We're Fascinated by This Abandoned Christmas-Themed Desert Town

Spotted on CIRCA Old Houses, we couldn't resist sharing the intriguing story of the tiny roadside town of Santa Claus, Arizona, a now-abandoned Christmas-themed desert town. It was founded in 1937 by real estate developer Nina Talbot, who bought the land with the goal of selling off parcels of it for home development. Talbot thought a Christmas theme would be a great way to attract potential buyers, and so she set about building a few fairytale-themed attractions, including an inn dubbed Kit Carson's Guest House (later renamed the Christmas Tree Inn).

While Talbot's plans to attract land buyers and create a resort town ultimately failed, the town did become a popular tourist attraction by the early 1940s and gained fame in the early '60s as advertisements came out promoting the town's remailing service (for a small fee plus the cost of a stamp, employees would remail Christmas cards and letters postmarked Santa Claus, AZ). But by the 1970s, Santa Claus had begun to decline in popularity, and the buildings began to fall into disrepair. The businesses all closed by 1995, and now the town stands completely abandoned, covered in graffiti.

Among Santa Claus' fairytale-themed attractions that existed during the town's heyday were two tiny abodes, Cinderella's Doll House (which is no longer standing) and the House of the Third Little Pig.

While the town is now somewhat difficult to locate, it's reportedly up for sale — good news for anyone who's in the market for a Christmas-y ghost town.

You can see more photos of Santa Claus, past and present, on Roadside Pictures' Flickr account.

Photos courtesy of Roadside Pictures

From: Country Living US


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