Published: November 24, 2007 09:32 pm            

Letters from Santa Claus Museum featured in holiday exhibit

SANTA CLAUS — Letters from The Santa Claus Museum are now on display in a holiday exhibit at the Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.

“Children have been sending letters to the town of Santa Claus for more than a century,” said Crystal Buehler, curator of The Santa Claus Museum. “Working with the Indiana History Center is a wonderful opportunity to share our town’s letter-writing tradition.”

The Holidays in the Heartland exhibition includes about 15 letters sent to Santa Claus, Ind., from children throughout the Midwest. The exhibit, which will remain on display through Dec. 30, encourages visitors to revisit fond memories and traditions of holidays past. For more information on Holidays in the Heartland exhibit, visit indianahistory.org.

During the holiday season, volunteers known as Santa’s Elves gather at the Santa Claus Museum to write back to the thousands of children from all over the world who write to Santa Claus.

As part of the exhibit, IHS will collect letters for Santa from youngsters. Santa’s Elves and The Santa Claus Museum help make sure they get answered by the Jolly Ole Elf as long as they’re received by Dec. 12.

Up to 10,000 letters are answered each year by the Santa’s Elves, who are assisted by the Christmas Lake Village Garden Club, local senior citizens, and other yuletide volunteers. The Christmasy letters and envelopes are printed and contributed each year by Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, formerly Santa Claus Land.

Children wishing to write to Santa should address their letters to Santa Claus, P.O. Box 1, Santa Claus, IN 47579. Buehler urges parents to check that a legible return address is included. Donations to help pay postage costs may be sent to the same address.

The Santa Claus Museum is located two doors south of the Santa Claus Post Office in the Kringle Place shopping center in Santa Claus. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

For more information, call (812) 937-2687, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.santaclausmuseum.org.

        

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