It may only be October, but it is already Christmas in Hermitage, Pa. Kraynak’s Christmasland, also known as Santa’s Christmasland, opened for the season on Sept. 10, it runs through Dec. 31, and it is still completely free to walk through. If you want to get in the spirit early, or beat the holiday rush, now is a great time to go.
Kraynak’s has been a Hermitage fixture since 1949, when John Kraynak Sr. opened it as a lawn and garden center. In 1963 he created Santa’s Christmasland to bring customers in during the slower season, and this year the display is celebrating its 63rd year. That is more than 70 years of Kraynak’s and more than six decades of Christmas magic, all just a short drive across the state line from the Mahoning Valley.
A 300-foot walk through Kraynak’s Christmasland
The display is a 300-foot indoor hallway of rooms, each one with its own theme, its own decorated trees and its own animated characters. Kraynak’s changes the scenes every year, so no two visits are quite the same. Here are a few of the scenes we spotted on our walk through.
Santa and Mrs. Claus are the stars of one of the first scenes, relaxing on a snowy bench in their skates, surrounded by trees dressed in red, white, gold and icy blue. Nearby, a red sleigh and a horse wearing sleigh bells wait on a gravel path under strings of lights.
Over in the Christmas Baking, teams of elves with names like Snowy Flakes and Festive are hard at work with gingerbread houses, cookies, cakes and trees decorated with sweets. Look closely and you will find ovens, mixing bowls and a gingerbread man or two keeping an eye on the competition.
The Disney scene is a candy-colored favorite for kids, with Minnie and Mickey welcoming visitors at their own gingerbread-style houses, Pluto trying to nap in the snow, and Donald, Goofy and Stitch joining the fun. Peppermint circles dot the snowy floor, and the trees are covered in ribbons and candy canes.
Down on the farm, the barnyard animals are putting on a Show. The models, dressed as Santa, a gingerbread cookie, a Christmas tree and more, while sheep, a cow and a pig look on from hay bales.
Book lovers will want to stop at the Dr. Seuss library, where puppet children gather around a giant open storybook. The Lorax, the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch are all there, along with Dr. Seuss books hanging from the trees.
Fans of the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special will feel right at home in the Island of Misfit Toys scene, where Charlie-in-the-Box, Hermey, Yukon Cornelius and a giant, friendly Bumble are surrounded by snow, icicles and glowing trees. As in past years, the walk ends with a Nativity scene.
For many families in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys, the trip to Kraynak’s is a yearly ritual that has been passed down from grandparents to grandchildren. We have visited before, so if you want more of the story behind the display, read our look at 60 years of family tradition at Kraynak’s and our visit to Kraynak’s Christmasland in 2024.
Plan your visit
- Where: Kraynak’s, 2525 E. State St., Hermitage, PA 16148
- When: Through Dec. 31. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- Cost: Free to walk through
- Santa: Santa has a room at the back of the store. Visits are free, but you need to buy a photo from the store to take a picture with him. Check with Kraynak’s for his schedule.
- Tip: Weekdays and early in the season tend to be the least crowded.
- Questions: Call 724-347-4511 or visit kraynaks.com/christmasland
Many of the trees, ornaments and decorations in the display are for sale, so you may leave with a few ideas, or a few new ornaments, for your own tree.
