The place got its name 160 years ago. The story goes that the town founders were meeting in a church on Christmas Eve, trying to come up with a name.

A church bell sounded, a child yelled out “Santy Claus!” Everybody laughed, and before they knew it, they had voted to call their community “Santa Claus.”

Today you can find T-shirts in town that read, “I believe in Santa Claus,” which, of course, has a double meaning.

Local attractions include Santa’s Candy Castle, Frosty’s Fun Center, Santa’s Stables, and a theme park called “Holiday World.” It’s not big like Disneyland, but it has kiddie rides, water slides, wave pools, and a classic wooden roller coaster.

The irony is, Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, is closed for the winter.