santa's grotto safari park

Skip To Main Content

• Visit Birmingham
• Meet Birmingham

Make It West Midlands

Other Websites

Make Your Trip

Already saved an Itinerary?

• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Wolverhampton
• Surrounding areas
• Book your Stay
• Things to See & Do
• England's Waterways
• Latest West Midlands News

Getting here

• Getting around

Maps & Guides

Meet in the west midlands.

• Accessibility
• Travel Trade
• Story Makers

You are here > Latest West Midlands news > SAFARI PARK'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EVENT IS BACK

SAFARI PARK'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EVENT IS BACK

From 25 November and running daily until Christmas Eve, guests will have the chance to see Santa during the day, or on selected dates, visit Santa in his grotto during the evening’s Lantern Festival event.

Ahead of the month-long celebration, Santa had a good look around the Park’s Discovery Trail, which has been transformed into a winter wonderland, with over 400 Christmas trees, lights, baubles, new photo points and even thick layers of ‘snow’.

Additionally, the Park has installed two amazing winter lantern scenes, which look incredible during the day, but really come to life when the sun sets.

Bethan Davis, PR & Events Officer, said, “We are so excited to welcome guests to this year’s Santa Safari, as the Park has never looked this magical. Our team of ‘elves’ have been working really hard to make sure everything is perfect for Santa’s arrival, with not a garland, tree or bauble out of place!

“This year, we’ve installed a whole host of brand-new features, including a gigantic Christmas tree, two photo points for children, animated characters in the grotto and our outdoor sleigh has been transformed. Children will be able to experience falling ‘snow’ and write a letter to Santa too, which they can post in our cheeky talking post-box. Santa has given everything his seal of approval, so has now retired to his cosy grotto, ready to meet families from Friday. We hope everyone has a magical and festive time with us.”

Guests to the grotto will be greeted by Santa’s team of friendly elves who will magically transport families to the North Pole on Santa’s sleigh, captained by a new welcoming owl.

Disembarking the sleigh, they will follow a path through a magical winter wonderland, busy elf workshop and reindeer stables, finally reaching the grotto to pay a visit to the big man himself.

Children will receive a memento of their day by having a picture taken of themselves with Santa which they can then take home, alongside being able to choose their very own present from the elves’ workshop.

Also included in the package is a visit to Mrs Claus’ Kitchen, where children can enjoy a drink and cookie, whilst adults are treated to a hot drink and mince pie.

There is also the chance for guests to win a Family Annual Pass, by entering the ‘Letters to Santa’ competition, where children can write a letter to Santa and post it in his magical talking post box.

Additionally, guests visiting this winter can experience a virtual reality sleigh ride – a magical 4D adventure to the North Pole, helping Santa to test out his sleigh before his big journey on Christmas Eve.

As Santa Safari coincides with the Park’s Lantern Festival event, a variety of ticketing options are available, including an evening ticket which includes lanterns and an ‘Ultimate Winter Ticket’, which includes a day visit to Santa Safari, all the animal attractions, talks and shows, then Lantern Festival on the evening.

Tickets can be booked in advance via the Park’s website, where guests can also see the calendar of events: www.wmsp.co.uk/tickets .

Santa Safari runs from 25 November until Christmas Eve, and the charge is £33.00 for adults and children aged 3-64, £13.00 for under 3s and £30.00 for concessions. Adventure Theme Park rides are not open during the winter season.

Further information about West Midland Safari Park is available from the Park’s website www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114. Find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/WestMidSafari .  

West Midland Safari Park is an award-winning visitor attraction, located in Worcestershire in the heart of England. It is home to a variety of all-weather attractions, including four miles of drive-through safari, the largest animatronic dinosaur exhibit in the UK and a theme park. With acres of versatile outdoor space, easy access from the M5 and free parking, WMSP is the perfect venue.

Falko Jan 30 2023 11:57 I would also like to attend such events. The last time I was in Paris, I flew with my family in business class https://businessclassconsolidator.com/destinations/business-class-flights-to-europe-france-paris/ the flight was comfortable and calm, we didn’t even notice it. Now choose your next trip.

Cweda Feb 26 2023 21:04 Mostbet é o melhor site para apostas esportivas https://mostbet-pt.com . Oferece uma ampla gama de mercados de apostas, alguns dos quais não estão disponíveis em nenhuma outra casa de apostas. A Mostbet também oferece uma interface fácil de usar e uma ampla variedade de bônus e promoções para novos clientes. A Mostbet é o melhor site para apostas desportivas porque oferece uma enorme variedade de apostas, desde vários eventos a vários países, incluindo futebol, ténis, basquetebol e muito mais.

