Get your tix for tea with the Legendary Santa!

Tickets are on sale for the long-standing tradition of Tea with Santa.

November 18, 2015; 12:04 PM • by Valerie Catrow

For some kids, a simple letter listing (and adorably misspelling) the items on their Christmas lists offers enough contact with Santa to get them through the Christmas season. Others require some face time and a keepsake photo. And then others require a sit down with the Big Man in Red–perhaps over a spot of tea and a cookie or two.

If your little one falls into the third camp, the Children’s Museum of Richmond has got you covered.

The Hilton Garden Inn (soon to graduate to Full Hilton Status) is the site of legendary department store Miller & Rhoads, which hosted the original Tea with Santa for 50 years, until it was moved around a bit during the 1990s. So many Richmonders have the memory lodged in their gray matter of Santa coming down an ACTUAL CHIMNEY, knowing your ACTUAL NAME, and generally being so authentic and magical that you left feeling kind of stunned. The reindeer cake, the Snow Queen, the Elf, the Santaland stage–there’s even a book about the dang thing!.

Nowadays, our kids are still able to experience the magic at the original site, facilitated by their favorite museum. The tea offers the unique opportunity for guests to enjoy a special tea (including seasonal beverages and a variety of snacks), story time, and sing-a-long with the Legendary Santa and one of his elves in a quiet, cozy setting. It may be stripped down from the elaborate cast of characters that occupied our minds, hearts, and a glittery-white-felt-festooned stage, but the vibe is still there. Perhaps you’ve been keeping up with his blog, in which case you know that he’s been busy making toys and laying a finger aside of his nose.

Tea with Santa 2015 takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 501 E. Broad Street on the following dates:

Saturday, December 5th
Sunday, December 6th
Saturday, December 12th
Sunday, December 13th
Saturday, December 19th
Sunday, December 20th

All teas begin at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $36 for Children’s Museum of Richmond members and $40 for non-members. Guests under age 1 are free if they will not be occupying a seat. Guests for Tea with Santa also may visit any CMoR location for free on the day of their tea–just bring in your confirmation letter to the museum’s front desk when you arrive.

Visit c-mor.org to learn more about Tea with Santa and to purchase tickets. Quell your impatience by reading this interview from the RTD last year–an interview with Santa. No, like, for real.

Got a special memory of having tea with the Legendary Santa? Share that warm glow in the comments!