• Home
  • What to Expect
  • FAQ
  • How to Prepare
  • Heirloom Santa Storybooks
  • Our Santa Themes
    • Santa’s Magic Workshop
    • Santa’s Enchanted Forest
    • Santa’s Cabin
    • Storytime with Santa
    • Santa’s North Pole Lodge
    • The Magic Behind the Images
  • Testimonials
  • Santa Prices
  • Contact
The Best Santa ExperienceThe Best Santa Experience
The Best Santa ExperienceThe Best Santa Experience
  • Home
  • What to Expect
  • FAQ
  • How to Prepare
  • Heirloom Santa Storybooks
  • Our Santa Themes
    • Santa’s Magic Workshop
    • Santa’s Enchanted Forest
    • Santa’s Cabin
    • Storytime with Santa
    • Santa’s North Pole Lodge
    • The Magic Behind the Images
  • Testimonials
  • Santa Prices
  • Contact

"Santa's Magic Workshop" is returning in November of 2025, and we are taking reservations now!

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Please Click Here To Schedule Your Visit Today!
A sweet little girl takes a peek into Santa's magic toy bag at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.

Welcome to The Best Santa Experience in the Midwest brought to you by Michael Anderson Photography!

Our photography studio, located in our Mounds View, Minnesota home is about 15 minutes north of both downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.

Our studio has allowed us to create more than just pictures, we’ve created family heirlooms for hundreds of families from all over the Twin Cities area. Our clients come from cities and towns like Woodbury, MN, Edina, MN, Stillwater, MN, Chaska, MN, Eden Prairie, MN, Cambridge, MN, Bloomington, MN, Mankato, MN, Hudson, WI. Many others travel to our amazing Santa experience from Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas as well. 

Click Here To Schedule Today!

“This was an amazing experience/the ultimate Santa experience for us. Our son has special needs and they were very prepared to help keep him happy and entertained. So much patience to get the right shots and Santa was perfect!  It was a great family experience that will last forever.” – Nick K.

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Imagine a Place Where Christmas Magic Really Exists

The Best Santa Experience will be the highlight of your family’s holiday season! We not only specialize in luxurious family and children’s holiday artwork, our interactive, highly personalized Santa Claus Experience is truly something to behold.

These are not your average mall pictures with Santa Claus. From the excitement of that first glimpse of Santa to finding their name on“The Nice List”, children, parents, and grandparents alike, walk away with memories that will last a lifetime.

The incredible artwork created during The Best Santa Experience will absolutely amaze you!

When you visit The Best Santa Experience at Michael Anderson Photography, you’ll be getting much more than just Santa photos. You’re getting memories that will last a lifetime accompanied by stunning art pieces and our very popular storybooks. These are stunning images of the most important people in your life; your family and your children.

  • A little girl takes a ride on Santa's magic sled at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • Santa Claus shows his "Nice List" to a brother and sister The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • Santa's reads a story from his magic book to a couple of adorable girls at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • A cute little girl hears a story from Santa's magic book at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • A little girl gets to peek in Santa's magic kaleidoscope at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • An adorable boy takes flight on Santa's magic sled at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • A little boy paints a toy truck with Santa at The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.
  • A little girl and her big brother peek into Santa's magic toy bag at The Best Santa Experience.
Please Click Here To Schedule Your Amazing Visit Today!

“Our experience was better than we had even hoped for. From the moment we stepped into their home, we felt so comfortable and welcomed. There’s a nice bathroom for changing when you arrive, and the living room/waiting area is filled with amazing photography and snacks. 😉 Then the magic happens.🎅 

You get to spend nearly an hour watching your kids hang out with Santa Claus. And this is the real Santa Claus, make no mistake! My three-year-old girl was in her element- let me tell you! And my one-year-old boy who I thought might be afraid, wasn’t in the least! it was one of those times that you want to remember forever.💗 

Santa read my daughter’s letter with care, took both kids on a magic sledding adventure, gave them gifts, showed them his magic Globe, let them look in his giant bag of toys, read Twas the Night Before Christmas, and even enjoyed milk and cookies together. 

