Abandoned Places, Santa Claus, Arizona

Christmas Tree Inn
I have passed the tiny town of Santa Claus, Arizona many times over the years and decided to stop and explore the abandoned property. This little gem sits in decay along Highway 93 between Kingman, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. The property displays a for sale sign with 4 acres, but no price.

History:
In 1937, Santa Claus received several attractions and buildings, including the Kit Carson Guest House which was renamed named as the Santa Claus Inn. Nina Talbot, a real estate woman and the owner of Santa Claus, made plans to use the Santa theme in a parched desert location to attract buyers for her surrounding, subdivided land. By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.

After twelve years operating Santa Claus, Talbot's land resale plans for Santa Claus never materialized, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there. Talbot sold her interest in the town in 1949. Others made plans during the 1950s to improve Santa Claus, which received publicity through the writings of American novelist and famed science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein and U.S. pioneer restaurant rater Duncan Hines and through 1961 remailing service advertisements offering to postmark letters from Santa Claus, for a small fee. [read more]

Date: 12.02.2011
Temp: 55°
Elevation: 3,392 ft
DD (decimal degrees)*
Latitude: 35.33637
Longitude: -114.21616