Santa 2026 · Hartford and New Haven

Breakfast with Santa and Santa photos in Hartford and New Haven, with prices.

We found 6 Santa outings for little kids in and around Hartford and New Haven with 2026 dates: 3 breakfasts and brunches and 3 photo spots and visits. One is free. The first visits start Nov 14. Each listing has the time, price and a link to book.

6 outings3 breakfasts3 photo spotsFirst visits Nov 141 free

Last checked · How we choose

Start here

What kind of Santa visit?

Breakfast with Santa

3 breakfasts · Dec 5 – Dec 20

A quick photo

3 daytime spots · Nov 14 – Dec 23

Nov 8 – Dec 26

The Santa calendar

Shaded days fall inside at least one listing’s dates (check each card for days off and hours). Dots mark set dates, like breakfasts and one-day visits.

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5Santa’s Workshop at…Pancake Breakfast with…
6Santa Breakfast at Madison…
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Inside a listing’s datesBreakfastPhotos and visits

Breakfast with Santa

3 breakfasts · Dec 5 – Dec 20

Santa Breakfast at Madison Beach Hotel

Madison Beach Hotel · 94 West Wharf Rd., Madison, CT 06443

Breakfast
When
Sun Dec 6 and Sun Dec 20, 2026 · 9–11am
Price
$59 per person, all-inclusive; under 3 free
  • Breakfast buffet, a meet-and-greet and photo with Santa, and a treat bag for each child
  • Buy tickets for the right date
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 29 on the official page

Report a problem

Santa photos and visits

3 daytime spots · Nov 14 – Dec 23

Santa at Glow Hartford

Connecticut Convention Center · 100 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT 06103

Photos
When
Nov 20 – Dec 23, 2026 · During Glow hours
Price
Free photo with Santa with a Glow ticket
  • Glow tickets are needed to get in
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 28 on the official page

Report a problem

Meet Santa at Holiday Enchantment

Connecticut Science Center · 250 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT 06103

Photos
When
Weekends Nov 14 – Dec 20, plus Nov 27 · 11am–3pm (Dec 5: noon–2pm)
Price
Included with admission
  • Santa visits on Nov 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 and Dec 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20, during the center’s Holiday Enchantment season of lights, holiday science demos and a make-and-take craft space
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 29 on the official page

Report a problem
On a budget

Ways to keep Santa cheap

1Santa’s Workshop at Winterfest Hartford
Free; one 5×7 printed photo per family2Meet Santa at Holiday Enchantment
Included with admission3Pancake Breakfast with Santa at the Shore Line Trolley Museum
Not listed; members pay a $5 upcharge per person
For babies and toddlers

Making the visit go well

1Go right after napBook a slot when they’re fed and rested.
2Talk about Santa firstLook at photos together so the beard and the big red suit aren’t a surprise.
3A parent can hold themLap photos with a grown-up are fine.
4Tears are OKTake the photo anyway. Plenty of families keep a crying-Santa picture.
Also this season

Make it a Santa-and-lights night

See all 3 light displays in and around Hartford with 2026 dates, sorted for little kids, with early start times.

Christmas lights in Hartford →
Good questions

Santa in Hartford and New Haven: questions parents ask

Where can we see Santa for free in Hartford and New Haven?

One of this year’s Santa listings is free: Santa’s Workshop at Winterfest Hartford. A few others come with admission you may already have. Bring your own camera where the listing says so.

What’s the cheapest breakfast with Santa in Hartford and New Haven?

Of the breakfasts and brunches with posted 2026 prices, the lowest are Pancake Breakfast with Santa at the Shore Line Trolley Museum (Not listed; members pay a $5 upcharge per person); Santa Breakfast at Madison Beach Hotel ($59 per person, all-inclusive; under 3 free). Prices are from each venue’s own page.

Which Santa visits are best for babies and kids under 3?

Babies and young toddlers get in free at Santa Breakfast at Madison Beach Hotel (under 3 free). To skip a long line with a toddler, look at reserved or timed visits: Breakfast with Santa at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. A morning visit before nap usually goes better than an evening one.

When is the best time to see Santa with a toddler who goes to bed early?

Four listings start in the morning, including Meet Santa at Holiday Enchantment, Breakfast with Santa at the Hartford Marriott Downtown and Santa Breakfast at Madison Beach Hotel.

How do you check these Santa listings?

Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page, and links to it. We list dates, times and prices only when that page shows them for 2026; anything without posted dates goes in “Dates not posted yet” instead. These were last checked Oct 29, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Keep planning: This week in Hartford · Hartford and New Haven city guide · Visiting Hartford

Get the weekend plan, holiday dates included.

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More dates for little kids in Hartford

Things to do with kids in Hartford and New Haven in November · Things to do with kids in Hartford and New Haven in December