Spending Christmas in Arizona can bring to mind images of cacti draped in twinkling lights and presents in the bright, desert landscape. Sure, all of those things exist—but a mere two hours north of Phoenix Sky Harbor airport is the town of Flagstaff, where pine trees and skiing are in abundance. The snowfall is an easy way to transport desert dwellers away into a winter wonderland, and for kids, the North Pole Experience (NPX) brings an extra dose of holiday charm.
Created and opened by Scott Pace, owner of a toy manufacturing business, the experience has run for the last 17 years and sells out every time (tickets run $58 to $78 per person). Housed in a nearly century-old structure, the historic building has been completely renovated to look and feel just like what Santa’s workshop should. With a recent quarter-of-a-million dollar upgrade, NPX expects to welcome its 750,000th guest this season.
Guests start off on a magical trolley ride from the meeting point at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff (rates start around $109 per night). Take a few minutes after checking in for NPX enjoying the holiday decorations and a million twinkling lights at the hotel before boarding your trolley. (Luckily, “trolley” in this context means a comfortable and decorated coach bus for about a 10-minute ride.) After winding through the forest and an enchanted portal, everyone gets off at the workshop. You pass through a set of massive, 400-year-old doors (in NPX’s in-universe timeline, that is) and are immediately immersed in Santa’s world.
The experience lasts a couple of hours and is done as a group activity, with careful timing and lots of hands-on activities: There’s the Toy Hall of Fame to peek at treasures from yesteryear, treats and cocoa with Mrs. Claus, Santa’s Original Workshop where children can practice building toys with the elves, and more. Of course, no excursion to the North Pole would be complete without a meet and greet with St. Nick himself, which is a private part of the experience that allows for photos. And when planning for the trip, don’t forget that NPX encourages visitors to wear matching PJ sets and festive wear, so let your clothing get into the spirit of things too.
If you’re heading up to Flagstaff to check out NPX, then it’s worth adding a few more of these wintertime activities to round out a holiday inspired trip in the Southwest.
Polar Express
Pace was inspired to create NPX after taking his daughters on the Polar Express, which runs out of Williams, approximately 30 minutes away. During the rest of the year, it’s better known as the Grand Canyon Railway, offering an all-day trip to and from the Grand Canyon, complete with a fun little trainrobbing adventure for riders. But come November, the train transforms into the wildly popular Polar Express, to the point that reservations are available a year in advance. The ride is just over an hour and involves a reading of the eponymous book, carols, cookies and a stop at the North Pole, where Santa boards the train. While you can go to NPX during the day or evening, Polar Express only runs twice at night (tickets start at $48 for children and $62 for adults).
Backland Luxury Nature Resort
If you’re looking for a little splurge during the holidays, add a stay at Backland in Williams to enjoy the great outdoors while toasty in a luxurious tent. The highly-rated eco property ups the ante from glamping to what they term as Nature Suites (winter rates start at $425), with king-size beds, panoramic windows and some with skylights to gaze at the stars. From December 5 to 7, the resort is hosting a North Pole–inspired weekend stay for families, partnering with NPX to provide on-site activities similar to what visitors enjoy at the real deal in Flagstaff, and complete with Christmas meals (starting at $1,460 for the entire weekend).
Arizona Snowbowl
Did you know skiing and snowboarding is a serious thing in AZ? Head to Snowbowl on Mount Humphreys to find out for yourself, located about 20 minutes north of Flagstaff. With a base elevation of 9,200 feet and an average snowfall of 260 inches, this is any winter sports enthusiast’s dream. If you book in advance, lift tickets can be as low as $19 and kids up to age 12 can register to ski and ride free for the entire season.
If watching people on powder is more your thing, take the scenic gondola ride up to the top of the mountain and back down for a view of the snowy San Francisco Peaks (tickets start at $19). Or, head to the historic Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff on December 6 to watch Sno-Ciety, sponsored by Arizona Snowbowl (tickets are $33 each), which is about athletes carving it up all around the world.