MIAMI, FL – After enchanting generations of South Florida families for over four decades, the definitive Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure has been confirmed on November 12, 2025. This news marks the permanent end of a beloved Miami holiday tradition, leaving behind a legacy of twinkling lights, festive cheer, and countless cherished Miami Christmas memories.
A Four-Decade Miami Holiday Tradition Fades Away
For 40 years, Santa’s Enchanted Forest was more than just a theme park; it was a cornerstone of the Miami holiday season. Its iconic jingle, “Santa’s Enchanted Forest at Tropical Park off Palmetto and Bird Road,” became an annual earworm for residents, signaling the start of festive celebrations. The park, which once boasted the title of “World’s Largest Holiday Theme Park,” offered a unique blend of rides, shows, food, and elaborate Christmas displays, including the famous “Santa on a Surfboard” and a towering, music-synced Christmas tree. It was a place where adults who visited as Santa’s Enchanted Forest as children now brought their own offspring, cementing its status as a touchstone in the community. The Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure is a difficult reality for many.
The Unsettled Journey Leading to Santa’s Enchanted Forest Closure
The path to permanent closure has been a complex one, beginning with the expiration of its long-standing lease at Miami-Dade County’s Tropical Park in 2020. This marked the beginning of a period of transition for the beloved attraction, owned and operated by the Shechtman family business for its entire 40-year run.
Following the departure from Tropical Park, Santa’s Enchanted Forest relocated to Hialeah Park in 2021. However, this venue proved challenging, plagued by issues such as insufficient parking and long lines, leading to patrons being shuttled via school buses from remote lots. The attraction then moved to a vacant lot on the border of Medley and Doral in 2022, situated near industrial sites. While this location offered more ample parking, it lacked the visibility and familiarity of its previous home. The challenges mounted towards the eventual Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure.
During this transitional period, a new holiday attraction, Christmas Wonderland, emerged and took over the former site at Tropical Park. This led to a competitive landscape, and in 2023, Santa’s Enchanted Forest filed a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County and the operators of Christmas Wonderland, alleging procedural irregularities in the awarding of permits for the Tropical Park site. A judge denied a preliminary motion, allowing Christmas Wonderland to continue operating, further contributing to the Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure narrative.
The Final Chapter: A Reflective Farewell to Santa’s Enchanted Forest
The initial announcement that cast a shadow over the 2024 holiday season came in October 2024, when Santa’s Enchanted Forest posted on Instagram that it would be “closed for the 2024 season as we reflect on four magical decades of cherished memories and plans for the future”. This statement, while hinting at a possible return, offered no concrete guarantees. The possibility of a “Christmas miracle” remained for a time, a hopeful dream for loyal patrons, a stark contrast to the confirmed Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure.
However, by November 12, 2025, the dream was definitively over. Buddy Cormican, who served as the attraction’s manager for 31 years, confirmed that the park’s operating company was dissolved last year (2024), signaling its permanent demise. No new specific reasons for the permanent closure beyond the initial statement of reflection have been disclosed, leaving the exact precipice for its final end somewhat opaque. Yet, the confirmation from long-time staff and the dissolution of the business entity leave no room for doubt about the permanence of the Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure.
A Legacy Endures, Installations May Find New Homes
Cormican expressed his devastation, calling his job “my life” and lamenting the loss of such an integral part of South Florida’s holiday fabric. The fate of iconic installations, such as the illuminated Santa entrance and the rainbow arch walkway, remains uncertain. However, there are efforts underway to preserve some of these beloved pieces, with plans to move them to a property in northern Florida to be stored until a permanent home can be found, a small comfort amidst the Santa’s Enchanted Forest closure.
While the absence of Santa’s Enchanted Forest will undoubtedly leave a void during the Miami holiday season, its impact on generations of families and its unique contribution to the region’s cultural landscape will not be forgotten. This news serves as a poignant reminder of how cherished traditions evolve and, sometimes, must ultimately fade into memory, concluding a significant chapter in Miami’s holiday news and its history. The Tropical Park closure paved the way for this ultimate end of an era.
This article is an editorial commentary reflecting on the closure of a significant Miami landmark, a true end of an era. This is a significant Miami holiday tradition.
