Visits with Santa

Santa is setting up shop at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden this season, and the first chance to visit him is Tuesday, November 10, from 6 PM to 9 PM. That night is a Member Preview, so it's an early look before the general public gets in. After that, Santa will be back on selected dates through December 24, so if you can't make the opening night, you've got plenty of time to fit it in before Christmas.

He'll be stationed in The Pauline and Austin Neuhoff Family Christmas Village, which is where the whole thing happens. The visit is pretty straightforward: you share your Christmas wish with him and take a photo to remember the occasion. It's one of those simple traditions that works better in person than on a screen, especially with the kids.

Santa's visit is part of Holiday at the Arboretum, the garden's larger seasonal celebration that runs from November 11 through January 3, 2027. That fills the grounds with twinkling lights and festive décor throughout the historic DeGolyer House. It also brings back the 12 Days of Christmas gazebos, the glass-sided structures that have been a fixture here since 2014. This year is the final season for them, so if you've never seen them, this is the last chance to catch them on the grounds.

Between the lights, the decorated house, and the gazebos, there's a lot to walk through beyond just the photo with Santa. The Member Preview on November 10 runs from 6 PM to 9 PM, and Santa continues on selected dates through December 24.