Part of a once-grand and ambitious network of franchised North-Pole-themed amusement parks, Santa's Village in California now sits abandoned on the aptly named Rim of the World Highway.
But in its heyday, the popular and familiar Santa's Village once whirred and hummed with the activity of hundreds of mechanical decorations, theme park rides, mobile and light-up characters as far as the eye could see.
Now it rusts in disrepair, devoid of Christmas cheer. Unkempt and unmanaged, the rides are falling apart, and the decor has been either sold off or stolen. The surrounding forest is being chopped down, and piles of unused lumber scatter the park grounds as a result of a widespread bark beetle infestation.
It's a sad state of affairs for a theme park that was once the place to go for families and fun-lovers seeking a cost-effective nearby vacation. It was also the nostalgic home of many first jobs and seasonal summer employment for area teenagers.
As decrepit as it is, there is uncertainty about how long even this will last. The land it occupies is currently used as a logging staging area and it may only be a matter of time before the lumber company grows weary of rusted candy canes, pastel toadstools and leering elves. Until that day comes, you can still take a drive up the Rim of the World and see the saddest Santa's Village ever for yourself.