Online booking for our events is recommended
Various times

22 Nov – 23 Dec 2024

Snow has fallen, the decorations are up, carols are being sung – it can only mean one thing.

Stroll through our Sailortown gallery decked out in festive decorations to meet Santa in his grotto. And if you’ve been nice, you'll receive a gift! Photography is allowed, so feel free to take a photo to capture the moment before exploring the museum.

Please check availability and book in advance to avoid any disappointment.

Ticket includes visit with Santa and present to take home. Presents are made with traditional materials with minimal plastic, and are age appropriate.

Book your tickets online for the lowest price

For:
Families
How to attend:
In-person only
Good to know:
Adults don't need tickets, but must accompany children. Babes in arms are welcome to join their siblings without a ticket, but won't receive a present.
Duration:
Each 15-minute session will accommodate four children
Concessions:

Some concessions are available, read our policy

Booking guidance:
Advanced booking required

Be a Santa's grotto model

We're looking for families who would like to be a Santa's grotto model, so if this is you, book one of the special photography sessions on the afternoon of Fri 22 Nov. As a thank you, we'll send you a printed photo to remember your time meeting Santa.

Need to know

Victorian Santa's grotto sessions run every 15 minutes between 10.15am – 4.15pm.

Each 15-minute session accommodates four children and they will visit Santa in arrival order. Families who book multiple tickets can choose to go in separately or together.

Adults don't require tickets, but must accompany children.

Babes in arms are welcome to join a session with their siblings without a ticket, but they won't receive a present.

If you're interested in meeting Santa in a relaxed environment, we run quiet sessions every morning between 9.45–10.15am, which can be booked online via our quiet sessions page.

Our address is London Museum Docklands, No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL. We're just a few minutes away from Canary Wharf and West India Quay.

Check our need to know page to get the answers to all the frequently asked questions about visiting, facilities and accessibility.

While food and drink isn't permitted in the gallery, our family-friendly cafe is the perfect place to sit down and relax for a bite or tea break. We have lunch boxes for kids, sandwiches, pastries, snacks and a wide selection of hot and cold drinks.

You’ll also find our shop with a curated range of gifts and souvenirs, including posters, prints, toys, books and jewellery.

More about shopping, eating & drinking