Winter Fest 2026

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This event is free to Members.

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This event is free to Insiders.

Get into the holiday spirit with a festive day of fun, memory-making, and wonder at Atlanta History Center! On December 5, the campus transforms into a winter celebration featuring seasonal activities for all ages.

Snap a photo with Santa, enjoy cozy story times, make your own holiday crafts, and explore historic holiday traditions. Stroll through wintertime Goizueta Gardens, shop for unique gifts, and soak in the magic of the season across our beautifully decorated Historic Houses and exhibits. Enjoy activities while supplies last.

Whether you’re starting a new tradition or continuing a cherished one, there’s no better place to celebrate the season than Atlanta History Center.

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Special thanks to our sponsor

Purchase Photos with Santa

Santa photo time sessions will be available at checkout. There will be a prompt to add to cart.

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[SOLD OUT] Morning Photos with Santa at Swan House

Purchase tickets to get professional photos with Santa at Swan House!

Tickets available on a first come, first served basis. Available for Members and Insiders only ; please note that Swan House will not be open to general visitation during this time.

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Afternoon Photos with Santa at Texas Locomotive

Purchase tickets to get professional photos with Santa in our museum!

Tickets available on a first come, first served basis. Available for Insiders, Members, and Not-yet Members. Please note that the Locomotive exhibit will not be open to general visitation during this time.

Timed Activities

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Jingle Parade

12:30pm

Ring in the season with a walk around campus led by Santa Clause!

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Tinsel Tales

10:00am, 11:00am, & 12:00pm

Settle in for festive stories and cozy crafts for the littlest kids—recommended for ages 3 and under!

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Carolers

Sound Investment: 10:30am and Octaves: 11:30am

Sound Investment and Octaves bring magic to the season as they carol throughout our campus.

Ongoing Activities

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Cocoa and Camellias

Enjoy a cocoa sample (while supplies last) and hear from our Gardens team about the history and care of this beautiful cold-weather bloom.

Coloring pages are available, reproduced from the Cherokee Garden Library collections.

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Historic Holiday Demonstrations

Experience how generations past celebrated the holidays through practices like cooking and making salt dough ornaments .

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Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Discover what’s blooming in the garden during our coldest months through this seek-and-find adventure designed for families!

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Letters to Santa

W rite your own letter to Santa and mail it from our festive post office playhouse!

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Winter Mindfulness Walk

Winter offers a different way to experience the garden. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing, this self-guided walk invites you to slow your pace, engage your senses, and enjoy the restorative experience of spending time in nature.

There is no need to hurry. Pause wherever you feel inspired.

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Crafts

Create and take home your own cozy holiday crafts!

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Reindeer Games

Play festive and fun games to ring in the season!

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“Joy to the City”

Visit one of our newest exhibits sharing all of the joy in Atlanta’s history . While you’re here, snap a festive picture in our photobooth!

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Goizueta Children’s Experience

Join us for winter fun at the Goizueta Children’s Experience! Enjoy festive, hands-on crafts, playful activities, and creative experiences inspired by the season. It’s the perfect way to welcome the season through imagination and play, designed especially for children ages 0–8.

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Holiday Shopping

Stop by our Museum shop to complete your holiday shopping !

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Photo Ops

S nap your own holiday photos with our decorated tree in Veterans Park , Menorah light in the Entrance Gardens, and with the famous Pink Pigs from Rich’s Department Store !

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Refreshments for Purchase

Get your sweet and savory treats plus warm beverages from local vendors and our AHC Bar !

Photos with Santa FAQ

No, Swan House will not be open to the public during the member-only photos in the morning.

Photos with Santa tickets may sell out before the event day. It is encouraged that all guests purchase tickets in advance. Additional Santa photo tickets will not be available at the door should the event sell out.

To best manage times and visitor experience, anyone wanting to get photos with Santa will need to secure a photo session time. You and your family will meet Santa sometime during that session. Please arrive at your reserved location no earlier than 10 minutes before your photo session time. Guests who arrive early may be asked to enjoy our other activities until their scheduled session. Guests who arrive late to their scheduled session will be seen by Santa on an as-available basis.

No, you only need to purchase one photo session ticket for your groups. We are able to accommodate groups of up to 6 people.

Yes, based on which session you book, you can visit our campus and enjoy the other activities that are a part of Winter Fest. Programming will take place 10:00am-2:00pm. If you are not interested in photos with Santa, you are also welcome to get tickets just to Winter Fest.

If you are not interested in photos with Santa, you are also welcome to get tickets just to Winter Fest.

For the 9:00 am session, you are welcome to enter the museum at 8:30 am; staff members will guide you towards the Swan House.

No. As much as we love animals, pets are not permitted with the exception of service animals.

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