The Elf Express leaves Bridgnorth from 28 November, from £164 a compartment. Park Hall Farm's Santa starts at £14.95 an adult. Dates and prices for four venues.
Four Santa experiences in and around Shropshire are on sale for 2026: a steam train from Bridgnorth, a farm near Oswestry, a 4x4 ride to a cave grotto at Hawkstone, and a second steam train from Kidderminster. All four start on 27 or 28 November.
Prices differ by more than they first appear to, because two are sold per person and two are sold by the compartment or vehicle.
The quick answer
- The Elf Express, Bridgnorth: 28 November to 24 December, from £164 for a compartment of four.
- Park Hall Farm, Oswestry: weekends from 28 November, then daily 19 to 24 December. Adults £14.95, children from £21.95.
- Hawkstone Park Follies: 27 November to 23 December, from £149 for a vehicle of up to six.
Side by side
| Experience | Dates | Sold as | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Elf Express, Bridgnorth | 28 Nov to 24 Dec, selected dates | Compartment of 4 or 6 | £164 or £246 |
| Santa Experience, Park Hall Farm | 28 Nov to 24 Dec, selected dates | Per person | £14.95 adult |
| Follies Safari, Hawkstone | 27 Nov to 23 Dec | Vehicle of 6 or 8 | £149 or £185 |
| Santa’s Steam Specials, Kidderminster | 28 Nov to 24 Dec | Table or compartment | £67 for a table of 2 |
The Elf Express, Bridgnorth
The Severn Valley Railway’s Shropshire departure. Trains leave Bridgnorth Station, WV16 4AX, at 10am, 12.15pm, 2.30pm and 4.45pm on selected dates from 28 November to Christmas Eve (Severn Valley Railway).
The journey runs to Highley and back and takes about 75 minutes. You stay on the train throughout. Santa and a cast of characters come to each compartment, in a show made with Wise Owl Theatre Company.
- Compartment of four: from £164. Compartment of six: from £246.
- A fifth or seventh passenger can be added from £41.
- Under-twos travel free, do not count towards the group size, and still get a present.
- Included: a present for each child, a gingerbread biscuit for everyone, a wooden tree decoration for adults and a child’s Freedom of the Line ticket for a day out in 2027.
- No dogs, except assistance dogs. The railway asks families to leave buggies at home.
- Arrive up to 45 minutes early. Parking at Bridgnorth Station is £4 a day.
Give the names and ages of every child when you book, the railway says, so that each receives a gift.
The Santa Experience, Park Hall Farm
Park Hall Farm near Oswestry pairs a visit to Santa with a Christmas show, Tree Trimming Training. Tickets include the whole farm park for the day, 10am to 4pm. The child price rises as Christmas gets nearer.
| Dates | Adult | Child over 2 | Child under 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 and 29 November | £14.95 | £21.95 | £12.95 |
| 5 and 6 December | £14.95 | £24.95 | £14.95 |
| 12 and 13 December | £14.95 | £26.95 | £16.95 |
| 19 to 24 December | £14.95 | £26.95 | £16.95 |
Prices are from the farm’s own listings for the first weekend, the second, the third and Christmas week. Going on the first weekend saves £5 a child against the last two.
The Follies Safari, Hawkstone Park
At Hawkstone Park Follies, families are driven in a Land Rover through the woods, walk through fairy-lit caves in the rock and meet Santa in a grotto at the end. The full visit takes 60 to 90 minutes and every child gets a gift (Hawkstone Park Follies).
Tickets are sold per vehicle, not per person:
| Vehicle | Daylight | Twilight |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 people | £149 to £155 | £149 to £174 |
| Up to 8 people | £185 to £200 | £185 to £212 |
Babies count as one of the six or eight, because everyone needs a seat. Bring your own car seat for a child under 12 months; the Follies provides seats for older children. One adult must travel in each vehicle. The venue’s what’s on page gives the dates as 27 November to 23 December.
Santa’s Steam Specials, Kidderminster
The Severn Valley Railway’s bigger Santa train leaves from the Worcestershire end of the line, Kidderminster Station, DY10 1QX, between 10am and 4.30pm from 28 November to 24 December (Severn Valley Railway).
Trains run to Arley, where a new musical, The Recipe for Christmas, is staged at the station. The whole trip lasts at least two and a half hours. Santa appears in the show and does not meet children one to one, the railway says. If a meeting matters to your children, the Elf Express from Bridgnorth is the one that includes it.
- Table for two from £67; table for four from £133.
- Compartment for four from £140; compartment for six from £210.
- Relaxed performances run on 6, 13 and 20 December.
- Online booking closes at 9am the day before.
Carol Trains
For adults and older children, the railway also runs Carol Trains from Kidderminster on 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 December, travelling after dark to a concert among the locomotives at The Engine House in Highley (Severn Valley Railway).
Still to be confirmed
- Attingham Park had listed no Father Christmas event for 2026 when we checked the National Trust’s events feed on 28 September. Its winter opening hours are on our Attingham Park in winter page.
- Town centre grottos are usually announced with the Christmas lights programmes in November. Our Christmas lights switch-on page has the dates so far, including Oswestry’s Christmas parade on 5 December.
Have your say