There may indeed be a Santa's Village in Ontario, but I too remember Santa's
Village theme park somewhere in the outskirts of Chicago.  My dad had a con-
vention in Chicago sometime in 1961 or 1962, and the families went to Santa's
Village while that dads were "in convention."   I also revisited the area,
as I recall, sometime in the early 1970s--but did not go in much further than
the large gift shop at the entrance.
 
I also recall a trip to visit an aunt in Utica, New York in the late 1950s,
and I remember visiting some kind of theme park...it was the Enchanted Forest,
I believe...which had walk-in dioramas as I recall.  I doubt that it is still
operating tho.   Knott's Berry Farm, to me, is the epitome of the historic
theme park.  After visiting Disneyland in 1954 or 1955, my family went to
Knott's Berry Farm....at the time, the difference in the two was night and
day.  Then because of competition, Knott's gradually expanded to include
animals, and rides.  I was particularly pleased with their replica of the
Philadelphia Assembly Hall and the Continental Congress debates where voices
came out of the tables.....the hall was empty but action was facilitated by
spotlights on tables as voices moved from delegation to delegation.
 
--Dean DeBolt, University of West Florida