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View Santa's Theme Park pictures and plan your visit to this fun holiday event in Phoenix, Arizona! Updated November 24, 2008. Links: HOME :: Latest News :: Wild Winter Nights :: Santa's Theme Park :: Santa's Theme Park PicturesThis well-liked Phoenix holiday activity won't open in 2008!
Santa's Theme Park will NOT be opening for the holiday season in 2008! The "Santa's Theme Park" attraction was held for 3 consecutive years at the Firebird International Raceway just south of Phoenix. After having enjoyed 3 years of fun, many Phoenix families simply assumed (or at least HOPED) that Santa's carnival would become a tradition. WE WERE WRONG. In a very curt announcement on the Firebird website, it states that Santa's Theme Park won't be returning for 2008...leaving us with nothing but speculation about "why not" and "what went wrong?" You can read the announcement yourself at the Firebird Raceway's website. The rest of this page will stand as written in 2007...so that the many people who enjoyed the park will have a place to "remember" it. End of announcement
Also known by locals as Santa's World, Santa's Carnival, Santa's Park, or even Santa's Club, this was a very popular seasonal attraction in Phoenix metro area. On this page, you can see photos of Santa's Theme Park, and learn more about this Arizona holiday event held at the Firebird Raceway, just south of Ahwatukee at Interstate 10's Wild Horse Pass exit. Santa's Theme Park -- Rides
Santa's Theme Park really wasn't a theme park, at least not in the traditional sense. A theme park stays in one place. It's rides don't have to be set up and taken down frequently, so a true theme park often has rides that are different from what you'd find at a traveling carnival.Santa's Theme Park was a carnival. Therefore, it had the same type of rides that could be found at other traveling carnivals or at the State Fair. Santa's Theme Park had quite a good selection of the best carnival rides available. For children, there were many few kiddie rides. For teens and adults, there was a nice selection of thrill rides. Even though Santa's theme park was a temporary carnival, it is a very well-done example of this type of attraction. Having to pay an admission fee in order to enter ensured that nobody came there just to "hang out." The atmosphere was family-oriented...and, indeed, many greater Phoenix families came to Santa's World to enjoy the rides, the decorations and one another's company. 
In the picture to your left, you see the Drop Tower ride, a popular thrill ride for older kids and adults. Riders were hoisted to the top of the tower, and then came zooming down in a free-fall. In the photo to your right, you see one of the park's 3 giant ferris wheels. This one was called the Century Wheel. Riders could take a pleasant spin in gondola style cars...enjoying views of Santa's Park and of Interstate 10, running alongside of the carnival. 
In the picture to your left, you're viewing the beautiful swing ride meant for older kids and adults. Though the ride isn't particularly scary, the risk of falling out makes the swing ride unsuitable for small children. In the picture to your right, you can see the scariest of the three "giant wheel" rides: the Sky Diver. Ride cars on the Sky Diver were fully enclosed...and that's because riders kept repeatedly turning upside down and whirling around as the big wheel would spin! All "mechanical rides" came included with the price of admission. This meant, basically, once you paid your admission fee, you didn't have to pay any extra to have a full afternoon or evening of fun...unless you WANTED to. For those seeking "something different," there were some extra-pay rides offered to guests. There was a mechanical bull, for example. There were bungee trampolines and a rock climbing wall. There was a fun house and house of mirrors. For the adventuresome, there were camel rides and elephant rides...all for a small extra fee per each activity. To your left, you can see part of the Mark 1 Roller Coaster, a popular ride with thrill-lovers. Though the steepness of the drops weren't as great as theme park roller coasters have, the Mark 1 Coaster did manage to get some good speed going, and the sharp curves packed a punch. 
