FREE Santa Photos – Get Professional Pictures with Santa for FREE In the Northwest (and Nationally)!
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Free Santa Photos for the NW (Updated for 2022)!
Santa photos are a tradition for many families but they can be so pricey. The great news is that there are some quality free options available if you want. I have compiled a list of Free Santa Photo opps I am aware of. Please comment below with any additional ones you find. Some of the free photo opps are already going on!
My favorite thing about many of these free opportunities is that many offer experiences – rather than just a quick photo (ie: there are free beverages and treats too)! We have done a few of these personally, and it has become a new family tradition for us!
Free Santa Photos Available Nationally:
We recommend you call ahead to confirm dates etc. as things are often changing, depending on current mandates – so all of these dates are subject to change if those do.
Bass Pro – National – Nov. 5th through December 24th. – Open for reservations now. Check their website for times. You will need to sign up to get a Bass Pass with the time you want to go (visit the ticket booth in store for your Bass Pass). Time slots are available at various times throughout the week. Get a free 4×6 studio quality photos with Santa (he was sitting behind plexiglass last year – but not sure what the protocol for this year will be yet). Be sure to check their schedule for specific times.
Cabela’s – Lacey & Marysville in NW , Nov. 5th through December 24th. Open for reservations now. This will work the same way as Bass Pro this year for the Santa Wonderland. You will need to sign up to get a Bass Pass with the time you want to go (visit the ticket booth in store for your Bass Pass). Time slots are available at various times throughout the week. Get a free 4×6 studio quality photos with Santa in store. Be sure to check their schedule for specific times. We did this one last year for a birthday party and they turned out great!
Free Santa Photos In The Pacific NW:
Washington
Free Santa Photos (toy donations required) With Excel Real Estate in Maple Valley – December 2nd, from 3-7pm. Come out for a great time with THE REAL Santa & Mrs Claus and get your picture taken for FREE, with donation of a toy to Footprints of Fight! While you are here, write letters to Santa, and enjoy some refreshments. The photos will be professional quality and will be taken by a high quality professional photographer.
Free Santa Photos Santa Land 2022 in Maple Valley, December 3rd, 9am to 12pm. Santa land 2022. Come get your free Santa photo with the best Santa in the northwest. This year you’ll receive your photo right away. We will have full Lighting and TriPod for YOUR Camera or Phone. If you dont have one, they will have one for you. Enjoy some cocoa, donuts. Make sure to write a letter to Santa before you go.
Santa Photos for free at the Whidbey Farm and Market – Whidbey Island, December 3rd, 11:30am to 2:30pm.Make special memories this year by bringing the little ones for free photos with Santa with free crafts while you wait. Presented by Amelia Johnson with Tucker Realty
Free Santa Photos & Cocoa At IGA! Granite Falls, December 3, 11am – 2pm. Santa will be here to take photos and will also have free hot cocoa for you while you wait!
Pike Place Market Santa Visit and Photos – December 3rd & 10th, from 11am to 4 pm. They will also be offering more free photos on December 3rd as well as December 10. After getting your holiday pic, make it a Market Day and cross off everyone on your holiday list with one-of-a-kind shopping. Then rejuvenate with some holiday treats and drinks at any of our Market eateries.
Santa Photos in a Glass Sleigh in the Space Needle! – Seattle, multiple dates through December. While the Santa photos are free, you will have to pay to go up in the Space Needle, so this one is not really free. However, if a trip to the Space Needle sounds fun, then you should definitely grab one of these free photos once you are up there!
Venture out onto the world’s first and only revolving glass floor to meet Santa in his all-glass sleigh. Our professional photographers will be there to capture the moment along with Santa’s elves to help set you up for the ultimate holiday photo op! All Guests will receive a free digital photo with Santa, included with every visit.
