By Heather Rader
Posted On: Dec 12, 2022
As the largest indoor year-round Christmas attraction in the United States, Castle Noel is a Christmas wonderland!
The holiday extravaganza opened in 2013 by Mark and Dana Klaus (yes, that's their real last name!) in an abandoned church in Medina. Over the last ten years, the Klaus' have created a magical holiday museum that’s fun and nostalgic for the entire family!
Mr. Klaus is a real-life Santa with his jolly expressions and long white beard. He claims his love for all things Christmas comes from his father who "was the original Clark Griswold."
You can certainly feel his Christmas cheer as you step inside this fantasy world known as Castle Noel for a complete sensory overload of Christmas delight! While there are thousands of holiday elements covering every inch of this Christmas castle, here's a few highlights to get you into the holiday spirit:
The Grinch costume worn by Jim Carrey
As the world’s largest privately owned collection of Hollywood Christmas movie props, you'll be delighted to see your favorite Christmas movie character's costume up close. Castle Noel has costumes and props from Elf, The Grinch, Fred Claus, Deck The Halls, Christmas With The Kranks, Jingle All The Way, The Santa Clause 1, 2, and 3, Christmas Carol, and more!
NYC Window Display
You'll be in awe of the vibrant and whimsical animated Christmas window displays from New York City department stores. Castle Noel showcases millions of dollars of animated window displays from Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, and Sak's Fifth Avenue. The Castle Noel team have lovingly curated these large-scale displays and the intricate details memorizes visitors!
Feel like a kid again as you admire thousands of toys in the "I Had That" toyland exhibit. Featuring toys from the 1950's through the early 2000's, they'll surely put a smile on your face and bring back memories of your favorite childhood toy.
Santa Clause Mountain
Fun interactive exhibits will make you feel the Christmas spirit as you can't help but smile as you go through them. Walk through the Blizzard Vortex Tunnel, snap a photo in front of Cousin Eddie's RV from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, be like Santa going down chimneys on Christmas Eve in the Santa Chimney Squeeze, and take a joy ride down the giant red slide on Santa Clause Mountain, a recreation of the 1983 A Christmas Story department store scene.
Everywhere you look at Castle Noel, spectacular Christmas decorations adorn the walls, ceilings and floors. Vintage Christmas décor, the beautiful Lord & Taylor Christmas Clock, and the Glass Ornament Ceiling which is decorated with more than 100,000 ornaments are just a few of the many festive holiday decorations you'll find at Castle Noel.
There's so much to see at Castle Noel, that just one visit isn't enough to experience all the magic in the 40,000+ square-foot building! Tours are guided and last about 1.5-2 hours and reservations online are required prior to your visit. November and December are the busiest months at Castle Noel, but the festive attraction is open year-round to experience holiday cheer throughout the year.
For more holiday attractions this #HolidaysinOhio season, check out #OhioFindItHere at Ohio.org.
