Santa to swap reindeer for carousel horses during upcoming visits with kids at Volo Museum

VOLO – With appearances at shopping malls, city parks and more, Santa certainly makes the rounds this time of year. But no opportunity to capture a memory with St. Nick will rival those this December at the Volo Museum.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Dec. 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18, Santa will greet families in the Coney Island Carousel Room at the museum, 27582 Volo Village Road.

“It’s magical,” marketing director Jim Wojdyla said of the space. “The Grams family spent about $2.5 million restoring the 1920s carousel that is the centerpiece. They built this whole building to house it and they’ve surrounded it with all of these beautifully carved, hand-painted, fully functional music machines and other vintage arcade pieces that are also amazing. Everything in here is 100 or more years old – and it all works.”

Not only is the backdrop breathtaking, but kids queueing up for a Kris Kringle chat will have the chance to take a spin on the carousel with Santa.

A professional photographer will post Santa visit pictures online for visitors to download. It’s all included with the regular price of admission, Wojdyla said.

“We look forward to seeing the smiles on family members’ faces as they take it all in and enjoy an especially memory-making time with Santa at the museum,” he said. “And, of course, there is so much to do and see here before or after the Santa stop. We’re featuring holiday-themed drinks and snacks in our new Grams Central Station and our awe-inspiring exhibits never disappoint.”

In addition to the muscle and movie cars for which the formerly named Volo Auto Museum has been renowned for decades, it’s now also home to everything from tractors to trains, snowmobiles, boats, a military museum ... even an indoor, animatronic dinosaur park.

“We like to keep it interesting,” Wojdyla said. “One visit here is never the same as the next. Even Santa said he can’t wait to see what’s new.”

The Volo Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors, $16.95 for the military, $12.95 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children 4 and younger. Admission to the Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park is $15.95; it’s free for children 4 and younger. Combo passes for both attractions cost $31.95 for an adult and $24.95 for children ages 5 to 12 and are good for two consecutive days.

For more information, visit volofun.com or call 815-385-3644.