On Saturday, Dec. 5, three different Santas will be on duty within Rochester Hills. One sits by the fireplace in an 1840s farmhouse at Van Hoosen Farm. One stands along the Holiday Walk route inside Meadow Brook Hall. The third is in his winter setup at The Village of Rochester Hills. Each one has a different way in. One needs a ticket that goes on sale at midnight on Halloween. One needs a ticket that is on sale today and, according to the venue, is expected to sell out. The third is free and needs no ticket.
That pattern holds for the whole season. The holiday calendar in Rochester Hills gets decided weeks before the lights go up. Each of the three anchor venues sells access on its own schedule, and the easiest one to put off is also the only one that never runs out.
Three Dates Settle the Season
These are the dates that matter in order, counting from Oct. 12:
- Now. Every ticketed event in the Holidays at Meadow Brook series is already on sale at the estate on the Oakland University campus.
- Oct. 31, 12:00 a.m. Tickets go on sale for A Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm.
- Nov. 20, 6 p.m. Light the Village opens the season at The Village of Rochester Hills. No ticket is needed.
The City of Rochester Hills is not running a separate event that competes with these. Its official December 2026 calendar lists public meetings and City Hall holiday closures, and no named holiday celebration. So the season in town really comes down to these three venues and the dates they open their doors.
Meadow Brook Hall Sells the Season Early
Meadow Brook's own Holidays at Meadow Brook announcement leaves no doubt about how fast these go:
"All events are expected to sell out. Book your tickets today!"
The two core experiences run on a split schedule. Holiday Walk is a self-guided indoor tour of the mansion's three main floors. It features more than 50 decorated trees, including a 10-foot poinsettia tree built from 150 live plants. It runs most dates from Friday, Nov. 27 through Dec. 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends, at $22 for adults and $9 for youth. After dark, Winter Wonder Lights takes over the grounds with light displays, bonfires, hot cocoa and selfie stations. It runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m. most nights over the same stretch, at $23 for adults and $13 for youth.
The smaller special events will go first, and two of them are new for 2026:
- Holiday Soiree, new, Wednesday, Dec. 2. Live carolers, an open bar, a strolling dinner, valet, and music by Ben Sharkey with a five-piece band. $175, or $157.50 for members.
- Candlelight Tours, new, Dec. 1, 15 and 16. A self-guided evening lit by candles and fireplaces, with a cash bar, a hot cocoa bar and live music. $40, or $36 for members.
- Tannenbaum Teas, Mondays, Dec. 7 and 14. This is the only guided Holiday Walk tour, held while the mansion is otherwise closed, and includes a group portrait and valet. $125, or $112.50 for members.
- Holiday Tea & Tour, select dates in November and December, served in the Dining Room. $95, or $85.50 for members.
- Santa Saturdays, Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19. $25 for adults, $12 for children.
- Family Nights at Winter Wonder Lights, Sundays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13 and 27. Kids 12 and under get in free with the promo code FAMILY, up to four free youth tickets per booking.
The stakes for the venue are high too. Meadow Brook Hall is fully self-supporting and depends on events like the annual holiday season to fund the preservation of the National Historic Landmark.
Van Hoosen's Santa Opens on Halloween
The second box office opens on a date most people will spend thinking about costumes. Tickets for A Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus 2026 at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, go on sale Oct. 31 at 12:00 a.m. EDT. Prices start at $7. The visit is on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ticket holders check in and wait to be called.
The City's description of the program lays out the visit. Guests ride a farm wagon to the 1840s Farmhouse, where Santa sits by the fireplace and a treat waits in the kitchen. It always falls on the first Saturday in December, and that is Dec. 5 this year.
Two weeks later the museum hosts Old Fashioned Christmas 2026 on Saturday, Dec. 19, from noon to 4 p.m. The lineup includes chestnuts roasted over an open fire, live music by students of the Oakland Youth Orchestra, and the museum's Outdoor Engagement team talking about the mammals and natural resources of Stony Creek. Farm wagons carry guests between buildings. The Eventbrite listing shows a price range of $0 to $5 and does not say whether walk-ins are accepted. Booking through the listing is the safer plan. Most of the event takes place outdoors, so the museum asks guests to dress for the weather.
The Village Sells Nothing, and That Changes the Plan
The Village of Rochester Hills is the free counterweight to all of that ticketing. Its season opens with Light the Village on Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. The 375,000-square-foot outdoor center will be covered in more than 800,000 lights. Jay Towers of FOX 2 and WNIC-FM 100.3 is the emcee, and the evening includes holiday music, food, a fireworks display and Santa's first appearance of 2026.
After that, Santa visits at The Village are free for all ages, parking is free, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own camera. The posted schedule includes two sessions that the ticketed venues don't offer. Saturday, Nov. 21 is listed as a Special Needs session from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 is Pet Day, from 2 to 6 p.m. Visits continue on set dates through Christmas Eve.
The Village's October calendar is still running too. Its Pumpkin Patch in Festival Park, open since Oct. 9, takes a $5 donation per pumpkin, and every dollar goes to The Rainbow Connection. Witches Night is Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m., with offers at Talbots, Evereve, Pokeworks, Pandora and P.F. Chang's.
Since The Village needs no booking, it fills the gaps around whatever else gets reserved. That matters most on two specific Saturdays.
Dec. 5 and Dec. 19 Bring All Three Together
On Dec. 5, all three venues have Santa programming on the same day. On Dec. 19, Meadow Brook and The Village both have Santa while Van Hoosen hosts Old Fashioned Christmas:
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Saturday, Dec. 19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Van Hoosen Farm | Santa & Mrs. Claus, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., ticketed from $7 | Old Fashioned Christmas, noon–4 p.m., $0–$5 |
| Meadow Brook Hall | Santa Saturday, $25 adults / $12 children | Santa Saturday, $25 adults / $12 children |
| The Village | Free Santa, noon–4 p.m. and 4–8 p.m. | Free Santa, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and 4–9 p.m. |
On both dates the free option runs later than the ticketed ones, and on Dec. 19 the Village holds Santa hours until 9 p.m. That makes a simple order work. Book a daytime slot at Van Hoosen or Meadow Brook, then go to The Village in the evening. If the ticketed options sell out, the free Village Santa is still there on both Saturdays.
Sunday, Dec. 6 also has a fitting follow-up. It is one of Meadow Brook's Family Nights, when kids 12 and under get into Winter Wonder Lights free with the FAMILY code.
The Walk-In Option That Runs Through Dec. 30
One more option needs no early planning. The All Aboard! model railroad exhibit, built and installed by the Stoney Creek Model Railroad Club, fills the Calf Barn at Van Hoosen Farm. It runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Nov. 27, 28 and 29 and on Dec. 5, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. No registration is required. Admission is free for museum members, $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students. The listing notes exceptions on Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, the two event Saturdays. The museum's program page adds a scavenger hunt through the exhibit. No January 2027 dates have been posted yet.
The run from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30 lines up with the last nights of Holiday Walk and Winter Wonder Lights at Meadow Brook, which also end Dec. 30. For anyone hosting family between Christmas and New Year's, that week has a train exhibit by day and a lit estate at night, and the trains need nothing booked ahead.
If you're hosting out-of-town family in Rochester Hills this season and they start asking what homes near Meadow Brook or Van Hoosen Farm go for, Kyle Matta can give you a real answer before they head home. Request a Complimentary Home Valuation.
