Log-built Roosevelt Cottage in Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi celebrates 72nd anniversary

The year 2022 is the 72nd anniversary of The Roosevelt Cottage in Rovaniemi The Official Hometown of Santa Claus®. In just over a week, to receive Mrs. Roosevelt The Roosevelt Cottage was built on the Arctic Circle, straight out of logs raised from timber rafting in Ounasjoki river. The Roosevelt Cottage was completed on June 11, 1950, and it became the first attraction of Santa Claus Village.

Where the Arctic region begins, stands the city of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, with a town plan shaped like a reindeer head, designed by Alvar Aalto a famous Finnish architect. Located on the Arctic Circle the city of Rovaniemi bathes in the light of the Midnight Sun during the summer months and in the mystical light of the Polar Night known as “Kaamos” during snowy wintertime and in the magical light of the Northern Lights from early Autumn to late spring.

The first attraction in Santa Claus Village The Roosevelt Cottage attracted many heads of state and distinguished figures already 72 years ago

This summer marks the 72nd anniversary in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, in the Arctic Circle, when Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, wanted to visit the ends of the earth in Rovaniemi to see how this little northern nation rebuilt their city from the ashes, in the post-World War II reconstruction.

The story of Santa Claus Village

In honor of Mrs. Roosevelt´s visit, the people of Rovaniemi built a log cottage eight kilometers from Rovaniemi city center. The small log-built cottage was built on a plot of land received as a donation along the highway, a place where just a simple signpost marked the Arctic Circle. Architect Ferdinand Salokangas designed the cottage overnight, and in just over a week, to receive Mrs. Roosevelt The Roosevelt Cottage was built on the Arctic Circle, straight out of logs raised from timber rafting in Ounasjoki river. The Roosevelt Cottage was completed on June 11, 1950, and it became the first attraction of Santa Claus Village. The cottage still stands in Rovaniemi, in the Arctic Circle, marking the beginning of Santa Claus Village.

The story of Santa Claus Village, also shared by CNN, is a living proof that dreams grow out of a soil of hardship, and that even in difficult times, we must remember to dream. The first attraction in Santa Claus Village attracted many heads of state and distinguished figures already 72 years ago. Since then, Rovaniemi has grown into an internationally renowned travel destination, visited by several heads of state and international megastars. The Arctic Capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, often listed as one of the best, as the official hometown of Santa Claus, fascinates the world’s media and attracts not only Friends of Christmas but also celebrities, leading international brands, tourists interested in Lapland and the Arctic, as well as grand international events.

More information:

Cottage Host Markku Valkama, Tel. +35840 085 1861.

The Roosevelt Cottage is open daily between 12.00-17.00.