FREE Photo with Santa, Kids Activities, Giveaways & Holiday Cheer!! Everett at Modern Home Furniture, December 4, 3pm to 5pm. Come have fun & make Christmas memories! Santa will be at Modern Hone Furniture Everett, Sunday December 4th from 3-5pm for Complimentary photos with the Family! Plus, there will be Gifts, treats, games, Balloons, Face-painting, giveaway & Holiday Cheer!!
Sambica Christmas Carnival – Bellevue – First & Second Weekend of December. Gather on the field for festive fun for the whole family, as well as enjoy holiday desserts in our first ever Christmas Yurt Village. This FREE event includes free photos with Santa, carnival games, coffee cart, light displays, and more!
Free photos with Santa in Renton on Dec 10th & 17th (pets welcome too) at the Renton Civic Center
Free Santa Photos in Snohomish – December 10. Santa Clause will be there with a professional photographer and treats for everyone. All digital photos from the professional photographer are free and will be sent to you in a high resolution format online to post and print! Dogs are welcome but we ask that they be leashed during their time here. Reserve your timeslot on their events page here.
Photos with Santa in Everett – December 11, from 2pm to 4pm. FREE Santa photos! Christmas cookies, Cider & Santa!
Photos with Santa and the Reindeer at the Weatherly Inn (Tacoma) – December 15, 3-7 pm . Live Reindeer and Santa Photos on Thursday, December 15th from 3-7pm. Santa photos are complimentary!
Free Fun with Santa at Sunrise Village – Puyallup, December 17, 3-6pm Create family memories and traditions this holiday season! Free photos with Elsa that you can take yourself, story time with Santa and more. Stroll around Sunrise Village to look at the gingerbread houses, enjoy hot cocoa and more.
Free Santa Photos in Maple Valley with Excel Real Estate – (They have offered these in years past, but have not confirmed if it will be happening this year or not. Will update here once we do.) Come out for a great time with THE REAL Santa & Mrs Claus and get your picture taken for FREE, with donation of a toy to Footprints of Fight!
Santa House in Renton – (They have offered these in years past, but have not confirmed if it will be happening this year or not. Will update here once we do.) Bring your children and four-legged friends to capture holiday moments with Santa. Santa’s House will be open the first three Saturdays and one Sunday in December. Photos can be downloaded for free on the event Facebook page. Prints will be available for purchase for a suggested donation.
Sterino Farms – (They have offered these in years past, but have not confirmed if it will be happening this year or not. Will update here once we do.) Puyallup; Santa will visits on Saturdays & Sundays in December from 1-3pm for you to take socially distant pictures with Santa last year – still waiting to see if they update their page with an event for this year.
Free Photos with Santa & a special guest – Red Barn Market, Puyallup – Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 10am – 6pm. You can bring your pets to get photos too! (Special guests include Mrs Clause, Rudolph & more). These are not professional photos – but a chance to take your own photos.
More Options::
Here is a free photo we got with Santa and Mrs. Claus while we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge a couple of years ago. Get a great frame and the photos you take with your kids and Santa can be just as fun as the professional ones!
Great Wolf Lodge is still advertising visits with Santa this year, starting on November 26, and you will have the opportunity to take pictures with him that way. There is a deal with rooms starting as low as $139 on Groupon right now, if this sounds like fun.
Pacific Place – downtown Seattle – They will have a Noel Themed Floral Event this year, that makes for fun Holiday Themed Selfie spots for photos this year.
Hometown Holidays – December 2nd in downtown Camas (technically Wa. but near Portland area). They will be offering Santa photo opps this year.
This Santa Sleigh is at Carpinitos in Kent and there are live reindeer for viewing behind the fence you see in the picture above. Viewing and photos with your own camera are FREE!
Free Reindeer Photo Opps & More:
In the past both of these spots have offered Reindeer photo opps. Be sure to call ahead to confirm for this year before visiting.
Carpinito Bros in Kent
Watson’s Nursery in Puyallup
FREE Pet Photos with Santa at PetSmart! (They have offered these in years past, but have not confirmed if it will be happening this year or not. Will update here once we do.) Get photos with Santa & your pet.
