Best Christmas days out in Shropshire 2023
There are loads of things to do in Shropshire this Christmas! This is a comprehensive list of the best Christmas days out in Shropshire. They include places to see Santa and other festive activities both with and without Santa visits. You can jump straight to each event using the links in the table below. Please do let me know if I’ve missed any brilliant days out off the list, I’d be happy to add them in. Advance booking is essential at all attractions unless otherwise stated.
This post covers the Shropshire area only. If you are looking for Christmas days out in nearby counties, please see below:
Attingham Park National Trust Shropshire – Christmas event not yet announced
Head to Attingham Park this Christmas to experience their innovative eco-friendly skating rink. Follow fairy lights around to the outer courtyard behind the mansion to find the ice rink. Put on special boots and glide onto the rink. The ice rink is sheltered so enjoyment won’t be weather dependant. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult who is skating. Those aged 13 to 17 can be supervised from the side of the rink. Book a time for your skating experience and arrive 10 minutes early to put on your boots.
Dates: 2nd to 24th and 26th to 31st December 2023 and 1st to 7th January 2024.
Website: Attingham Park
Review: Garden Tea Cakes and Me – I can’t see what year this review is from.
Blists Hill Victorian Town Shropshire
Two events take place at Blists Hill this Christmas but both are quite limited on the dates they’re running. Choose between visiting during the day or after dark. Advance booking is essential for both events because they do sell out. Some activities will incur an additional cost on top of the entry fee.
Victorian Christmas Weekends
The popular Victorian Christmas Weekends are back at Blists Hill for Christmas 2023. The usual exhibits in the town will be decked with seasonal decorations and children can enjoy a Punch and Judy show and ride the helter skelter. Head to Father Christmas’s grotto to meet the man himself and book your place at Elf School to learn from the best about being an elf. Visitors can also do candle dipping, make Victorian Christmas cards and shop for unique gifts in the town’s shops. Look out for reindeer and snow to give that extra touch of Christmas spirit. The town’s food outlets will be serving festive fare if you get hungry.
Dates: 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th December 2023
Christmas Lates
Visit Blists Hill after dark to immerse yourself in a Dickensian Christmas. Enjoy a hot chocolate or mulled wine and take part in Victorian Christmas activities. Enjoy parlour games, arts and crafts and a festive atmosphere. Purchase unique gifts in the town’s shops and listen to a traditional band and carol singers. You might even spot Charles Dickens himself at Blists Hill this Christmas!
This event takes place from 6 pm to 9 pm.
Dates: 13th and 20th December 2023.
Website: Ironbridge Gorge Museums.
Review: Birmingham Mail
Coalbrookdale – Breakfast With Santa
Take the family to enjoy a delicious breakfast and meet Father Christmas. The menu includes favourites such as a full English and American-style pancakes. While you eat, Father Christmas will be mingling with visitors. All children will receive a gift from him and you will have the opportunity to take their photo with him as well. After breakfast, guests can enjoy free entry to one of the Coalbrookdale sites.
Dates: 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th December 2023.
Website: Ironbridge Gorge Museums
Review: I can’t find a review of the Christmas event but there are reviews of Coalbrookdale on Trip Advisor.
Dobbies Shrewsbury – Santa Visits
As always, Dobbies have a range of Santa visits that cater for everyone. You can choose between visiting Santa in his grotto or having breakfast with him, and even pick whether to invite your child or your dog – or both!
Santa Paws
It’s not fair that children get all the fun at Christmas when there are lots of good boys and girls waiting at home. If your dog has been good this year, treat them to a visit to Santa Paws. They’ll even receive a special gift. If your child and your pup want to meet Santa together, book a children’s ticket too and they can meet him together.
Dates: 2nd, 9th, 10th and 16th to 23rd December 2023.
Santa’s Breakfast
The whole family can enjoy a tasty breakfast at the Dobbies cafe before children join in with Christmas activities and games and decorate an elf mask. Children will be able to sit down with Santa for a chat before receiving their gift from him. There’s an adults and a children’s menu for breakfast including a vegetarian option for each.
Dates: 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th and 16th to 24th December 2023.
Santa’s Grotto
Embark on a magical journey to meet Santa. Walk through the enchanting forest with an elf as your guide. Look out for Little Seedlings characters as you go. When you arrive in the wildlife forest clearing, children can make something special to take home. Then, it’s time to meet Santa for a chat and he has a gift for the children too. Photos can be purchased in advance online at a lower price than on the day.
Dates: 25th, 26th and 30th November 2023 and 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th and 16th to 24th December 2023.
Santa’s Quiet Grotto
On Friday 8th December, Dobbies will be offering Santa’s grotto visits for children with additional needs. These must be pre-booked in advance so there will be no queue on the day. A reduced number of families are able to attend in each time slot and there will be no music or twinkly lights. Parents can choose whether or not the child’s gift will be wrapped and Dobbies will email you a photo of the grotto in advance to help children to prepare for the experience.
Dates: Friday 8th December 2023 with slots from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.
Website: Dobbies.
Review: Tripadvisor.
Exotic Zoo Telford
Meet Santa in his grotto at Exotic Zoo Telford. All children will receive a gift from the man himself and your ticket includes entry to the zoo. If your slot is in the afternoon, they advise arriving early to explore the zoo before meeting Santa.
