Santa's Helpers Club

Illustration of an elf holding a giant candy cane on a white background with a red outer edge with white text

This button is most likely for Santa’s Village, the first franchised theme park in the United States. The original Santa’s Village opened in Lake Arrowhead, California in 1955, one month prior to Disneyland. Two other Santa’s Village locations soon followed: in Scotts Valley, California and East Dundee, Illinois. All three parks were winter themed and each park was designed emulated a village. The buildings were designed to look like snow-covered chalets, with Santa Claus’ cottage at the center. Both California Santa’s Village locations closed in the late 1990s. The East Dundee, Illinois Santa’s Village closed in 2006, but was re-opened and re-branded in 2011 as Santa’s Village Azoosment Park. Santa’s Village employees were called Helpers and were outfitted as elves and pixies. This button would have been worn by a Helper, as part of the uniform.