Santa Claus in Spencer County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Santa Claus

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 30, 2025

1. Santa Claus Marker

Inscription.
"In 1854, German Immigrants settled into a rural area of Indiana they named Santa Fe. When the community applied for a post office, their application was rejected because there was already a Santa Fe, Indiana. The Santa Claus, Indiana Post Office was established on May 21, 1856 and the town was officially renamed much late in 1967. In 1914, the town's postmaster began mailing letters from Santa to children all over the world who sent their Christmas wishes to Santa Claus, Indiana.
In 1935, a 22-foot Santa Claus statue was built in Santa Claus Park. The love for Christmas in this town sparked the opening of the world's first theme park, Santa Claus Land, in 1946. After years of only celebrating Christmas, Santa Claus Land changed its name to Holiday World in 1984. This love to celebrate Christmas every day now brings over 1 million guests to the town annually, and Santa Claus has grown from 26 residents in 1967 to over 3,000 in 2020.
The town of Santa Claus thanks four generations of the Koch family for their continued support in the evolution and development of our community."

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical date for this entry is May 21, 1856.

Location. 38° 7.104′ N, 86° 55.371′ W. Marker is in Santa Claus, Indiana, in Spencer County. It is at the intersection of Saint Louis J Koch Boulevard and West Christmas Boulevard (Indiana Route 162), on the left when traveling south on Saint Louis J Koch Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 St Louis J Koch Blvd, Santa Claus IN 47579, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-State Region

and in Southern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: William A. Koch Memorial Plaza (approx. ¼ mile away); The Raven (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mother Goose Land Train (approx.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 30, 2025

2. Santa Claus Marker

0.6 miles away); America's Everyday Heroes (approx. 0.6 miles away); Santa Claus Land Railroad (approx. 0.7 miles away); Freedom Train (approx. 0.7 miles away); Historic Santa Statue (approx. 0.7 miles away); St. Paul's Santa Claus Church (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Claus.

More about this marker. A duplicate marker is located a mile away.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 79 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 20, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.