Looking for Santa pictures near you? Whether your kids love smiling for the camera or prefer to wave from afar, we’ve rounded up all the best spots for photos with Santa in Lakeland, Bartow, Winter Haven, Auburndale, and across Polk County.
You’ll find everything from classic mall Santa photo ops to free Santa pictures at community events — plus breakfasts, holiday markets, and even surprise Santa Claus sightings. Keep checking back — we’re adding new events daily!
Santa also appears at the end of every Christmas parade. Bring the family and wave to Santa from afar. Check our Christmas Parade Guide for a list of local parades.
Looking for more holiday magic? Don’t miss the 2025 Lakeland + Polk County Christmas Guide — your go-to list for parades, Santa photos, Christmas lights, concerts, craft fairs, and all things merry and bright this season.
★ NEW for 2025! Grab our Printable Holiday Guides (Christmas Lights Guide + Holiday Activities Planner) to print or save to your phone — no ads, no scrolling, all your holiday fun in one festive guide. Holiday planning made easy!
MOM TIP – When it comes to photos with Santa, try to leave your own expectations at the door. Your 2 year old who thought Santa was great last year might be terrified this year. Or vice versa. If you’ve never been to see Santa, keep in mind that plenty of kids are scared of Santa, and if your child cries or refuses to go near him, it is a normal reaction! {Also – some of my favorite holiday cards have included hilarious Santa pictures}
2025 Places to take Pictures with Santa Near You
Check back often – we are adding more events and places to meet Santa daily
Featured Events with Santa
Places to Have Breakfast With Santa Near You
Looking to have breakfast with Santa or maybe share a treat with the big guy? Below you’ll find Breakfast with Santa events as well as other sit-down type meals and interactive events that include food.
All of the Breakfast with Santa events have a cost and most require an advance ticket purchase for a breakfast buffet, be sure to check event descriptions for ticket info.
Local Events to Meet + Take Photos with Santa
Don’t miss these special holiday events where Santa Claus makes a star appearance — from community festivals to winter wonderlands. The availability of pictures with Santa varies by event, we have included all available info in the description. Most of these events are free and are a great place to snap free pictures with Santa.
Places to Take Santa Photos Near You (Malls, Stores & Attractions)
Whether you prefer a traditional mall setup or outdoor photo ops, here’s where you can get Santa pictures near you across Polk County.
Santa Shack – Auburndale
Come see Santa at the Santa Shack, in Auburndale. Visit with Santa and take your own photos for free!
Directions: Just west of the Polk Parkway going towards Lakeland. On the right just after the 4 lane changes back to a 2 land road. There are two large Nutcrackers on either side of the driveway where you turn in. Go all the way to the back field to park. When it’s time to go you can exit out the back of the field onto Delon Court to keep everyone safe and the traffic flowing in one direction.
Dates: December 3 – 21, 2025
Hours: Wed – Sunday – Nightly from 6-8pm (closed on Mon and Tues)
{Check Facebook for any last minute or weather related changes}
Location: 2078 Old Dixie Hwy Auburndale, FL 33823
Cost: FREE – Bring your own phone/camera
More info: Santa Shack on Facebook
Santa Photos at Lakeland Square Mall
Santa arrives at Lakeland Square Mall on November 21 and will visit with children daily until he returns to the North Pole on December 24. Located near Dillard’s. Reservations to visit Santa are strongly encouraged. Walk-up visits will be available as space allows throughout the day.
Hours: Visit the Where is Santa Website for the Lakeland Mall Santa Hours. Santa feeds his reindeer occasionally throughout the day and is unavailable for photos at those times.
Location: Lakeland Square Mall, 3800 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland, FL 33809 (MAP IT)
Cost: Prices vary, packages are available starting at $39.99. Advance reservations are strongly recommended and require the advance purchase of a photo package.
Santa Cares: A sensory friendly Santa experience is available on Sunday, December 7 from 9:30-10:30am. The event is free but advance reservations are required through the link below.
Santa’s Wonderland – Pictures with Santa at Bass Pro Shops
Although it is a 30-60 minute drive from the Lakeland area to the nearest Bass Pro Shop, many of our readers say it is worth the drive for Photos with Santa at Bass Pro! A free 4×6 studio-quality photo is included, as well as a free shareable video when you provide your email address. Additional photo packages are also available for purchase and print instantly at the store.
Dates: November 1 – December 24
Hours: Vary by store – check the website for reservation times.
Locations: Bass Pro Shops Tampa – 10501 Palm River Road Tampa, FL 33619 {Brandon area}
Bass Pro Shops Orlando – 5156 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819
Cost: FREE – Reservations are required and are available up to 7 days in advance.