NoahCarcia Mar 06 2023 17:43 Pour une sélection la plus complète des offres promotionnelles, je vous invite à consulter l'article https://besteonlinecasinoschweiz.ch/fr/bonus.

jasty July 06 2023 02:44 The Santa Safari begins on November 25 and goes until Christmas Eve. Tickets are £33, £33 for discounts, and £13 for those under the age of 3. https://snowrider3d.com

Comments are disabled for this post.

• Accommodation (2)
• Art & culture (8)
• Arts & Culture (21)
• Attractions (119)
• Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (2)
• Christmas (5)
• Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 (19)
• Events (177)
• Food & Drink (19)
• History (1)
• Press & Media (305)
• Shopping (3)
• Theatre & Performance (1)

Recent Posts

• Dec 2023 (1)
• Sept 2023 (1)
• May 2023 (1)
• Feb 2023 (1)
• Jan 2023 (1)
• Dec 2022 (2)
• Nov 2022 (9)
• Oct 2022 (5)
• Sept 2022 (8)
• July 2022 (1)
• June 2022 (3)
• May 2022 (2)
• Submit your Event
• Birmingham ,
• Stratford-upon-Avon ,
• Wolverhampton ,
• Surrounding areas ,
• Book your Stay ,
• What's on ,
• Things to See & Do ,
• Food & Drink ,
• England's Waterways ,
• Getting here ,
• Getting around ,
• Maps & Guides ,
• Meet in the West Midlands ,
• Accessibility ,
• Travel Trade ,
• Tourism Awards Privacy Policy
• Tourism Awards Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility Statement
• Data Protection Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Ratings Powered By

© West Midlands Growth Company

Don't miss

Wolverhampton Racecourse

Sandwell Valley Country park

Black Country Living Museum

FarGo Village

Book your Stay in the West Midlands

What’s on in the West Midlands

Latest West Midlands news

West Midlands Railway

Our top weekly picks

Submit events for free

• Day Tickets
• Memberships
• Experiences
• Safari Drive
• Foot Safari
• Opening Times
• Getting Here
• Food and Drink
• Animal Talks & Displays
• Download Our App
• Accessibility
• We'll Visit You
• Local Schools & Community

Santa Experience

Santa will return to knowsley safari for winter 2024.

Make the build-up to Christmas extra special with a magical visit to Santa’s Grotto.

Create festive memories and watch as your little ones' face lights up as they meet Santa and his elves in their workshop. Each child will receive a special present for you to take home and enjoy.

We’ll also include a professional souvenir photo download to take home and remember your Santa experience and of course, you’re welcome to capture the joy of this special moment on camera yourself too.

Visit Santa near Liverpool and enjoy a magical day or night at Knowsley Safari. Book a Daytime Experience, as an add-on to your general admission ticket, and spend the whole day exploring Knowsley Safari in the winter or combine your Santa Experience with an Enchanted admission ticket to enjoy our magical Christmas lights trail.

So, take a trip to Knowsley Safari this Christmas and embark on a magical journey to meet Santa. It doesn’t get more special than a trip to the Safari and a visit to see Santa too! Please note: you can still visit Enchanted without a Santa Experience, and even combine a daytime safari visit and daytime Santa Experience with Enchanted (bought separately).

Daytime Santa Experience

Meet Santa in the daytime and spend the day exploring the Safari, before and after you visit Santa!*

Evening Santa Experience

Meet Santa in the evening when the Safari park is lit up and glistening in the moonlight!**

*If you are booking a Daytime Experience to see Santa, you will also need to purchase general admission tickets for every member of your party.

**If you are booking an Evening Experience, you will also need to purchase Enchanted admission tickets for every member of your party. You can, however, book an Enchanted ticket without booking a Santa experience as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Book alongside either your Enchanted visit or your daytime general visit on select dates, then you'll be prompted to add the Santa Experience onto your booking.

Please leave enough time to enough time in between your experiences. We recommend leaving 30 minutes from your photo with Santa to then go and see the Enchanted light trail.

Each child will receive a present from Santa.

The Santa Experience will be running on selected dates in November and December.

The safari will open for general day visits from 10am, please book an arrival timeslot for entering the park and please select a Santa Experience ticket for after your entry time. 

You can visit Knowsley for the Enchanted event from 4pm however to make our event safe we have introduced 15minute entry timeslots for exploring the light trail, limiting the amount of people on the trail for everyone's safety. Please book your Santa Experience at least 30 minutes before your timeslot for the trail or at least 1 hour after.

