Sacramento has plenty of places to see Santa in December, but the California Automobile Museum’s version is genuinely different. Families take their photos inside a vintage Kiddieland fire truck dressed up with presents and holiday lights—while more than 150 cars, trucks, and motorcycles from a century of American automotive history surround them on the museum floor. It’s one part holiday photo session, one part afternoon outing, and it lands the Sunday before Christmas.
What Is Cars and Cocoa With Santa?
Cars and Cocoa With Santa and Mrs. Claus is an annual event at the California Automobile Museum, one of the largest car collections in California. For one morning in December, the museum sets up Santa and Mrs. Claus inside a Kiddieland fire truck that’s been decked out with presents and string lights. Families walk up, spend a few minutes with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and snap their own photos. There’s no print service on-site and no separate ticket required—the experience is included with regular museum admission. Hot cocoa is available for purchase from a local vendor on the floor, and holiday crafts are set up for kids.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 20. Families who want to avoid the longest waits should aim to arrive by 10:30 a.m., while the event is fresh and before it fills up in the midday hour. The museum itself stays open until 5 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.), so there’s time to walk the collection after the Santa visit.
About the California Automobile Museum
The California Automobile Museum sits at 2200 Front Street in Sacramento’s South Side neighborhood, about a mile south of Old Sacramento along the waterfront. Founded in 1987, it holds more than 150 vehicles on a single large floor—everything from early brass-era automobiles to muscle cars to custom rods. Kids who came for Santa tend to stay for the cars. The collection includes a 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, a 1927 Ford Model T Roadster, and a 1931 Duesenberg Model J among its older pieces. The floor is walkable in about an hour without rushing.
In December 2026, the museum also has Sunday Drives on December 20—short rides in museum vehicles, free with paid admission—which coincides with Cars and Cocoa. That makes December 20 one of the better single days to visit the museum all season. The museum is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and closes early at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
The Details
- Event: Cars and Cocoa With Santa and Mrs. Claus 2026
- Date: Sunday, December 20, 2026
- Event hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Museum hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.)
- Address: 2200 Front Street, Sacramento, CA 95818
- Admission: Adults $14 | Seniors (65+) $12 | Veterans & Students $12 | Youth (6–17) $8 | Children 5 & under free | Members free | Museums for All (SNAP/WIC) $5 per person
- Santa photos: Included with admission; bring your own phone or camera
- Hot cocoa: Available for purchase from a local vendor
- Holiday crafts: On-site during the event
- No registration required
- Phone: 916-442-6802
- More info: calautomuseum.org
What to Know Before You Go
The museum is open Wednesday through Monday; it’s closed Tuesdays. December 20 is a Sunday, so no issue there. Parking along Front Street and the surrounding blocks is generally available on weekends. The museum recommends searching “Land Park Drive & 16th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95822” in maps to reach the front entrance—the official mailing address at 2200 Front Street does not navigate accurately to the front door.
If you’re bringing kids under five, they get in free. The museum’s Museums for All program gives households with SNAP EBT or WIC cards access for $5 per person, up to four people. Members get in free regardless of age.
The Santa visit itself is unstructured—no timed entry, no assigned slots. Plan to wait a few minutes during the busiest window (roughly 11 a.m. to noon), and arrive early if a long line isn’t your thing. The hot cocoa runs on a first-come basis from the vendor on the floor.
Pair It With Something Nearby
The California Automobile Museum is a quick drive from downtown Sacramento. For more December family options the same weekend, Fairytale Town’s Winter Wonderland is running in Land Park through December. If you want to turn the day into more of an outing, the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink is operating nearby in December, and the full list of Sacramento Christmas events covers what else is happening that month.
Bottom Line
Cars and Cocoa With Santa is a low-key, genuinely fun Sacramento tradition for families who want something a little more memorable than a mall Santa. The vintage fire truck, the museum backdrop, and the free admission for kids under five make it worth the trip—especially given that December 20 also brings Sunday Drives on the same day. Confirm details and check for any updates at calautomuseum.org/carsandcocoa2026 before you go.
