Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Alton for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Santa's Library Visit (December 5) and The Grinch Movie Time (December 11). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Alton
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Alton
- Meet Santa: Santa's Library Visit (December 5)
- Season: December 5 (Santa's Library Visit) to December 11 (The Grinch Movie Time)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Alton
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Story time with Santa
Santa's Library Visit
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 to 11:30 am
- Where: Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, Alton, IL 62002 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Kids and families
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa comes to the Hayner Library's branch at Alton Square Mall and opens the morning by taking part in story time. Afterward children rotate through a photo with Santa, a craft, a letter to the North Pole, a cookie and a holiday treasure hunt around the library.
The visit is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at 132 Alton Square. The event page does not list a price or describe a sign-up step, and the library's phone number is 618-462-0677.
Parent tip: Story time with Santa comes first, so arrive by 10:00 a.m. to catch it. The photo, craft, letter and treasure hunt all fit into the same 90 minutes, so head for the Santa photo early if that is the part your child cares about most.
- Host
- The Hayner Public Library District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, Alton, IL 62002 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Alton events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Alton daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Alton.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Alton event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Alton.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Alton before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Santa
- 1 Shows
- 1 Crafts
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Alton every week.
Holiday event
The Grinch Movie Time
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 4 to 6 pm
- Where: Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, Alton, IL 62002 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; register by phone
- Ages: Families
Expand to see the parent tip
The Hayner Library screens a Grinch movie for families as a late-afternoon matinee at its Alton Square Mall branch. Everyone settles in together to watch the green grump come around to Christmas, and the library puts out light refreshments.
The showing is Friday, December 11, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 132 Alton Square. Registration is by phone at (618) 462-0677, ext. 2822. The page does not list a price.
Parent tip: Sign-up is by phone only, so call extension 2822 ahead of time instead of looking for an online form. The movie ends at 6:00 p.m. and the snacks are light, so plan dinner for afterward.
- Host
- The Hayner Public Library District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, Alton, IL 62002 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Alton events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Alton daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Alton.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Illinois Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Alton Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Santa's Library Visit in Alton on December 5; the last runs to December 11. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Santa's Library VisitAlton · Dec 5
- The Grinch Movie TimeAlton · Dec 11
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Springfield, IL, Decatur, Bloomington and Normal. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Alton
Alton was laid out as a river town in January 1818 by Rufus Easton, who named it after his son and ran a ferry across the Mississippi. More than two centuries later, families head to the Hayner Library's branch at Alton Square Mall when Santa comes to town.
How Alton celebrates
The holiday programs on file for Alton are both hosted by The Hayner Public Library District at its Alton Square Mall location. On December 5, 2026, Santa's Library Visit begins with story time with Santa and continues with photos, a craft, letters to the North Pole, cookies and a holiday treasure hunt. On December 11, the library screens a Grinch movie as a family matinee with light refreshments, and families register by phone. Both events take place indoors at 132 Alton Square, away from the river bluffs and brick streets the city is known for.
Fun facts about Christmas in Alton
Alton sits on the Mississippi River about 18 miles north of St. Louis, near where the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri rivers come together. On October 15, 1858, it hosted the seventh and last debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, marked today by statues downtown. The city once had several brick factories and still has an unusually high number of brick-paved streets. Its population was 25,676 at the 2020 census.
Traditions today
- Santa's Library Visit: Santa joins story time at the Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall and stays for photos with children.
- Letters to the North Pole: During Santa's visit children can sit down at the library and write a letter addressed to the North Pole.
- Holiday treasure hunt: The same morning includes a holiday treasure hunt, a craft and a cookie for each child.
- The Grinch Movie Time: The library shows a Grinch movie as a family matinee with light refreshments in December.
A fact for kids
The tallest man ever recorded, Robert Wadlow, came from Alton. He stood 8 feet 11.1 inches tall, and the city has a life-sized statue of him and a copy of his giant chair.
Questions about Christmas in Alton
When was Alton, Illinois founded?
Alton was developed as a river town in January 1818 by Rufus Easton. He operated a passenger ferry across the Mississippi River to the Missouri shore, and the town grew into a river trading center with an industrial character.
How did Alton get its name?
Rufus Easton, who developed the town in 1818, named it after his son. Easton also ran the ferry service that carried passengers across the Mississippi River between Alton and the Missouri side.
What is Alton known for in American history?
Alton hosted the seventh Lincoln-Douglas debate on October 15, 1858. It was also an important town for abolitionists and a stop on the Underground Railroad, and its former state penitentiary held up to 12,000 Confederate prisoners during the Civil War.
Who was Robert Wadlow?
Robert Pershing Wadlow was an Alton native listed by Guinness as the world's tallest man at 8 feet 11.1 inches. A memorial with a life-sized statue and a replica of his chair stands on College Avenue in Upper Alton.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Alton?
The Hayner Library hosts Santa's Library Visit on December 5, 2026, with story time, photos, a craft, letters to the North Pole and a treasure hunt. On December 11 it shows a Grinch movie for families with light refreshments.
Where are Alton's library Christmas events held?
Both are at the Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square. Santa's visit runs from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, and the Grinch movie runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2026.
Who organizes these events?
The Hayner Public Library District organizes both and lists them on its events calendar under kids' events. The library's phone number is 618-462-0677, and movie registration goes through extension 2822.
Are Alton's library holiday events free?
The library's pages do not state a price for either event, and neither is described as free in the listing. The Grinch Movie Time requires registration by phone, while the Santa visit page mentions no sign-up.
Why does Alton have so many brick streets?
Alton was once the site of several brick factories, and the city still has an unusually high number of streets paved in brick. Brick commercial buildings are also spread throughout the historic downtown near the riverfront.
Where can families watch bald eagles near Alton?
The Melvin Price Locks and Dam, home of the National Great Rivers Museum, is described as a favorite spot for watching bald eagles. The birds feed on fish in the waters below the dam, and the lock and dam are open for tours.
Sources
- Alton, Illinois, Wikipedia
- Santa's Library Visit - The Hayner Public Library, The Hayner Public Library District
- The Grinch Movie Time - The Hayner Public Library, The Hayner Public Library District
Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Illinois city.
Alton Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Alton?
Santa's Library Visit on Saturday, December 5, 2026, packs the most into one morning. From 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hayner Library in Alton Square Mall, kids hear a story with Santa, take a photo, make a craft, write to the North Pole, eat a cookie and go on a treasure hunt.
Where can kids meet Santa in Alton?
Santa stops at the Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. He joins story time first, and children can have a photo taken with him during the rest of the morning.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Alton?
The Hayner Library's pages for Santa's Library Visit on December 5 and The Grinch Movie Time on December 11, 2026, do not list a price. Neither page says free outright, so call the library at 618-462-0677 if you want to confirm before you go.
Is there a Christmas movie for families in Alton?
Yes. The Hayner Library shows a Grinch movie on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at its Alton Square Mall branch. Light refreshments are provided. Families register by calling (618) 462-0677, ext. 2822.
Which Alton holiday events need sign-up?
The Grinch Movie Time on December 11, 2026, asks families to register by phone at (618) 462-0677, ext. 2822. The page for Santa's Library Visit on December 5 does not describe a registration step, though it is worth a call to the library to check.
Where is the Hayner Library's holiday programming held?
Both December 2026 programs listed here are at the Hayner Library at Alton Square Mall, 132 Alton Square, Alton, IL 62002. That makes both Santa's visit on December 5 and the Grinch movie on December 11 indoor outings at the mall branch.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Alton?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides guide. This Alton guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.