Bass Pro Santa 2026: Free Photos, Dates and How to Book
Santa’s Wonderland is back at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s for 2026. Santa arrives on Saturday, November 7, at 5 p.m. local time, and from Sunday, November 8 through Christmas Eve every visit includes a free 4x6 studio-quality photo with Santa and a free shareable video. Reservations are free and open up to seven days ahead, and walk-ins are accepted first-come, first-served. Extra photo packages cost money. Those are the only parts that do. Here’s the whole 2026 schedule, checked on Bass Pro’s own newsroom.
The 2026 dates Verified October 2026
Bass Pro announced the season in an October 26, 2026 release, which I loaded on October 31. It covers Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores “across the U.S. and Canada.”
| What | When (2026) | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Santa’s arrival celebration, outdoors | Sat Nov 7, 5 p.m. local time | Free |
| Photos with Santa | Sun Nov 8 to Thu Dec 24 | One 4x6 + one video free |
| Weekday giveaway: Santa Ornament Craft | Mon Nov 9 to Fri Nov 27 | Free, while supplies last |
| Weekday giveaway: Bass Sticker-By-Number Sheet | Mon Nov 30 to Fri Dec 18 | Free, while supplies last |
| Christmas Tales story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus | Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Nov 10 to Dec 22 | Free, separate reservation |
| Merry Morning Breakfast | Sat Dec 5, 9 a.m. (reservations open Nov 28) | Free, separate reservation |
A note before you trust any other page. Bass Pro’s own help-center Santa article still described the 2025 season when I loaded it on October 31: “November 1st - December 24th, 2025,” with Santa arriving November 1. The 2026 season starts a week later than that. If a deal blog or a store flyer says November 1, it’s last year’s copy.
What’s free, and what isn’t
Under this site’s rules, a freebie can’t need a purchase, a card number or a paid membership. Santa’s Wonderland passes. The release lists:
- The photo. “a FREE 4×6 studio-quality photo with Santa, as well as a FREE shareable video.”
- The arrival party. A “FREE outdoor Christmas celebration featuring seasonal treats” on November 7, with “a FREE Mini Reindeer Plush giveaway while supplies last.”
- Crafts and a letter. Kids can do crafts and “drop off a letter in Santa’s mailbox.” Include an email address with the letter and they’ll “receive a merry message back from Santa.”
- Reservations. “FREE reservations, available up to seven days in advance.”
What costs money: “Additional photo packages are available for purchase, with CLUB Members receiving 20% off.” You’ll be offered those packages. You don’t have to buy one to keep the free 4x6. A discount on a package is still a purchase, so it isn’t counted as a freebie here.
Weekday giveaways only run on weekdays, so a Saturday visit won’t include the ornament craft.
How to reserve a free Santa visit Verified October 2026
The release sends families to basspro.com/santa or cabelas.com/santa to book a time. Both shop pages refused automated checks on October 31, so I couldn’t read the booking screen. The steps below come from the release and the help center.
- Find your store on the Bass Pro store locator. Each store runs its own calendar.
- Book up to seven days out. For opening day, November 8, that means a booking window that opens around November 1. Last year’s help-center article warned that slots “can go quickly,” so book as soon as your date opens.
- Or walk in. The release says “Walk-ins are always welcome and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.” Expect a wait at busy times.
- Book the extras separately. Christmas Tales (Tuesday story time) and the Merry Morning Breakfast each need their own reservation. Christmas Tales opens seven days ahead. The breakfast opens November 28 and allows “a maximum of 4 individuals per family.” Each breakfast family takes home “a FREE Santa hat cup and 4×6 photo.”
Store-level rules vary. The help-center article says requirements “such as accommodating walk-ins or being able to include a pet can vary depending on the specific retail store location,” and tells you to contact the store. If you want the dog in the picture, call ahead.
Getting your photo after the visit
The help-center article describes the process. It’s still dated 2025, so check the card you’re handed. You get a Secure Code “within your email or on the back of the photo package card you receive onsite.” Enter it at basspro.com/photo or cabelas.com/photo to “view, download and purchase photo packages and gifts.” That’s also where the paid prints are sold, so download the free video and skip the upsell if you don’t want it.
Taking a baby or toddler
The free 4x6 is the same whether your child is 6 or 6 months, and a baby on your lap counts. A few things make it easier:
- Book around the nap. A reserved slot means less time in line. Pick a time well clear of the nap, not one squeezed in before it.
- Go on a weekday if you can. You get the craft giveaway, and Betteroo’s list of easy December outings with little kids suggests the same: “Visit Santa: go early or on a weekday. Waving from your lap counts.”
- Tuesday story time is an option for nervous kids. Christmas Tales ends with Santa taking “a photo with all participating families,” so a child who won’t sit on his knee can still be in a picture.
- Remember the 5 p.m. start. The arrival party and Christmas Tales both start at 5 p.m. That’s close to bedtime for a baby, so plan an earlier dinner.
Free Santa photos near me: why there’s no local list
People search “free Santa photos” looking for a mall or a local event. I don’t list those. Mall Santa sets, city tree lightings and church breakfasts are run venue by venue and change every year. A national list of them would be stale before you got in the car, and it would break this site’s one rule: nothing goes on the list unless I verified it this week. Bass Pro and Cabela’s are here because the program is national and the terms are published by the company. For anything local, use the same test as for every freebie: find the organizer’s own page dated this year, then check whether “free” means a free photo or just free entry to a line that sells photo packages. The checklist in freebie scams covers the warning signs, like a card number on a “free” sign-up.
Your library is the other reliable free December stop: its story times are on its own event calendar, covered in library freebies. And Home Depot’s free kids workshop falls on the first Saturday, December 5, per free kids workshops.
FAQ: Bass Pro Santa photos
Are Santa photos at Bass Pro really free in 2026?
Yes. Bass Pro’s October 26, 2026 release says every visit from November 8 through Christmas Eve includes a free 4x6 studio-quality photo and a free shareable video. Extra photo packages cost money, and you don’t have to buy one.
When does Santa arrive at Bass Pro and Cabela’s in 2026?
Saturday, November 7, at 5 p.m. local time, with a free outdoor celebration and a Mini Reindeer Plush giveaway while supplies last. Photos start the next day, Sunday, November 8.
Do you need a reservation for Bass Pro Santa?
No. Reservations are free and open up to seven days in advance at basspro.com/santa or cabelas.com/santa. Walk-ins are accepted first-come, first-served. Christmas Tales and the Merry Morning Breakfast need separate reservations.
Is Cabela’s Santa the same as Bass Pro’s?
Yes. The two brands are one company, and the 2026 release covers Santa’s Wonderland at both, with the same dates and the same free photo.
Can I bring my dog for a Santa photo?
It depends on the store. Bass Pro’s help center says pet photos and walk-in rules “can vary depending on the specific retail store location,” so call your store before you go.