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Walmart 12/1 – 12/2. From 10-2 are doing free Santa 5×7
Thanks Cheyanne! We got Walmart added to the list – great tip!
Is 12/1 and 12/2 the only days?
Hi Wendy, I believe that is an older comment. I did not find any Walmarts doing the photos around the NW this year. Let us know if you find out differently!
Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Auburn, WA will have Santa on December 20th. From 6-9 PM. Photographer will be available but BYOC is welcome. :)
Thanks Zulema, we will add that to the article.
Any ideas on where to get free Santa photos in the Portland area?
Hi Catherine – there are the national offers (Walmart, Walgreens, Bass Pro and Cabelas). A reader also left this tip on the TNWM Facebook page “Tomorrow, Santa will arrive by train in Independence, OR outside the library and free photos will be taken from 1-3”. I will look around first thing next week too, and see if we can start to build a better list for those of you in the Portland area too!
Anacortes has events every weekend, some and free, some are low cost, as well as some fundraising functions!
Thanks Robyn! Looks like the free santa photo event was tonight, and I did not get it added in time…but I have marked it down to be sure and add to next years list. Thanks for the tip!
We go to Molbaks Nursery every year. Not only is it festive and gorgeous, but you can take your OWN pictures with Santa for free!
Oh yes, I grew up going to Molbaks (and Whites) Raelyn – they are my moms 2 favorite nurseries. We love it there too!
Awesome site! Thank you so much :)
https://www.centralpiercefire.org/Calendar.aspx?Range=30&Type=ALL
In the Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway, Frederickson area – the local fire department – Central Pierce Fire & Rescue does free Santa photos every year. Just go to the Events and Activities in their website to find the times and locations. Centralpiercefire.org I tried to copy the link but I don’t know if it will work. There are cookies, juice, coffee and meeting with Santa.
Heaven Sent – 1200 S 324th Federal Way is also doing them for free. Sun. December 4 12-3pm.
Thanks Rori – do you have a link to their event (I dont see it on the Happenings page of their website)? Are they taking the photo and giving it to you, or do they have a santa on site you can use your own camera to take pictures with. If we can get these details we will add it to the list. Thanks so much!
Good to see this tradition is free for all the good boys and girls … thanks for the info!
Another free Santa photo oppertunity (same crew that does Motif Hotels event ) Will be doing one at Crowne Plaza Hotel Seattle Airport from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Saturday December 16th
This event is also supporting Toys for Tots
Jim – Thank you for letting us know about the Santa pictures at Crowne Plaza. I didn’t read this post until it was too late. We have attended the Motif Hotel Santa pictures for the last 7 years in a row. My daughter was devastated last night when I told her we probably weren’t going to get Santa pictures this year (since Motif is taking a year off). Do you know how we can find out Santa’s schedule? We are really hoping for the Motif Santa. Any tips you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Jen – Jim’s comment was from last year, so not sure he will see your reply this year and wanted to send you a couple of more options we found in case they work for you guys this year (not the Motif Santa, but other free options besides Cabelas and Bass Pro)
https://www.facebook.com/events/209141113323199/ (free digital copy in Bothel area, tomorrow 12/19)
https://www.facebook.com/events/195243228095659/ (free printed and digital photo at Kona Kai Coffee in Tukwila Thursday, 12/20)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1058742157643333/ (free photos in Snohomish area with canned good food donation)
Hope that helps you guys get your picture this year. If we learn any more about the Motif santa we will let you know. Thanks!
Camas is in WA
Thanks for catching that Crystal, we will update the wording on that.
Anyone know of so.eshere to get a 1st christmas photo for my son thats open today?
Does anyone know a place that’ll do 1st christmas photos with santa on christmas day in either king,snohomish,or pierce counties??
We love the Santa in your photo. I think we ran into him at Motif in downtown Seattle. Do you know if we’ll be able to see him again this year?