At the Westfield Annapolis Mall, gone are the days of kids sitting on Santa’s lap in a hall outside a department store. This Christmas, Santa is inviting the families of Anne Arundel County to his own space — called Santapolis — set up by the mall to make the holiday season just a little more special.

The immersive experience is in the shop space across from Free People and the Apple store.

Families are invited to explore Santa’s mini workshop, which is equipped with activities for children as they wait, including writing letters to Santa and interacting with elves.

“We have had a standard experience for many, many years here in the mall. It’s been outside in our common area. It was nice, but it wasn’t magical,” said Morgan McCloud, marketing director for Westfield Annapolis Mall. “I wanted to make a space that was very intimate and to really bring the magic of Christmas out in the entire experience.”

McCloud said that she and her team spared no detail in bringing the North Pole to Annapolis, from adding blueprints of Santa’s sleigh to making the space’s temperature chilly and smelling of fresh cookies. Kids can also see visuals of toys being wrapped and snow falling inside the space on TV screens.

Four families are allowed in the space at one time, keeping it intimate.

“It’s really kind of capturing them here for a little while, to really enjoy this experience rather than just going in taking your picture,” McCloud said.

Santapolis is open until Dec. 24. Check the Westfield Annapolis Mall website for times to meet Santa.