More info: Bass Pro Website
Selfies with Santa at the Polk History Center
Santa Claus and his elves will be in his study at the History Center for “Selfies with Santa.”
2024 Dates: November 21 from 4 – 6pm (in advance of Bartow’s Magic on Main Street celebration)
December 6 from 10am – 2pm
December 20 from 10am – 12pm
Locations: Polk History Center – 100 E Main St, Bartow, FL 33830
Cost: FREE – Reservations are required. Contact the museum to reserve your space, (863) 534-4386 or email jaymejamison@polk-county.net.
Free Santa Pictures at Lakeside Village
Ho, ho, ho! Santa returns to Lakeside Village for festive free photos! Santa will be at Lakeside Village on Saturday afternoons for Christmas wishes and keepsake photos. Be sure to bring your own camera – these are FREE photos with Santa.
Appointments Required: An appointment is required for your visit with Santa at Lakeside Village. Reservations will open on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 10am on the Eventbrite page. You should make one appointment per family or group. In an effort to let as many people see Santa as possible, each appointment is limited to around 1-2 minutes. **These dates fill up very quickly the day they open – you can check Eventbrite closer to the event dates for any cancellations**
Hours: Saturdays – November 22, December 6, December 13, December 20 from 11am – 4pm
Location: Lakeside Village, 1473 Town Center Drive, Lakeland, FL 33803 (MAP IT)
Cost: FREE – Bring your own camera
More info: Lakeside Village Website
This is a FREE event – do not be scammed by anyone selling a ticket to this event. Anyone trying to sell tickets or reservations to this event will be reported to Facebook for scamming, permanently banned from Lakeside Village’s social media accounts, any contests or giveaways, and any ticketed events, and added to Santa’s Naughty List.
Where to Find Black Santa Photo Events Near You
Families looking for a Santa who better reflects their own traditions and community can find several opportunities in Central Florida to meet and take pictures with a Black Santa Claus.
- Disney Springs – While details aren’t listed on the Disney Springs website, multiple guests have confirmed seeing a Black Santa there in previous years during their holiday celebrations. Details below on Disney Springs Santa.
We’ll update this section as soon as 2025 appearances are confirmed.
Sensory Friendly Santa Visits
Santa Cares – Lakeland Square Mall
Children within all spectrums of special needs and their families are welcome to visit before the mall opens for a sensory-friendly event to experience the time-honored tradition of a visit and photos with Santa. Santa Cares will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 9:30am – 10:30am at Lakeland Square Mall. Reservations for Santa Cares events are required. Attendance is free, though photo packages are available for purchase onsite to help you capture the magic of your visit with Santa.
Santa Pictures in Orlando + Central Florida
Willing to travel a little further for your photos with Santa? These locations for Santa Photos in Orlando get rave reviews! {TIP – make a Holiday Day Trip and plan to visit other Holiday Events + Christmas Lights in Orlando}
Santa Pictures at Disney Springs
My teenagers LOVE going to walk around Disney Springs during the holidays, which makes this Disney loving mom happy! You can visit with Santa at Disney Springs – located at Santa’s Marketplace near Disney’s Pin Traders, from early November through December 24. A virtual queue will be in place for this experience. Which is good because you can use the My Disney Experience app to get in line, then walk around Disney Springs until your appointment time. The bad thing is that you must be on site at Disney Springs in order to enter the virtual queue, so if you arrive later in the day it is likely all times could be full. Learn more about the Disney Springs Santa Virtual Queue.
Celebration’s Santa House – Santa Photos at Celebration Town Center
Now Snowing in Celebration, FL is a month long Winter Wonderland Spectacular featuring strolling Charles Dickens Carolers, community performers, photos with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, the Celebration Express train, and nightly snowfall at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 PM. Visit the Celebration Santa website for hours and pricing.
The Santa Photo Experience – Mall at Millenia
We have friends who drive from Lakeland to Mall at Millenia every year for Santa photos, and they are always fantastic. Advance online reservations are required for photos and visits, reservations open 10 days in advance beginning in early November, and cost $15.
If you purchase photos your reservation price is applied to the package. You can also choose to visit Santa and not purchase photos, your reservation cost is donated to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. If you are taking your own photos, a maximum of 3 personal still-photos are permitted per family/group. Learn more about the Santa Photo Experience in Orlando.
Interested in having your event included here? Submit a listing. For updates to a previous year’s event, please email us or use the Contact Us form instead.
Christmas Events + Holiday Activities
Check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas Events + Holiday Activities to find more things to do including Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays, FREE Christmas Events, Santa Photos, Christmas Parades, and more.