Dates: 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th and 16th to 24th December 2023.
Website: Exotic Zoo
Review: Tripadvisor
Hawkstone Park Follies
Embark on a magical journey in a 4 x 4 vehicle to visit Santa in his hillside grotto. Check in at Hawkstone Park Hotel and enjoy a warm festive drink. Then, it’s time to head off across the park in a Land Rover, go under the wishing arch and climb the steep hill to Santa’s cave network. Stroll around fairy-lit tunnels and caverns until you arrive at the grotto itself. All children will be greeted by Father Christmas and he has a gift for each of them.
Prices are per vehicle and each one can hold either 6 or 8 people. Choose between a daylight or a twilight safari. Pre-booking is essential.
Dates: 1st to 23rd December 2023.
Website: Hawkstone Park Follies
Review: Tripadvisor.
Hoo Zoo Shropshire
Celebrate a Snow Princess Christmas this year at Hoo Zoo. The venue will be decorated with festive lights and visitors can help the elves and Mrs Claus to make sand art before heading off on a journey through Winter Wonderland to meet Father Christmas. Then, it’s time to head to the festive village to meet the snow princesses. Enjoy a sing-along or storytime with the princesses and take part in other activities like bauble making and a photo shoot (extra cost for both). Don’t forget to stroll around the zoo afterwards to see the animals’ habitats with their festive decorations. Walk through the Cretaceous Christmas to see Dinosaurs celebrating the time of year too!
Dates: 24th November to 23rd December 2023.
Website: Hoo Zoo.
Review: Tripadvisor.
Park Hall Farm – The Santa Experience
Park Hall Farm’s Santa Experience includes a day entry ticket to the farm. Meet all the animals and make the most of play areas both indoors and outside. Enjoy a tractor ride, soft play, a music room and science illusion zone before making festive family memories with a visit to Santa and the elves. Children will all receive a lovely gift to take home. There’s a panto-style Christmas show and festive drinks and treats for the whole family too.
Dates: 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th and 21st to 24th December 2023.
Website: Park Hall Farm.
Review: Tripadvisor.
Telford Steam Railway – The Polar Express
The Telford Steam Railway Polar Express is one of the most magical Christmas experiences around. Board the train in your pyjamas at Froghall Station for a magical journey to the North Pole. Sing along with favourite characters from the film as they tell the story. Enjoy a mug of hot chocolate and a cookie from a dancing chef as you make your way towards the Northern Lights.
When you reach Santa’s village, he will climb aboard to give every passenger the first gift of Christmas, a silver bell from his sleigh. Back at the station, extend the fun with a snowball fight and find out if you’re on the naughty or nice list. The journey lasts around an hour and they recommend setting aside 2 hours for the full experience. Pre-booking is essential, this one does sell out every year.
Polar Express dates: 24th to 26th and 29th to 30th November 2023 and 1st to 3rd, 5th to 10th, 12th to 17th and 19th to 23rd December 2023.
Website: Telford Steam Railway
Review: Plutonium Sox
The Place, Telford – Treasure Island
This year’s Christmas pantomime at The Place, Telford is Treasure Island. They have not yet released any information about the production beyond the name and dates, but it is worth checking the website for updates. Tickets are already on sale.
Dates: 8th December 2023 to 6th January 2024.
Website: The Place.
Review: Tripadvisor. Review of a previous pantomime as this year’s hasn’t yet started.
Theatre Severn – Jack and the Beanstalk
This year’s pantomime at Theatre Severn will be Jack and the Beanstalk. If your’e looking for a festive event without Santa, a panto is always a good option. Look out for audience participation, comedy and awesome special effects. This year’s production is produced by Evolution and written by Paul Hendy. The team of writers and producers have been wowing audiences at Theatre Severn for the past 11 years.
Dates: 29th November 2023 to 7th January 2024.
Websites: Theatre Severn.
Reviews: Tripadvisor.
Wonderland Telford – Christmas Wonderland
Both little ones and grown-ups can experience the magic of Winter Wonderland in Shropshire this Christmas. Two events take place this year, with one during the day and one after dark.
An evening in Winter Wonderland
Experience Wonderland after dark including a visit to Santa in the Winter village and a wrapped gift for every child. Make a wish with Mrs Claus and enjoy fairground rides and a festive maze. Meet real reindeer and offer them a carrot, pose with Anna and Elsa and enjoy a walk through the woodland lit by Christmas lights. Look out for circus acts, meet the Grinch and enjoy a festive firework display at the end of the evening.
Dates: 15th, 16th and 22nd December 2023 5 pm – 9 pm
Daytime event
Book a personal visit to see Santa and receive a gift in the Winter village. Be sure to arrive early so you can enjoy the rest of the park while you’re there. Chat to Mrs Claus, meet real reindeer and offer them a carrot. Enjoy fairground rides and a festive maze, pose with Anna and Elsa and look out for real snow. Activities include icing Christmas biscuits with familiar characters, exploring the themed woodland and meeting the Grinch.
Dates: Weekends from 25th November to 23rd December 2023
Website: Wonderland.
Review: Tripadvisor.