The best part was the amazing interactions and expressions were all caught on camera by Michael and Joannie- 2 very friendly and talented elves.

Last, I just wanted to mention we did not feel rushed at all! All 4 of us felt special and comfortable. What a delightful experience. Thank you!” –  Catrina P.

You Have Found That Place

The majority of our clients come to us from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding areas. But we have had many visit us from several hours away.

If you were searching for Santa photos, be prepared to be blown away, as we will
give you so much more than pictures with Santa Claus.

We look forward to creating an exquisite holiday storybook and artwork of Santa Claus with your children, and to giving you holiday memories that will last for generations.

What to Expect

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the magic and wonder of Christmas as seen through the eyes of your child. It was our goal to create a place where the magic of Christmas really exists…

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How to Prepare

What you need to know as far as scheduling, how to stay up to date, how the process works, what you should wear and more.

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FAQ

Have questions about our process? What to do if your child is afraid of Santa? What’s included in a session, what your child should wear, etc. Check out our FAQ for all these answers and more.

Click to View FAQ

“This is a truly magical experience. For years, we have been going to a place in the mall where Santa interacts with our children. We liked it a lot and felt like it would be hard to beat until we experienced The Best Santa Experience. 

My oldest daughter (7) was starting to ask some really hard questions and questioning her belief. We told her to ask those questions to Santa and see what he says. This Santa had all of the right answers and very similar to how we were answering them ourselves. She told me when we got home she is for sure he is real! 

Elves Michael and Joannie were wonderful to work with also. Our youngest was trying to explore what it would be like to be on the naughty list and they assured us our kiddos did great. At first, we were a little skeptical about this experience but now we will be coming back next year!” – Tanya O.

Cystic Fibrosis and The Best Santa Experience

Just as we’ve done for the past several years, The Best Santa Experience will be raising money for Cystic Fibrosis once again in 2023.

With the help of our generous clients, we’ve raised thousands of dollars each year for Cystic Fibrosis. Over $11,000 in 2021 and 2022 alone! It’s our small way of helping to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Each family will make a donation of $75 or more for Cystic Fibrosis. In addition, “Elves” Michael and Joannie Anderson will donate a portion of each client’s custom Heirloom Santa Storybooks and Santa Wall Art orders to CF as well.

Our Godchild, Lindsey, was born with CF. In October 2016, Lindsey received a double lung transplant at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis. She came out of that surgery with flying colors! And, in October 2019, Joannie and I had the honor of photographing her wedding to Wes at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota!

Sadly, on June 22, 2022, Lindsey lost her battle with CF. We all miss her dearly.

We know that there are many others that might be in that same boat someday. That’s why we’re raising money to help them to find a cure. We’d like to put an end to Cystic Fibrosis once-and-for-all.

That’s why The Best Santa Experience will continue, both now and in the foreseeable future, to be a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis in Lindsey’s memory.

Click Here To Schedule Your Visit With Mr. Kringle Today!

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Location

  • Our home studio is located in Mounds View, MN, is just 15 minutes north of both Minneapolis and St. Paul just west of 35W.
  • 763-785-1177
  • michael@adesignerportraits.com

About Us

The Best Santa Claus Experience will be the highlight of your child’s holiday season (your’s too). These are not your average pictures with Santa Claus. From the excitement of that first glimpse of Santa to finding their name on his “Nice List”, children and parents alike, walk away with memories that will last a lifetime.

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© 2025 · The Best Santa Experience | All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • What to Expect
  • FAQ
  • How to Prepare
  • Heirloom Santa Storybooks
  • Our Santa Themes
    • Santa’s Magic Workshop
    • Santa’s Enchanted Forest
    • Santa’s Cabin
    • Storytime with Santa
    • Santa’s North Pole Lodge
    • The Magic Behind the Images
  • Testimonials
  • Santa Prices
  • Contact