Search

The Christmas season is a time for traditions and, in Richmond, one particular custom reigned supreme: a family outing to Miller & Rhoads department store. A Christmas outing to Miller & Rhoads department store revealed thousands of smiling faces waiting to enter the kingdom of Santaland- an enchanted world marked by glittering snow and intricate train displays. From visits to area hospitals to a young man who demanded only a box of raisins, former Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens shares her touching and humorous holiday memories from her twenty years in the gown. Kids from one to ninety-two will enjoy reminiscing with characters like the elves, Bruce the Spruce and, of course, Miller & Rhoads' legendary real Santa. Discover behind-the-scenes drama and learn firsthand what it was like to partake in this unforgettable event.

After the turn of the twentieth century, young Bill Strother left the tobacco farms of North Carolina to make a living climbing buildings. He became known as the "Human Spider," scaling countless structures across the nation. Yet this was just a prelude to his true calling as the Santa Claus at Richmond's famed Miller & Rhoads department store. As department stores everywhere reached their golden age, Strother became one of the most beloved and sought-after Santas in the nation. Author and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens recounts the amazing history of the Real Santa.

When Santa and his helpers the Snow Queen and the Mischievous Little Elf are blown topsy-turvy in a Virginia blizzard, they land on the roof of Richmond's Miller & Rhoads. Surprised to discover such a grand store with no decorations for Christmas, the friends try to solve the mystery. Join Santa and his team as they search the Tea Room, a fantastic toy department and the Virginia Pantry for signs of the Christmas spirit. Santa soon finds that at Miller & Rhoads, friendship and a little magic bring Santaland to life if only you believe.

Beginning in the 1950s, department stores around the Commonwealth teamed up with rail lines to create a magical Christmas adventure: the Santa Train. Delight-filled children from Richmond and Alexandria to Roanoke flocked to see and ride the trains sponsored by Miller & Rhoads, Cox's Department Store, J.C. Penney and many others. These majestic trains rode the rails across Virginia with old Saint Nick himself. Join railroad author Doug Riddell and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens as they recount heartwarming memories of Christmases past and chronicle the history of Virginia's Kris Kringle trains.

After the turn of the twentieth century, young Bill Strother left the tobacco farms of North Carolina to make a living climbing buildings. He became known as the "Human Spider," scaling countless structures across the nation. Yet this was just a prelude to his true calling as the Santa Claus at Richmond's famed Miller & Rhoads department store. As department stores everywhere reached their golden age, Strother became one of the most beloved and sought-after Santas in the nation. Author and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens recounts the amazing history of the Real Santa.

The Christmas season is a time for traditions and, in Richmond, one particular custom reigned supreme: a family outing to Miller & Rhoads department store. A Christmas outing to Miller & Rhoads department store revealed thousands of smiling faces waiting to enter the kingdom of Santaland- an enchanted world marked by glittering snow and intricate train displays. From visits to area hospitals to a young man who demanded only a box of raisins, former Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens shares her touching and humorous holiday memories from her twenty years in the gown. Kids from one to ninety-two will enjoy reminiscing with characters like the elves, Bruce the Spruce and, of course, Miller & Rhoads' legendary real Santa. Discover behind-the-scenes drama and learn firsthand what it was like to partake in this unforgettable event.

Beginning in the 1950s, department stores around the Commonwealth teamed up with rail lines to create a magical Christmas adventure: the Santa Train. Delight-filled children from Richmond and Alexandria to Roanoke flocked to see and ride the trains sponsored by Miller & Rhoads, Cox's Department Store, J.C. Penney and many others. These majestic trains rode the rails across Virginia with old Saint Nick himself. Join railroad author Doug Riddell and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens as they recount heartwarming memories of Christmases past and chronicle the history of Virginia's Kris Kringle trains.

When Santa and his helpers the Snow Queen and the Mischievous Little Elf are blown topsy-turvy in a Virginia blizzard, they land on the roof of Richmond's Miller & Rhoads. Surprised to discover such a grand store with no decorations for Christmas, the friends try to solve the mystery. Join Santa and his team as they search the Tea Room, a fantastic toy department and the Virginia Pantry for signs of the Christmas spirit. Santa soon finds that at Miller & Rhoads, friendship and a little magic bring Santaland to life if only you believe.