The Teller Room 1925 to Offer Free Santa Photos for Kids and Pets

Free Santa Photos and the Historic Teller Room 1925 in Downtown Alton

ALTON - The Teller Room 1925 will host a special vendor fair featuring free photos with Santa Claus.

From 1–5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, community members can stop by The Teller Room 1925 at 200 W. 3rd Street in Alton for the event. The micro event space is a classy spot for weddings, receptions, showers, parties and more. Owner Natalie Steinacher is especially excited for this vendor fair, and she hopes to provide “a little Christmas magic” for caregivers, kids and pets.

“Santa pictures are expensive. Everybody’s budget is so stretched thin,” she said. “Just bring in your own camera, your own phone, snap a picture. You can print it. You can put it on socials. There’s nothing to sign. It is yours. We’re going to have a gorgeous Santa setting, so you’ll be able to see everything in the background, and you can make your own memories and you don’t have to buy a photo package, wait for prints, do all of those things. That way, you got a chance to make some Christmas magic even on a budget.”

It’s important to Steinacher to share the Christmas spirit with everyone. Families are welcome to bring their kids and well-behaved pets to take a photo with Santa. She joked that Santa isn’t even afraid of snakes, so all pets are welcome.

There will also be a vendor fair with about 18 artisans selling their wares on Dec. 5. Steinacher encourages people to shop if they want, but she emphasized it’s not a requirement to get your photo with Santa.

She acknowledged that it can be difficult to coordinate photos with Santa, and the photo packages are getting more expensive each year. She hopes that, by giving families the opportunity to take their own photos, people can save money and still enjoy a favorite holiday tradition.

“I see the Santa prices now, and as a kid, my mom never would have been able to afford it. That’s the inspiration,” she explained. “We’re worried about gas and food and all of those things…There’s no reason that a kid shouldn’t have Christmas magic because Mom doesn’t have that extra in the budget.”

Affordability is a big part of Steinacher’s mission at The Teller Room 1925. She highlighted the space’s first-floor accessibility and capacity of about 100 people, making it perfect for micro weddings, presentations, fairs like this and similar events. Pricing is similarly flexible.

“I want it to be accessible to everyone, not just someone who can come in and pay $5,000 for a day. I don’t want it like that,” she said. “If you need it for an hour for a presentation, there’s pricing for that. If you need it for a grand celebration, there’s pricing for that. There’s different ways to fit your pocketbook, which I love.”

Steinacher added that The Teller Room 1925 has an impressive history and originally opened as First National Bank of Alton in 1925. They still use one of the old teller stations as the bar.

It was important to her to preserve and honor this history as much as possible. Steinacher has worked hard to maintain The Teller Room 1925’s history while also making it into a unique, modern space. From showers to karaoke parties, the space can become whatever you need it to be.

“It’s just beautiful. That’s why we wanted to preserve all of those little architectural touches,” she added. “We have everything. It’s set in that cool old bank setting, with the chandeliers and the marble and the floors. It’s gorgeous in there. We can pretty much make it whatever you want.”

For more information about The Teller Room 1925, visit their official website or their official Facebook page.

This featured article is sponsored by The Teller Room 1925. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.

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