To your right, you see the Grand Wheel, an attraction that gave Santa's Theme Park a great deal of pride. Why? Because, they say, it is one of the biggest Ferris Wheels in the USA. Riders sit in gondola-style cars. The cars were completely encaged. So, there was no need to fear that little tykes would suddenly stand up and fall out; the caged cars were safe and completely protected from this. Animal attractions & extra-fee rides
In addition to the many rides which came included with admission, there were opportunities to enjoy animals...both free of charge, and as "extra fee" activities.You could ride a camel or elephant for an extra fee! Since you might not always find this opportunity elsewhere, these were attractions for which some guests wanted to spend a bit extra. To your left, you see a picture of a camel taking its turn "resting" while a different camel gave rides to the guests. You could enjoy taking a look at the camels "for free." You could also find a little petting zoo nearby, where you could walk in to show your children various barnyard animals...and, perhaps, buy a few food pellets from a gumball-style machine so the kids could feed them. Santa's Theme Park -- Many shows to see!
You could choose from a variety of live shows to enjoy when you visited Santa's Theme Park!To your left, you can see a picture of the Wild West Follies, which was a comedic routine taking place on a Western-style set. As family-friendly jokes flew, certain "western elements" (like whip snapping, for example) entered into the routine. This seemed to be a popular show with the crowd. On busy nights, the bleachers filled up and there was "standing room only" around the edge of the seating area. 
Another show that garnered a big crowd was the Flores Circus Thrill Show. One circus act after another seemed to keep the audience mesmerized. In the photo to your right, you see one of the performers going through a hoop-twirling routine. Directly before she took the stage, a man did stunts high in the air on a round, moving platform. Santa's Theme Park -- Decorations!
One good reason to visit Santa's Theme Park was for the many decorations and Christmas lights that were displayed.Though the decorations were cute by day, after dusk is when Santa's World came "alive" with thousands of colorful Christmas lights. They were everywhere! First, guests entered this family attraction through a brightly lit"tunnel" of red holiday lights (see picture of Santa's Theme Park tunnel of lights in the section below.) After guests entered the attraction, there were many more lights and displays to see. There were Christmas lights on Christmas trees...but also in palm trees, decorative garlands, and in lighted holiday scenes. As guests walked through the midway, they was as many beautiful (and/or whimsical) lighting displays and holiday vignettes as there were carnival rides and attractions! 
Though most of the decorations at Santa's Theme Park were non-secular, there were a couple of religious displays which gave nod to the reason why the Christmas holiday is celebrated in the first place.Above, you see a picture of the manger scene at Santa's Theme Park...which was part of a larger setting showing shepherds, wise men, animals, and people coming to pay a visit to the baby Jesus. To your right, you see a picture of the Virgen de Guadalupe, which is part of a larger shrine at the attraction. Santa Claus was not far away. Santa had his own nicely-decorated for children to visit him...approximately halfway down the midway. 
Santa's Theme Park: Maps, Directions, Contact Info
Santa's Theme Park phone number: 1-888-PHX-SANTAS. (It has now been disconnected, I am told.)Santa's Theme Park address at the Firebird Raceway was: 20000 Maricopa Road Phoenix, AZ 85226. Directions to Santa's Theme Park (AKA Santa's World): From Interstate 10, take the Wild Horse Pass Blvd exit and head west. Since Santa's Park was plainly visible from the freeway, this was not a difficult location to find. You may use the following Google map to the Firebird Raceway to help you find your way. Dates of Santa's Theme Park: For the 2007 Christmas season, Santa's Park operated between November 21, 2007 and Sunday, January 6, 2008. At first, Santa's World was not open every day of the week. Between November 21st and December 19th, Santa's Theme Park was only open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Then, daily operation began December 20th and continues through January 6th. Ticket Prices for Santa's Theme Park: Adult admission tickets were $19.95; kids tickets (from age 3 through age 9) were $14.95. All "mechanical rides" and all shows came included in this price, which worked out to be a good value because of the many attractions offered within the park. Santa's Theme Park Website: The Santa's Theme Park website is still operational (as of November, 2008.) Perhaps they plan to find a different location and return; who knows? You may use the following link to see the Santa's Theme Park official website, which is www.VisitSantas.com.
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