Please note that if you will be visiting Knowsley during the day you will need a separate ticket for Enchanted in the evening. The foot safari will remain open so you don’t need to leave and then come back however the animal sections and the rides will close at 16:00. Rides reopen again at 16:30 ready for Enchanted.

This website uses cookies

By choosing "Accept all cookies" you agree to the use of cookies to help us provide you with a better user experience and to analyse website usage. Only the essential cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of our website and cannot be refused.

Cookie settings

Our website stores four types of cookies. At any time you can choose which cookies you accept and which you refuse. You can read more about what cookies are and what types of cookies we store in our Cookie Policy .

are necessary for technical reasons. Without them, this website may not function properly.

are necessary for specific functionality on the website. Without them, some features may be disabled.

allow us to analyse website use and to improve the visitor's experience.

allow us to personalise your experience and to send you relevant content and offers, on this website and other websites.

Santa Safari at West Midlands Safari Park

Santa Safari is returning to West Midlands Safari Park for 2023

Join us from 24th Nov – 24th Dec for a magical festive day out for the whole family, combining a four-mile winter Safari and a visit to Santa in his Grotto…

Santa’s grotto.

With an allocated time to see Santa, you will be greeted in the Discovery Trail by one of his helpful Elves who will show you to the sleigh where you will be magically transported to the North Pole & into  Santa’s Grotto !

Santa’s Grotto is a wonderfully decorated log cabin with its own Christmas tree, festive fireplace and of course Santa himself! You can tell him what’s on the top of your Christmas wish list and a helpful Elf will take a picture of you together!

After meeting Santa, you will make your way to the  Elves’ Workshop  where children can  pick their own present . With a wide selection of gifts to choose from, the children will be spoiled for choice!

Santa’s Grotto Admission Prices 2023

All tickets include access to the Safari Drive-through and walk-through exhibits.

Adults (16yrs +) – Fom £26.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a hot drink, festive treat, and entry to Safari Drive-through and walk-through areas throughout the daytime.)

Children (3-15yrs) – Fom £26.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a photo with Santa to take home, own choice of present from the Elves’ Workshop, a drink and a cookie, plus entry to Safari Drive-through and walk-through areas throughout the daytime.)

Under 3’s – From £13.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a photo with Santa, own choice of gift, a drink & cookie, plus access to the Safari Drive-through & walk-through areas during the day.)

Babies 0-12 months can visit Santa ‘free of charge’ however, they will not receive a gift, photograph or drink & cookie.

Book here for Santa Safari

Please note: The Adventure Theme Park rides will be closed  throughout winter.

Alternatively, this year you can book a Twilight Ticket to see Santa on an evening! (From 5pm);

Adults (16yrs +) – Fom £14.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a hot drink and festive treat. Add on a 45-minute Safari Skating session on the checkout page when booking!)

Children (3-15yrs) – Fom £26.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a photo with Santa to take home, own choice of present from the Elves’ Workshop, a drink and a cookie.)

Under 3’s – From £13.00 (Includes a visit to Santa in his Grotto, a photo with Santa to take home, own choice of present from the Elves’ Workshop, a drink and a cookie.)

Book here for a Twilight Ticket

There’s more!…

Virtual Reality (VR) Santa Sleigh Ride – A magical 4D adventure to the North Pole!

While visiting us this winter you can experience our Virtual Reality (VR) Santa Sleigh Ride experience! This extra special feature enables you and your family to help Santa test out his sleigh led by D.A.S.H. You’ll be transported across the globe to give the sleigh a trial flight before Christmas Eve exploring all the wintery wonderland. Hold on to your hats and antlers everyone, this could be a bumpy ride!

To enjoy this fully immersive 4D experience all you need to do is add how many people you would like to go on this sleigh ride in the  extras  section when booking tickets online. Tickets are priced at £4.00 per person. The full experience lasts five minutes, giving you and your family an unforgettable magical Christmas treat! 

Please note:

– All children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult. – Children 3 years and under cannot wear the VR Headsets, but they will see a video on the screen at the front of the ride. We advise adults responsible for these children to also not wear the VR Headsets. – All guests must be seated correctly whilst on the ride. Children must be able to sit upright by themselves on the sleigh, unaided. – We advise you not to wear the VR Headsets if you suffer from dizziness, epilepsy, headaches, motion sickness or are pregnant. – Please be aware you can remove the VR Headset at any point if you feel necessary. – Guests will be seated in groups, up to a maximum of 8 people. – VR Headsets will be disinfected after every use.

Click here for more festive events 

Date And Time

Related events.

