Cartoon Santa in a big red chair beside a Christmas tree, with kids waving and a sleigh flying past the window
Santa 2026 · Raleigh

Breakfast with Santa and Santa photos in Raleigh, with prices.

We found 6 Santa outings for little kids in and around Raleigh with 2026 dates: 1 breakfast or brunch, 4 photo spots and visits and 1 Santa train. None are free on their own, though some come with admission you may already have, and one is already sold out. The first visits start Nov 6. Three more ran last season but haven’t posted 2026 dates yet. Each listing has the time, price and a link to book.

6 outings1 breakfast4 photo spots1 Santa trainFirst visits Nov 61 sold out

Last checked · none is free on its own · How we choose

Start here

What kind of Santa visit?

Breakfast with Santa

1 breakfast · Dec 12

A quick photo

3 daytime spots · Nov 6 – Dec 24

After-dark Santa

1 evening spot · Nov 6 – Dec 24

Santa trains

1 train ride · Dec 1 – Dec 17

Nov 1 – 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.

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Nov 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Dec 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12Breakfast with Santa (Town…
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Inside a listing’s datesBreakfast

Breakfast with Santa

1 breakfast · Dec 12

Breakfast with Santa (Town of Apex)

Apex Senior Center · 63 Hunter St, Apex, NC 27502

Breakfast
When
Sat Dec 12, 2026 · 9–11 a.m.
Price
Registration required (fee shown at registration)
Ages
Registration ages 2+
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 · Town of Apex registration page

Report a problem

Santa photos and visits

3 daytime spots · Nov 6 – Dec 24

Photos with Santa at Crabtree

Crabtree Valley Mall, Center Court (lower level) · 4325 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27612

PhotosBook ahead
When
Nov 6–Dec 24, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving) · Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page
Price
Visit free; photo packages extra
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 19 on the official page · Source

Report a problem

Santa Photos at The Streets at Southpoint

The Streets at Southpoint · 6910 Fayetteville Road, Durham, NC 27713

PhotosWalk-upSensory-friendly
When
Nov 13–Dec 24, 2026 (not every day in the first weeks; closed Thanksgiving) · Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page
Price
See photo packages on the booking page
Sensory
Sensory-friendly session (Santa Cares): Sun Dec 6 9:30–10:30 a.m.; reduced lights and music, smaller crowds, advance registration required, no purchase required to book.
  • Walk-ups welcome
  • booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot)
  • Pet photo nights on 8 evenings (Nov 23, Nov 24, Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 7, Dec 8…)
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 19 on the official page

Report a problem

Holiday at the Farm at 1870 Farm

1870 Farm (Chapel Hill) · 1224 Old Lystra Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

PhotosBook ahead
When
Dec 5–6, 12–13, 19–20 and 22–24, 2026 · See the farm's site for times
Price
Ticketed; prices on the farm's site
Ages
All ages
Strollers
Not stated
  • Every child meets Santa and gets a toy
  • There are festive animals, "reindeer" donkeys, an elf workshop, a peppermint forest and s'mores
  • Breakfast with Santa is booked separately
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 19 on the official page

Report a problem

After-dark Santa

1 evening spot · Nov 6 – Dec 24

Santa at Fantasy Lake Christmas Village

Fantasy Lake Adventure Park · Wake Forest, NC

After dark
When
Thursdays–Sundays through Dec 24, 2026 (season opens Nov 6) · Village 5:30–9 p.m.
Price
Included with drive-thru vehicle ticket
Book / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem

Santa trains and the Polar Express

1 train ride · Dec 1 – Dec 17

Sold out

Santa's Toy Shop at Holiday Express

Pullen Park · Raleigh, NC

Santa trainSensory-friendly
When
Dec 1–17, 2026 · 5–9:30 p.m.
Price
$21 + tax and fees per guest age 1+
Sensory
Sensory-friendly sessions Sundays Dec 6 & 13, 1–4 p.m. (lower music, reduced capacity, quiet area, sensory bags)
  • Train ride, carousel and a walk through Santa’s caboose
  • There are no sit-down Santa photos, so plan on a quick selfie at most
See details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Dates not posted yet
  • Santa Express · New Hope Valley Railway (NC Railway Museum) Dates not posted yet — check the official page (triangletrain.com).
  • Brunch with Santa at The Mayton (Peck & Plume) · Peck & Plume, The Mayton Dates not posted yet — check the official page (peckandplume.com).
  • Lunch with Santa at Doherty's · Doherty's Irish Pub (Cary, Pittsboro, Apex, Holly Springs) Dates not posted yet — check the official page (dohertysirishpubnc.com).

These ran last season. We’ll add them when 2026 dates go up.

For babies and toddlers

Making the visit go well

1Go right after napPick a slot when they’re fed and rested, not at the end of a long day out.
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 still count, and they’re cute.
4Tears are OKSnap the photo anyway. Crying-Santa pictures are a holiday tradition.
Also this season

Make it a Santa-and-lights night

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

Christmas lights in Raleigh →
Good questions

Santa in Raleigh: questions parents ask

Is there a free Santa visit in Raleigh?

None of the 2026 visits we found is free on its own. Santa at Fantasy Lake Christmas Village is included with drive-thru vehicle ticket, so it costs nothing extra if you’re going anyway. We add free visits as soon as their dates are posted.

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

To skip a long line with a toddler, look at reserved or timed visits: Santa Photos at The Streets at Southpoint. 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?

Three listings start in the morning, including Breakfast with Santa (Town of Apex), Photos with Santa at Crabtree and Santa Photos at The Streets at Southpoint. Two are evening visits (5 p.m. or later), which work best on a late-nap day.

Is there a sensory-friendly Santa in Raleigh?

Santa's Toy Shop at Holiday Express: Sensory-friendly sessions Sundays Dec 6 & 13, 1–4 p.m. (lower music, reduced capacity, quiet area, sensory bags). Santa Photos at The Streets at Southpoint: Sensory-friendly session (Santa Cares): Sun Dec 6 9:30–10:30 a.m.; reduced lights and music, smaller crowds, advance registration required, no purchase required to book.

Is there a Polar Express or Santa train near Raleigh?

Yes. Santa's Toy Shop at Holiday Express runs in 2026. Check each card for departure times and pick one that fits nap.

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 19, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Keep planning: This week in Raleigh · Raleigh city guide · Visiting Raleigh

Get the weekend plan, holiday dates included.

One short email every Friday morning with what works for ages 0–6 in Raleigh that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.