For years and years I remember hearing radio commercials for Santa's Village in East Dundee and it sounded like such a fun place. However, it wasn't until last year that I finally made it there for a visit. My sister-in-law and my youngest boys went there to check it out.Santa's Village celebrated 55 years of family fun and I really love the nostalgic feel of the place that takes you back a few decades. We went in the gate and were immediately greeted by Santa - which, of course, called for a selfie.
Once inside, the first thing we hit was the classic carousel before moving on to some of the other fun rides. Most of them are probably ideal for 10 and under. Some have restrictions for kids being under 54 inches. Others require adults with the little riders. There were so many fun old-school rides there that I remember riding at our local carnival and at Kiddieland in Melrose Park.
My boys had a fun time. I think their favorite ride was the fire truck, where each rider had a real hose to spray water and a mock house with a real flame. The bumper cars were also a popular ride with them. I also loved the animal element. If you have kids who aren't big on rides or who love the zoo, they'll have a great time checking out the reindeer, camels and other animals and feeding some of them out of their hands.Visit SantasVillageDundee.com for information on rides, rates and more for the 2015 season, which kicked off earlier this month. The park is currently open on weekends.