Team Super Sports Camp – Malvern

Steam Open Day at the Waterworks Museum

Wednesdays for all at the New Art Gallery Walsall

• Competitions
• Vouchers & Offers
• Clubs & Classes
• Holiday Clubs
• Make & Do
• Education & Childcare
• Local Services

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

SANTAS GROTTO - West Midlands Safari Park

• Europe    
• United Kingdom (UK)    
• England    
• Worcestershire    
• Bewdley    
• Bewdley - Things to Do    
• West Midlands Safari Park

Brilliant time, went with my two boys (5 and 2) and we were incredibly lucky to see lots of the... read more

Nice one day out with family. Kids enjoyed safari and theme park. Restaurants and drinks are very... read more

SANTAS GROTTO

The Santa's Grotto was amazing! My 3 year old Niece was so amazed and excited by it all. The set up was stunning. Santa was very friendly and the Elves were happy and helped bring the magic to life. Would definitely go again !

The park is laid out well to let young children see and experience a variety of animals and playtime. The safari drive is lovely and the meerkats remain our favourites!

We visited as a family. Thoroughly enjoyed the drive through with feeding the animals. The children had fun on the rides after the drive through the safari park. Clean, well maintained and friendly staff. Bit of a delay when driving through at the entrance, this could be better managed.

Amazing! So much to do and so much to see! The sea lion show it amazing and is done so ethically! All animals seem so well looked after and happy. There are lots of animals to see once the safari is over and lots of activities. Perfect for both family days out for children and for couples (which was what I did). Highlights were feeding the lorikeets (birds) and the sea lion show. Amazing day out and something to keep you entertained for a whole day.

Safari was good. Certain animals that are usually there weren't- unsure why ? Amazing views of the lions never seen them that close before. Safari was pretty much empty due to the time of year so was quick to get around. Animals look well cared for Kids park is really good Staff were really nice and accommodating The dino diner restaurant was a real let down to be honest. Put a downer on the day. Was really clean etc but the food is basically inedible. Quantity not quality. Not cheap either. None of us ate even half of the meal. Definitely wouldn't return. Santa Safari was amazing other than the fact that they had schools attending on the day we went and at the time we went which we felt we could of been pre warned about. Our little one was scared by all the noise in the queue as they were encouraged by the staff to scream etc. For the expenses felt it could have been better to group schools on one day or atleast do something. Decorations in Safari were great and santa and staff were great. Presents really good quality. Drinks and snacks in a different area but good quality.

Best Santa/safari experience I’ve ever had, great staff especially the dancing elf and Santa great value for money and very clean

Santa Safari

Date & time.

Fri Dec 01 2023 at 10:00 am to 06:00 pm

West Midland Safari Park | Kingswinford, EN

Event Location

Explore more by tags

Let's share with friends.

Knowsley Safari Ticket Portal

• Home Visit our homepage
• My Account Manage your details
• FAQs Got a question?
• Call us 0151 430 9009
• Email us [email protected]
• Visit our website https://www.knowsleysafariexpe...

Santas Grotto - Day Time

IMPORTANT: You must purchase day admission tickets for your party to purchase a Santa's Grotto ticket. Please do not book a Santa's Grotto ticket before your booked arrival time to the park.

Great news Santa will be visiting Knowsley Safari to see our guests and spread Christmas spirit. You can hand in your Christmas list and receive a festive family photo to cherish those magical moments forever.

Prices are per child, each child will require a ticket.

Please note the following terms and conditions:

1. Your ticket is non-transferrable, and your booking is non-refundable. Please arrive for the time on your ticket. If you are late, we may not be able to accommodate you and refunds will not be given.

2. If you are visiting Enchanted in the evening, please allow plenty of time between your Enchanted time slot and Santa’s Grotto. We recommend allowing 45 minutes to do the Enchanted trail. If you need to change your times, please contact us a soon as possible.

3. Depending on your price option all children will receive either a large cuddly toy (RRP £25.99) for the £20.00 option or a small animal play set for the £10.00 option. Please note that gifts are unwrapped as wrapping paper cannot be recycled.

4. Your photograph will be accessible via a QR code to download at your leisure.

5. Due to limited space a MAXIMUM of 6 people will be allowed in the grotto

6. We will request that little ones are taken out of prams and pushchairs before entering the grotto

7. Whilst our Grotto is inside, the queueing area is outdoors. We advise all visitors to dress appropriately for the weather conditions forecasted.

