We had the most amazing time meeting Santa at Westport House! Not only did we meet Santa, we also met Mrs Claus & the Elves too! The Winter Wonderland at Westport House is pure magic.
The history of Westport House dates back to the 1500’s. The estate is located outside the beautiful town of Westport. Entering the estate grounds is like stepping into history. There’s plenty of gorgeous scenery to take in on the drive up to the house. The grounds are so well kept.
The house itself is very festive. There are huge Christmas trees with gifts below them. Stunning lights, huge reindeer, snowmen & a touch of Christmas everywhere you look. It really is a winter wonderland!
Booking online in advance is essential as dates & times sell out quickly. Your booking time is the time you will visit Santa. They recommend you arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time, but you can arrive a few hours beforehand if you’d like. There is so much to see & do, you would want a minimum of 2 hours & you could easily spend much more! Plan to come early or stay after your Santa visit – or a bit of both. There’s no limit on how long you can stay & enjoy the Winter Wonderland.
Here’s what’s included in your ticket:
Visit with Santa, as part of a small group (there were 10 families at most in our group)
A gift for each child from Santa
Face painting
Story time with Mrs Claus
Complimentary juice for the kids & mulled wine for the adults
Make your own Yuletide log
Ride the train around the Westport House grounds
Decorate your own gingerbread man
Write a wish for the Christmas Wish Tree – Westport House donates 1 euro to Mayo Roscommon Hospice
Singsong & dancing with the Elves
Spending as much time as you like in the festive Westport House – there’s plenty more to see around the house.
We arrived 25 minutes before our Santa visit. We got checked in & our hands stamped. We soaked in the decor of the beautiful lobby & took some photos in front of the huge tree. We followed the signs to see Santa. Along the way there was plenty of Christmas decorations. The rooms are all beautifully done. We met Mrs. Claus who had a lovely conversation with our 2-year -old daughter. It was better than a celebrity sighting!
In the first room there was face painting. Our daughter decided to have a reindeer on her hand with sparkles. She was delighted with it. The boys opted to draw pictures instead. After that we enjoyed a dance party with Santa’s Elves! We had such a great time dancing & then stopping when the music stopped. Next it was on to see Santa!!
Left: our finished yuletide logs.
One of the elves lead our group upstairs & told us that Santa was asleep! So we entered the room quietly. Then, the elf told us we better wake him up so we all shouted “wake up Santa!” Santa was fantastic! He had his naughty & nice book with him. He spoke to each child individually. He said their name & he knew lots about them!
He knew our oldest broke his finger & had surgery over the summer He praised him for being so brave. And he knew our 6-year-old has been working so hard with his letters. Santa told him how he finds learning letters so tough & for him to keep up the good work. It brought a tear to my eye – he was so sweet & encouraging. Santa knew that our daughter is hoping for a Sylvania Families red car! All 3 were in awe & we knew that this was the real Santa. He knew everyone’s name, all about them & he had a real beard!
All three kiddies are delighted with their gifts from Santa. Our daughter received a little teddy bear. She’s still carrying him around the house in the gift bag Santa gave her.
One of Santa’s Elves hits a button to take professional photos of each family. The photos are available to purchase downstairs. They are printed in minutes. We bought one of the family & the one above of Santa & I! The photos turned out gorgeous.
After our visit with Santa, we enjoyed the other festivities on offer around the house. The juice & mulled wines went down a treat! We bought a few of the lovely baked goods from the cafe, which were so tasty!
Each child wrote a wish for the tree, this is our 8-year-old’s wish.
Story time with Mrs Claus was relaxing & cozy next to the fire. Mrs Claus is soft spoken, kind & has a wonderful way with the kiddies. Our daughter picked one of the stories for Mrs Claus to read. She was so comfortable with her, it was amazing.
I searched all over Ireland for a special Santa experience for us this year. I even priced Lapland. Nothing compares with what Westport House has on offer. Winter Wonderland at Westport House was pure magic. It was fun for the whole family & a memory we will never forget! The boys are already planning to go back again next year.
Update 2017:
Disclosure: We were very kindly guests of Westport House but all opinions are my own.
