6. Durango, Colorado
Once December 1st hits, the small mountainous town of Durango transforms into a winter wonderland. This is the type of unique town the inside of snow globes are made of, making seasonal activities, like sleigh rides with hot cocoa or ice skating, just downright magical.
But the main reason we’d like you to visit during the Christmas season is to experience The Polar Express!
Held by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this journey simply brings that book we love to life by taking travelers to the “North Pole” to pick up Santa.
Along the way, passengers receive first-class treatment by receiving some tasty hot chocolate and will even get a chance to meet a few characters from the book, including Santa himself.
Included are also Christmas singalongs and a reading of the book, and each child in your family will receive a present!
If you enjoyed reading about how these small towns in the US transform during the Christmas season, leave us a comment and let us know which of them is your favorite!
And if you happen to live in a magical Christmas town that’s not on our list, be sure to tell us about it so we can include it next time.
In the meantime, while we’re on the topic of small towns, our country has LOTS of them…And they’re all equally magnificent. Here are some of our favorites: 48 Charming Small Towns You Haven’t Heard of (But Should Visit ASAP)
32 thoughts on “6 Small Towns in the US With Incredible Christmas Vibes”
You should check out Natchitoches, La. It’s the city where
Steel Magnolias was filmed.
I thought for sure that Helen Georgia would have made that list. I have been there and it is awesome! I guess they never came South!
It made it on one list. Definitely, worth it!
I agree that Helen, although a very small town, is definitely worth a Christmas visit!
Guthrie, OK goes all out for Christmas with people singing Christmas Carols in period costumes etc. I highly recommend you go there next time!
One is in Georgia and the other is in Michigan. Try Google maps
where is helen georgia ? and where is franken muth michigan?
Helen, GA is north of Atlanta. Frankenmuth, MI is north of Detroit.
Frankenmuth a great Christmas town…has a massive Christmas store full of treasures and is open mostly all year round..tourists ty. People vest all year long from all parts of the world ..right next door..is a nice hotel with a huge water park indoor..a great hotel not to mention the small town shopping…they have a famous reasturant that serves fresh home made chiken family style the town is well worth the drive located in Northern Michigan’s area close to Saginaw michigan
You missed one of the best in the country. Helen Georgia.
I went to college at Moravian in Bethlehem, PA. It is called the “Christmas City” and certainly deserves to be on this list. Beautiful light displays, life size Nativity, huge tree overlooking a bridge, Advent candles displayed and the unforgettable Christmas Vespers in the Central Moravian Church. Absolutely worth seeing!
Went on the train in Durango at Christmas many years ago…it goes half way up the mountain in the winter and then back and is so beautiful in the snow. The town is magical and welcoming any time of year but I’ve been there in the winter, fall (gorgeous with golden aspens) and summer…the now helps make it so beautiful. My brother started their winter carnival (Snowdown) at the end of January each year…over 30 years now!
You need to check out Cedarburg Wisconsin. A small city 20 miles north of Milwaukee. It has a beautiful historic designated downtown, Festive Fridays beginning right after Thanksgiving, Candy Cane house. A more friendly small town doesn’t exist. It truly has the spirit of Christmas all year long.
What? No Bethlehem Pa., the “Christmas City”?
Everyone should visit Edenton, North Carolina on the 2nd weekend in December. The Christmas Candlelight Tour ( taking place for 41 years!) is stunning, fun, spirit-filled, great for families. History, decor, food, music, etc. Wonderful!
You most definitely forgot Santa Claus, Indiana.
How about Thomasville GA? Very nice small town in SW Georgia that has strolling Carolers, etc …
St. Charles, MO
For nearly half a century, Saint Charles Christmas Traditions® has made the holiday spirit of the past come to life for the young and young at heart. With a unique blend of storytelling, history, and fairy tale whimsy, guests are welcomed into a world of yuletide nostalgia and fantasy where reindeer fly, sugarplums dance in your head, and an array of international ambassadors invite you to explore unique holiday customs from around the world.
Discover a holiday feast for all of your senses: experience the taste of genuine hot-roasted chestnuts fresh from an open fire, witness the pageantry of a delegation of global Santa figures dressed in the cultural attire of their home countries, listen to the timeless Christmas melodies sung by Victorian carolers, breathe in the aroma of the crisp pine greenery that festively trims the historic district, as you feel the well-worn character of the centuries-old bricks of Main Street under your feet
Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. It is a German Town making you feel you were really in Germany. A place to visit – specially in Christmas.
We visited Helen37 years ago. Great town And they may still have a giant balloon race to the coast called “To Hellen and back”
I can’t believe you forgot Santa Clause Indiana.
I vote for Woodstock, Vermont!!!! Hopefully it has not been washed away during this summers rains. Woodstock is a beautiful town any time of year. Y’all go visit sometime.
Williamsburg, Virginia. My husband I love history and how America all began. It also reminds me of my heritage and ancestry.
Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown are great any time of the year, but especially around Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the 4th of July!
They ALL look wonderful. My personal favorite is Williamsburg, VA
thanks for putting this together
You should visit Grapevine, Texas the “Capital of Christmas in Texas” and Fredericksburg, Texas.
You forgot Galena Illinois
Dahlonega, Georgia is one of the most incredible places for Christmas time. The streets are all lit up, live music on the square and a blissful feeling of happiness as you walk the streets and shop in vintage style stores. Trees surrounding the square are lit up and there’s a cheeriness in the air.
Need some southern flavor. Like St Augustine or Dunedin, FL
You missed Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth MI is fantastic and has a great Christmas vibe all year
round.
Tarpon Springs, Florida, is the home of the largest Greek community in the United States. This vibrant little town is decorated to the max from Thanksgiving through New Years. We just love going down the avenue seeing all the shops! Come visit our little town!