St Nick Got His Start at First World Famous Santa Claus School in New York
Did you know New York is home to the first ever Santa Claus school? That's right. The Empire State is where the jolly ole man in red used to get all his training.
The world-famous Santa Claus School opened on September 27, 1937, in Albion, New York, the first place to earn a B.S.C. (Bachelor of Santa Claus) degree. It's still the oldest continuously-run Santa school in the world.
Charles Howard/Santa Claus
Charles Howard was born in Albion, New York, and first played Santa Claus in the 4th grade. As his reputation grew he soon became one of the most sought-after Santa Clauses in the area. From 1948 to 1965, he was the featured Santa Claus in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Santa Claus School
Howard began teaching Santa Claus classes out of his home in 1937. In 1940 he opened Christmas Park, a holiday attraction with rides, a petting zoo for children, and a place where new Santas in training could get practice interacting with the kids. And sometimes that's not an easy job.
School Moves to Michigan
Charles Howard died in 1966. Christmas Park closed down and the Santa Claus school was moved to Midland, Michigan, where it still operates today. 'Santa House' was built near the school in 2009 to give St Nick's a workshop for additional training.
Santa's actual home is in North Pole, New York. And you can take a tour inside to see where the jolly ole man lives when he's not traveling all around the world to deliver gifts.
See Inside Santa's Magically Enchanted Million Dollar North Pole, NY Home