Where to see Santa in York this Christmas: Winter Wonderland from £7 a child, Murton Park's train and grotto, York's Chocolate Story, and the Air Museum's Dakota.
Three York Santa experiences have published their 2026 dates and prices, and a fourth has published last year’s pattern. The cheapest is £7 a child at Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland; the longest visit is Murton Park’s, with a train ride, a show and a grotto. All four need booking ahead.
The quick answer
- Cheapest: Santa’s Cabin at Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, Designer Outlet York, £7 a child including a gift, from Friday 20 November.
- Biggest day out: Christmas at Murton Park, weekends from Saturday 28 November plus 19 to 22 December, £23 a child, £12 an adult, pre-booked only.
- In the city centre: Santa’s Christmas Tour at York’s Chocolate Story, 28 November to 23 December, £27.50 for an adult and child.
The four, side by side
| Where | 2026 dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, Designer Outlet York | From 20 November to Christmas Eve | £7 a child, plus £1.50 per family booking | Required |
| Christmas at Murton Park, Murton | 28-29 Nov, 5-6 Dec, 12-13 Dec, 19-22 Dec | £23 child, £12 adult, £6 under one, £8 carer | Online only, no walk-ins |
| York’s Chocolate Story, King’s Square | 28 November to 23 December | £27.50 adult and child, £5 aged 2 to 4 | Book online |
| Santa Airlines, Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington | 2026 not yet announced (2025: 13-14 and 20-22 Dec) | 2025: £12 a child plus museum admission | Book ahead |
Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland
Santa’s Cabin sits at the festive attraction outside the Designer Outlet’s south entrance, St Nicholas Avenue, YO19 4TA. Visits cost £7 per child including a gift, with a £1.50 family booking fee, and a reservation is required. Visitors can also give to the annual Toy Appeal for families in York and Selby (Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland).
The 2026 grotto hours:
- Weekdays 20 November to 4 December: 11am to 5pm
- Weekdays 7 to 18 December: 10am to 5.30pm
- 21 to 23 December: 9.30am to 6pm
- Saturdays 9.30am to 6pm, Sundays 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Christmas Eve: 10am to 3pm
The ice rink runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and closes on Christmas Day. Skating costs £16.45 an adult and £15.45 a child, with family tickets from £44.85. The 20% early-bird code ends on 30 September (Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland).
Christmas at Murton Park
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming at Murton, YO19 5UF, runs its Christmas event on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, and every day from Saturday 19 to Tuesday 22 December (Murton Park).
A ticket covers a ride on the Derwent Valley Light Railway, a show with Mother Christmas, a walk through Santa’s village, the audience with Santa and a present. New for 2026 is storytime with Humbug the Elf. Adults get a mince pie.
- £23 a child, £12 an adult, £6 under one, £8 a carer with a valid card, plus a booking fee per order. Tickets are non-refundable.
- Santa slots run every 20 minutes from 9.20am to 4.20pm. The first weekend, 28 and 29 November, is the quieter SEN weekend, with 30-minute slots from 9.30am.
- Arrive 30 minutes before your slot. The last train is at 5.05pm and the last Mother Christmas show at 4.30pm, so book an early slot if you want to do everything.
York’s Chocolate Story
In King’s Square, York’s Chocolate Story runs its Christmas events from 28 November to 23 December 2026. Santa’s Christmas Tour costs £27.50 for an adult and child, and £5 for a child aged 2 to 4: a tour with Santa and his elf to find the missing Christmas chocolate, a chocolate lolly to decorate, and a gift (York’s Chocolate Story).
There is also a Christmas Family Masterclass at £37.50 each: 90 minutes of truffle-making and decorating.
Santa Airlines at the Yorkshire Air Museum
At the former RAF Elvington, the museum’s grotto is inside a Dakota aircraft: children check in, do activities with the elves, then board a “flight” to the North Pole. The museum has not published 2026 dates yet. In 2025 it ran on 13 and 14 December and 20 to 22 December, at £12 a child plus museum admission, with one adult going with each child (Yorkshire Air Museum).
More Christmas in York
- The York Christmas Market runs from 12 November to 21 December.
- York Minster’s Christmas Tree Festival opens with a free family lights switch-on on 28 November: see our York Minster at Christmas page.
- Pantomimes at the Theatre Royal and the Grand Opera House: our York pantomime page.
- Parking near the Designer Outlet and in town: parking in York.
Still to confirm
- Santa Airlines 2026 dates and price, expected in October.
- Which Santa experiences sell out first: Murton Park and the Chocolate Story sell by time slot, so book early for December weekends.
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