Grand Pier grotto 5 to 24 December at £19.95 a child; Noah's Ark's Santa's Library from 28 November at £13.95. Grinch visits, dog grotto and booking rules.
Two Santa visits in North Somerset are already on sale for Christmas 2026. The Grand Pier grotto in Weston-super-Mare runs on selected days from 5 to 24 December at £19.95 a child. Santa’s Library at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall runs on weekends from 28 November and on 21 and 22 December, at £13.95 a child plus zoo admission. Both sell out, and both say to book ahead.
The quick answer
- Grand Pier, Weston: 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December, 10am to 4pm. £19.95 per child with a gift, £2.50 per adult; pier entry is included.
- Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, Wraxall: weekends from 28 November to 20 December, plus 21 and 22 December. £13.95 per child aged 2 to 15 (£11.95 under 2), with a wrapped book. A separate zoo ticket is needed.
- Grinch instead of Santa: the Grand Pier’s Grinch Grotto runs 5 to 20 December, and there are Grinch breakfasts on 19, 21 and 22 December at £20 a head.
Grand Pier: Santa’s Grotto
The grotto is on the first floor of the Grand Pier, next to the Adventure Cove Café (The Grand Pier, Santa’s Grotto). Children are greeted by elves before meeting Santa for story time and a gift, and the pier says Mrs Claus will appear too.
- Dates: Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12, Sunday 13 December, then every day from Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December (Grand Pier events).
- Times: 10am to 4pm. Each visit lasts about 10 minutes, and the last session on Christmas Eve starts at 2.50pm.
- Prices: £19.95 a child, including a gift; £2.50 for each adult. Babies under 12 months go free unless you want them to take part and get a gift. The ticket includes pier entry for ticket holders.
- Parking: the pier offers parking at the Sovereign Centre opposite for an extra £5.
- Suitable for: children aged 18 months to 10 years. Visits are shared with a small group of other families.
- Access: step-free throughout via the lift.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, though the pier says it will try to rebook a child who is unwell. One small thing: the pier’s FAQ still calls Christmas Eve a Tuesday. In 2026, 24 December is a Thursday.
The Grinch Grotto and Grinch breakfasts
For children who would rather meet the villain, the Grinch Grotto Takeover runs on 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December. The Grinch hands over a gift “from his very own stash”, and the pier suggests bringing him an onion (The Grand Pier, Grinch Grotto).
Breakfast with the Grinch is on Saturday 19, Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December in Tiffany’s Restaurant on the pier. Seating is 9am to 9.30am, with a buffet until 10.45am while the Grinch goes round the tables. It costs £20 per person for adults and children and £5 for under-twos, booked in advance (The Grand Pier).
Santa Paws, for dogs
On 27 and 28 November the pier runs a Santa Paws Grotto for dogs, with a Grinch Paws version on the same days. Each dog’s ticket covers as many adults as you need, a meet-and-greet with Santa lasting about five minutes, a toy and a puppuccino. Each extra dog needs its own ticket, and dogs must be on a lead (The Grand Pier, Santa Paws).
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm: Santa’s Library
Noah’s Ark at Wraxall, between Nailsea and Bristol, runs Santa’s Library, 10.30am to 3.30pm on these dates (Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm):
| Month | Dates |
|---|---|
| November | Saturday 28, Sunday 29 |
| December | Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12, Sunday 13, Saturday 19, Sunday 20, Monday 21, Tuesday 22 |
Children meet Santa, get a festive photo and a wrapped, age-appropriate book. Children aged 2 and over also get a decorate-your-own Christmas decoration made for the zoo by Wild Lines. The zoo says each visit supports the reading charity Coram Beanstalk.
Prices: £13.95 for a child aged 2 to 15, £11.95 for an under-2, and £13.95 for an adult aged 16 or over with additional needs. A separate Noah’s Ark admission ticket is needed for everyone, including adults, who do not need a Santa ticket themselves. The zoo offers 10% off gate prices if you book five full days ahead (Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm). The library is wheelchair and pram accessible but small, and SEND-friendly book options can be requested in advance.
Which one?
| Grand Pier grotto | Noah's Ark Santa's Library | |
|---|---|---|
| Child price | £19.95 | £13.95 (2 to 15) |
| Adults | £2.50 each | No Santa ticket, but zoo admission needed |
| Entry to the venue | Included | Separate zoo ticket |
| Gift | A gift | A wrapped book, plus a decoration for over-2s |
| Days | 10 days, 5 to 24 December | 10 days, 28 November to 22 December |
| Christmas Eve | Yes, last session 2.50pm | No |
Other Christmas days out
- The Helicopter Museum holds a Christmas “Ho Ho Ho’pen Cockpit Day” on Sunday 13 December (The Helicopter Museum events); details are still to come.
- Tyntesfield has not yet said whether Father Christmas will visit in 2026. Its opening days, prices and the Christmas events already on sale are on our Tyntesfield at Christmas page.
- The lights switch-ons and the Christmas markets are on our Christmas lights page.
If you are driving into Weston, our parking page lists the seafront car park tariffs, and our roadworks page has anything booked on the way.
Still to be confirmed
- Whether Tyntesfield will have a Father Christmas visit in 2026.
- Details of the Helicopter Museum’s 13 December day.
- Grand Pier Santa Paws and Grinch Grotto prices, shown at booking.
Last checked 25 September 2026.
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