The tiny town that’s actually called North Pole where they celebrate Christmas all year-round
EVERYONE has heard of the North Pole… at the North Pole, but confusingly, there’s also a US town with the same name.
The place in Alaska is the perfect destination for those who wish that Christmas would never end.
Known for keeping the festive spirit alive 365 days a year, the North Pole is where holidaymakers can continue the Christmas cheer going long after December.
With around 2,700 residents, North Pole is a quaint wonderland boasting a constant display of holiday decorations and year-round celebration of festive spirit, even when it’s a sweltering 80 degrees in July.
It’s this that makes the Alaskan town a unique and heartwarming place to visit, whatever the season.
At the heart of North Pole’s festive spirit lies the Santa Claus House, its most famous attraction.
The building was created in the 1950s when Conrad Miller, a trading post operator known for playing Santa Claus to children in remote Alaskan villages, decided to set up shop in North Pole.
He named his trading post the Santa Claus House, and from there, the town’s association with the Christmas spirit was born.
Today, this sprawling store is a Christmas lover’s dream, with endless aisles of Christmas ornaments and toys, a real Santa who listens to your Christmas wishes and walls plastered with letters to Santa from children from across the world.
As you wander through this magical Christmas-themed wonderland, you can shop for unique toys, North Pole-themed clothes and Alaska-made gifts.
Outside the Santa Claus House, there are plenty of opportunities for festive photos, including a towering 50-foot Santa sculpture, a Christmas tree that’s decorated year-round and even Santa’s sleigh.
Sat beside Santa’s residence is the Antler Academy, where St. Nicholas’ team of reindeer live.
Here, you can visit the reindeer pen to learn more about these magical creatures, pet them and even feed them a snack.
And if you can’t make it to North Pole in person, you can still be part of the Christmas magic.
Order personalised Santa letters and Official Good Girls and Boys Certificates for those on the nice list from Santa’s Letters & Gifts, and they’ll be sent directly from the North Pole.
If you need a break from the Christmas celebrations, there’s plenty to do outside of North Pole during your visit.
There is the Beaver Spring Nature Trail, for example, which offers a scenic half-mile walk through a northern conifer forest.
For those seeking more adventurous outdoor pursuits, the Chena Lake Recreation Area is one for the bucket list as it boasts 80 campsites, a swimming beach, paved bike trails and canoe rentals.
This 2,000-acre area, sitting among birch forests, is perfect for caravan lovers and offers stunning views across the lake and river.
In winter, you can reserve cabins for ice fishing while in summer, you can bike along the paved trails, take a dip in the lake, or go for a relaxing float down the river.
There are activities here for everyone, from volleyball and horseshoes to paddleboats, rowboats and stand-up paddleboards.
To get to Alaska from the UK, you can fly from London Heathrow to Anchorage, with a stopover in Portland, Seattle, Denver or Minneapolis.
The quickest flight is around 16 hours, and then get a short domestic flight to North Pole.
It isn’t the only place that celebrates Christmas all year round.
A theme park in the US, called Santa Claus Land, sits just outside Indiana and has festive rides and attractions.
And a hotel in Tennesse – right next to Dollywood, celebrates Christmas all year round too, aptly named The Inn at Christmas Place.