North Pole and Santa's Workshop

If you’re looking for a place for holiday fun, take a trip to the North Pole and Santa's Workshop, Porvoo (255, 88, 104). Snowflakes and jingle bells greet you as soon as you rez. I even thought I heard a distant “Ho, Ho, Ho”.

Follow the footprints through the crunchy snow to reach the village and Santa’s Workshop. Take your time and enjoy the crystal sculptures and other treats that you’ll pass along the way. Detour off the path to visit the penguins and bears, too. But watch out—the ice is slippery!

I love the North Pole post office. The details—like stamp machines and mail sacks-- are whimsical and charming. Inside the elves are working very hard to sort and deliver all the letters to Santa. You can buy a few of the items here, including the animated elves, but the building doesn’t look like a store. Santa is in the corner near a sign that tally’s the number of Naughty’s and Nice. Fortunately there’s no names attached to the Naughty’s. Before you leave, be sure to click on the sign to hear Santa’s Christmas greeting.

In the middle of the sim is the largest building, Santa’s Workshop. Inside the elves are frantically working here, too. The workshop is jammed with colorful toys and the sounds of singing elves. Toy airplanes fly overhead and trains chug around their tracks. This is a busy, busy place. I liked the conveyor belt and the stacks and stacks of gifts. It’s impossible to walk around the workshop without smiling. A few of the toys are for sale, but the workshop doesn’t have a commercial look to it.

My favorite place is the Reindeer Barn. It is very realistic, and a quiet retreat after the hectic pace of the workshop and post office. There’s an elf here, too, but he doesn’t sing. Donner and Cupid are the first reindeer to greet you. They move, of course, and make cute reindeer noises. Blitzen was a bit stand-offish the first time I visited, but Dancer was so friendly that he followed me home. You can purchase all nine reindeer from a box tucked off to the side, or buy individual reindeer. The harness bells are extra, but well worth the $50L to add a festive, holiday touch.

A sign outside of the Workshop says that the elves have hidden some prizes around the buildings. I love a good hunt, but there are so many cute and whimsical things to see here that I didn’t bother doing the hunt. One problem, however, is that this sim fills up quickly. I crashed twice during visits at busy times. Try to go at an off hour, if possible.

If you have young children in your home, or if you’re young-at-heart, the North Pole is a great place to visit.

The North Pole and Santa's Workshop is at Porvoo, (255, 88, 104)

Grey Lupindo