island – the North’s largest heated outdoor and indoor winter festival. Here, little guests can enjoy the Visit Santa Experience at the Grotto located at the Plant Room.
Manchester families can head on an interactive journey to meet Father Christmas and his elves, with the 30-minute experience including a gift from Lego and Lindt. Plus, if you fancy continuing the festivities, you can all explore the magical light trail at Mayfield Park, The Twilight Trail, as well as scran some food from the many vendors at Winter Island.
📍Freight Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester, M1 2PZ.
📅 The Visit Santa Experience runs between December 1 and December 23.
🎟️ Tickets cost £28 and can be booked here.
9. Selfridges
It’s showtime at Selfridges! The Manchester Trafford store will be welcoming Father Christmas and his trusty elf on the weekends leading up to Christmas and this will be completely free for families to visit.
Bring your little ones along to meet the star of the show, Santa, and his trusty elf as they make their annual appearance in store, particularly the kids and toys section on the upper level. You can also catch them as they roam around the store, spreading plenty of Christmas cheer.
📍Selfridges Manchester Trafford, 60 The Trafford Centre, Trafford Park, Stretford, M17 8DA.
📅 Meet Santa and friends runs between December 2 and December 24.
🎟️ The event is free and you can find more information here.
10. Merseyway Shopping Centre
Families are invited to be On My Merry Way to Merseyway in Stockport for a series of festive experiences ranging from the heartwarming Giving Tree to the exciting return of the Festive Huts – plus, there will be a brand-new attraction, the enchanting Christmas Express Depot. Open to young elves-in-training, each child will embark on a magical adventure across the town centre with their very own sack filled with Santa’s important mail, ready to be sorted and posted in festive post boxes across the centre.
Once they’ve completed their merry task, the young helpers will be rewarded with a chance to meet Father Christmas himself, receiving a special gift ready to take home. Open across three weekends in December, the post office will be open for business from 11am-2pm until all visiting slots are filled and it’s completely free to take part.
📍Merseyway Shopping Centre, 54 Great Underbank, Stockport, SK1 1PD.
📅 On My Merry Way runs on December 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22.
🎟️ The event is free.