Ticket options

Includes Large Plush Animal (RRP £25.99)

Includes Small Animal Toy

• Call us : 0151 430 9009
• View company information
• Registered Company Name : Stanley Enterprise
• Branch Address : Knowsley Safari Park, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 4AN
• Registered Company Address : Estate Office, Knowsley Hall, Knowsley Park, Prescot , Merseyside , L34 4AG

Our payments are processed using : Payyo

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility Statement

I'm having trouble with my purchase!

Tell me more about DigiTickets!

Our website uses necessary cookies to complete your checkout.

We would also like to set optional cookies for analytics to help make improvements to the website and for marketing purposes. These will be set only if you accept below.

For more information please see our Cookie Policy within our Privacy Policy .

What’s Santa Safari like at West Midland Safari Park?

There's snow, a Christmas trail, a grotto, real reindeer, crafts with Mrs Claus and festive animal shows

• 11:45, 13 DEC 2016
• Updated 15:54, 13 DEC 2016

Join the Secret Elves to get first access to our exclusive reviews of the must-have products this year

We have more newsletters

This year’s Santa Safari features more than 2,000kg of snow fall on the park’s Discovery Trail.

You get to meet Father Christmas in his log cabin, take part in a Christmas activity trail and see Santa’s reindeer on the four mile safari.

But is it worth the money and what can you expect?

What to expect

We arrived early and parked the car then headed straight into the Discovery Zone rather than driving the safari route first.

This gets you feeling festive straight away as there are frequent "snow showers", lots of Christmas music and snowy scenes with penguins, Christmas trees and North Pole signs.

There’s a Christmas trail for the kids to do on the way round. It was really engaging for them, with elf clues to look for, questions to answer, puzzles to do and stamps to collect.

We spent a lovely hour, wandering round the reptile house, creepy crawly area and bat cave in search of clues and checking out what was there at the same time.

You can have you photo taken on Santa’s sleigh (pulled by zebra!), enjoy festive animal encounters and watch a Christmassy sea lion show.

There’s also Mrs Claus’s craft room where you can make different festive items to take home.

You’re given an allocated time slot for Santa’s Grotto and we didn’t have to queue to get in.

First you go on an animated sleigh ride where you sit in a sleigh behind two moving reindeer and watch the walls change as you make your way to the North Pole.

There’s a pretty grotto to walk round with buttons to press to make the figures move and sing. We particularly liked watching the band Sleighed.

The kids then had a chat and a photo with Santa before heading into the elf workshop to choose their present.

This is a nice touch as the children find it exciting and you can be sure they’ll get a gift they’ll enjoy. There were construction sets, dolls, cuddlies, books, table tennis sets and games.

My two (aged seven and nine) chose a mini pool table and a science set.

You can also hand in your letter to Santa which will be hung on the wall – some of the letters were really cute!

Also included in the price is a mince pie and a mulled wine or coffee for mums and dads, and a cookie and hot chocolate or squash for the kids.

You can then also go on the safari drive, explore the Land of the Living Dinosaurs, walk through Lorikeet Landing, head into Lemur Woods in the African Village, see the hippos in their pool and play in the amusement park (wristbands cost extra).

Value for money?

Tickets cost £21 for adults, £17 for kids and £5 for under threes.

We thought this was great value for money because it included refreshments, a photo with Santa, a quality gift of your choice and a cute reindeer tree decoration as a prize for completing the Christmas trail.

All festive shows are included as is the four-mile safari drive and the dinosaurs section.

And it also includes a return voucher for another visit which is valid until February 5.

We didn’t do the amusement park (which would have cost extra) because we found there were so many festive things to enjoy as part of the package.

You can also book online and save up to 20 per cent on selected dates.

Food and drink

You get your free festive snacks and drinks included in the price but there’s also the Explorers Restaurant for cooked meals and various refreshment stops dotted around the park for everything from doughnuts and cookies to burgers and pizza.

There are also offers on cakes and cups of tea in the restaurant too.

Overall verdict

We had a brilliant time.

The snow and music made us feel really festive, and the elves were great fun, really making a fuss of the children – especially Tinker with her funny squeaky nose.

It was great to have refreshments included and the gifts were good quality too. We found it was good to arrive early (we got there around 9.30am), do the festive bit first then the animal trail after as it wasn’t too busy.

And the Christmas trail was a great addition as the kids got really into it, especially the part where they had to work out their elf names, and their prize at the end was super.

The kids loved it (and so did we!)

• Find out more and book tickets at the Santa Safari website.

To read more grotto reviews, visit our Brummie Mummies facebook page

Christmas grotto reviews 2016

• West Midland Safari Park
• Birmingham Mums
• Worcestershire
• Most Recent