NORWALK, Conn. It took a while, but the word is out: Santa Claus has been holding regular business hours at Norwalk's Stepping Stones Museum for Children.
Jolly Old St. Nick first arrived at the museum for a "North Pole" in 2007, accompanied by Frosty the Snowman. Since then his entourage has grown it now includes a gingerbread man and a dancing dreidel and so has the number of children who come to sit in his lap.
"This has grown enormously over the last four years," said Hyla Crane, the museum's director of education and the organizer of the North Pole. It's now held in the museum's new media center, where the line of families waiting for a visit went out the door Tuesday.
Crane said she has added a new costumed character every year. The driedel is new for 2011. There are also craft projects for the kids. The North Pole is "a nice way to welcome the season," she said.
"It's my favorite part of what we do here during the holidays," she said. "It's wonderful to see people just enjoying themselves. It's not about shopping or rushing, it's just about the characters and the stories that parents and kids, or caretakers and kids, have experienced together."
Guests can see Santa between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. through Friday, and the visit is included in the admission fee to the museum, which ranges from $10-$14. Rides on the Roaming Railroad are also available for $3, or $10 for an all day pass.
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