Get in the Christmas Spirit at This Kentucky Reindeer Farm

Children may see the flash of Santa's reindeer crossing the night's sky on Christmas Eve, but there is one farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where you can see these magical creatures long before St. Nick's yearly visit. Plan a visit to The Reindeer Farm to see Santa's sleigh ride companions up close and personal for a festive outing with family and friends.

A Family Tradition

Owners Jessica and Russell Anderson came up with the idea to start a reindeer farm about five years ago when they were up late one night shortly after the birth of their third child.

"Russell said he wanted to do something together as a family," Jessica told Southern Living. "It was easy to make the connection to Christmas because I love Christmas. We are a family of many holiday traditions. It was then that I suggested we get reindeer."

Though often thought of as mythical creatures, reindeer (also known as caribou) are a very real species of deer native to northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. They cannot be found in the wild in the continental U.S., so a reindeer farm is your best bet to meet these whimsical four-legged friends.

Meet the Reindeer

You can meet Blitzen, Moodolf, Rudolph, Fireball, Flea, Mistletoe, and Clarice at the Andersons' farm. Like people, Jessica said, reindeer have different personalities, so some are more outgoing than others. Three-year-old Blitzen, though, is an absolute ham.

"He loves everyone and wants all his new friends to rub his ears," Jessica said.

The Reindeer Farm is also home to alpacas, holland lop rabbits, chickens, and a bunch of "mini" animals, including cows, horses, and donkeys, plus Mack the Mule.

Activities

In addition to visiting with the reindeer, the Andersons provide a day of festive fun for families. Families can make seasonal crafts together, play on an indoor playground, grab lunch from a visiting food truck, write letters to Santa, or even watch a Christmas movie in the farm's Holiday Barn. Santa plans to make guest appearances on special days throughout the season, and Frozen's Anna and Elsa will even stop by to visit their reindeer pal Sven's brothers and sisters.

Jessica said she loves being able to keep the magic of Christmastime alive with a bit of help from her family's North Pole transplants.

"Kids will often whisper their Christmas wish list to the reindeer," she said. "They're often speechless that Santa's reindeer are being cared for at our farm. What we love is being able to provide a unique experience that you can't get everywhere. It feels special and magical."

Depending on the weather, play corn hole or mega chess or cozy up near the fire pit. Write your letter to Santa and listen to Christmas music all day long. Whatever you choose to do, this unique Christmastime activity offers ways to commemorate this season's festivities.