Santa's grottos 2026: where to meet Father Christmas in Merseyside

Grotto booking opens in the autumn and the weekend slots go first; some Dobbies weekend sessions were already sold out when we checked. So this is the list to book from now: every Santa visit across Merseyside we could confirm on the organiser's own page or ticket site on 3 November 2026, from a quick hello to a whole morning out.

The cheapest

The Liverpool Everyman runs Storytime with Santa from 19 to 23 December, listed at £7 a ticket, which makes it by far the cheapest way to see him in the city centre, with a story thrown in. Pair it with the Everyman's panto if you have tickets.

Dobbies at Speke, on Speke Hall Avenue, has its Santa's Grotto at £15 to £17 a child depending on the date. It is a short, timed visit, so it suits younger children and a busy Saturday. Some weekend sessions had already sold out when we checked, so book now. Dobbies has a grotto at its Southport store too.

Grottos with something else to do

Otterspool Adventure runs its Christmas Grotto on Fridays 4, 11 and 18 December, 10am to 5pm. Children ride a Christmas train through a winter wonderland to meet Santa in his grotto and get a gift, and the ticket includes the winter adventure playground and the indoor soft play, so it fills a whole morning for under fives. Ice skating on Otterspool on Ice is an extra.

Sefton Meadows Garden Centre in Maghull opens its Santa's Grotto daily from 21 November to 24 December, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm, with a separate Breakfast with Santa in its restaurant. Slots are limited and it advises booking online.

Story time and tea

Liverpool Town Hall hosts Story Time with Santa from 28 November to 24 December, from £22.50 including the booking fee: a story from Santa in the city's grand old Town Hall, with a gift to take home.

John Lewis runs Santa's Tea Party from 4 to 24 December, with dates varying by store. Children get story time with Santa and his elves, cocoa, a festive snack and a gift, and adults get a hot drink and cake. It is £25 a child and £8 an adult, plus a 10% booking fee.

A big day out

The North Pole Experience at Otterspool Adventure runs from 28 November to 24 December. It is a whole visit rather than a grotto: shows, the Elves' Workshop, Mother Christmas, a quality moment with Father Christmas and free ice skating, indoors and out. Prices change by date, there is a Priority ticket with front row seats and a payment plan, and there are quieter SENsational sessions for children who find busy, noisy events hard.

Knowsley Safari's Enchanted light trail runs on selected dates from 20 November to 23 December, with tickets from £9.95, and you can add a visit to Santa on the trail for an extra charge. Book the Santa slot with the trail ticket.

Just over the border, the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port pairs festive boat trips with a Santa's grotto on selected December dates; check the museum's own page for this year's times. Inglenook Farm near Rainford also has a grotto listed from £22.

Tips from experience

Book a weekday if you can: the slots are cheaper at some venues and the queues shorter everywhere. Check what the gift is, because it varies from a small toy to a book or a bear you make yourself, and it helps to know before a sibling compares. Ask about photos before you go: some places include one, some charge, and some let you take your own. And if your child is nervous of Santa, a story time, where he is one of a crowd, is a gentler first meeting than a small grotto.

The FamDays verdict

For a quick hello on a budget, the Everyman at £7 or Dobbies at Speke. For a morning out with under fives, Otterspool's Friday grotto with the train and the soft play. For the full works, the North Pole Experience, with its quieter sessions if you need them. Whichever you pick, book this week.