Free Santa Photos at Bass Pro Shops: Dates & Tips

Home

Tips

If you’re banking on getting some free photos with Santa during the holiday season, make sure you visit Bass Pro Shops (or their sister store, Cabela's) between early November and Christmas Eve. In addition to free photos with Santa, Bass Pro usually offers a variety of freebies in-store on weekdays (just add it to your lineup of kids' free crafting events and free Lego builds).

Before taking your kid to see Santa at Bass Pro or Cabela's, we highly recommend you book an appointment.

If you’re not couponing yet, you’re missing FREE deals. Download the KCL app now .

Download the FREE KCL App

What's on this page:

Free Santa photos at Bass Pro will be back Nov. 8 - Dec. 24, 2026.
Reservations Are Recommended
Each family gets one free 4x6 print and a shareable video.
Bring Your Dog
Bass Pro is celebrating Santa's Arrival on Nov. 7 — free event that includes a free plushie giveaway.

Free Santa photos at Bass Pro will be back Nov. 8 - Dec. 24, 2026.

This year, free Santa photos return on Sunday, Nov. 8. Reservations are always recommended for Bass Pro Santa photos, and time slots are usually offered about every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. - 7:45 p.m., but check their website for current availability at your store.

Just like other Santa experiences, you’ll only get about two minutes to chat with the Bass Pro Santa (or the Cabela's Santa) before the photographer snaps your picture. So it's more of a quick visit than a sit-down photoshoot.

But each family who participates (they allow up to eight people per family) will get to take home one free 4x6 photo, plus a shareable emailed video. You can also request that they use your own camera or phone to snap the picture.

Reservations are highly recommended, and they open up seven days in advance.

Reservations start on Nov. 1. You can make your photo appointment in just a few steps on the Bass Pro Shops website. Availability and time slots may vary by your location, though.

Appointment time slots generally go like this (but may vary by store):

Morning slots: Every 15 minutes, 10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Afternoon slots: Every 15 minutes, 12:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Evening slots: Every 15 minutes, 6 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.

You can try booking on the day of your visit, but just know that spots fill up quickly, especially as we get closer to the holiday.

Each family gets one free 4x6 print and a shareable video.

The Bass Pro Santa Photo experience comes with one free 4x6 print, plus a shareable video that gets sent to your email. You’ll have to pay extra if you want a high-resolution digital photo or other print sizes.

Bring your dog along for Santa photos — most Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's locations are pet-friendly.

The majority of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s locations will allow dogs and even cats in stores year-round, except where local laws or shopping centers prohibit it.

As long as your local store allows it — and your furry friend is on Santa’s Nice List — bring ’em along for a Bass Pro Santa photo.

As of October 2025, the only two Bass Pro Shops locations that don’t allow pets are in Dania Beach, Florida, and Mesa, Arizona.

Bass Pro is celebrating Santa's Arrival on Nov. 7 — free event that includes a free plushie giveaway.

The day before Santa photos start, Bass Pro does a kickoff event. In 2026, the in-store event starts at 5 p.m. on Nov. 7 with a tree lighting, seasonal treats, Santa's arrival at the store, and a free mini reindeer plushie.