The Department 56 Story

One Christmas evening, a group of friends travelled to a little country inn for a celebratory dinner in a quiet riverside town. As they turned a corner, they saw the old-fashioned village illuminated for the festive season. The tiny lights sparkled like magic amid the freshly fallen snow. All evening, the conversation was full of cherished memories and the charming scene they had witnessed, and so, the idea for an illuminated Christmas village was born. 

That original spark became a reality in 1976 when Department 56 introduced its first series of six hand-painted ceramic buildings. Since then, Department 56 has become a leader in the giftware and Christmas decorating market, known for their exceptional quality and collection of best-selling, hand-painted, illuminated villages.

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The company behind the villages

Over forty years ago, Department 56 began as a division of Bachman's, a leading florist in Minneapolis. Bachman's used a numbering system to identify its departments, and the wholesale gift imports division was assigned the number 56.

Now based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Department 56 has become a leader in the seasonal giftware industry, best known for hand-painted, illuminated villages, designed to bring a little extra holiday cheer into any home.

A shortened timeline of our village collections

1976
The foundation of our company was laid with the launch of six charming, lighted ceramic buildings, the very first pieces of The Original Snow Village®.

1984
We introduced The Heritage Village Collection®, with its first release being The Dickens' Village Series®. This collection featured seven nostalgic shops and a church, all designed to capture the spirit of a Victorian Christmas in England.

1990
The legend of Santa became a part of the Department 56 tradition with the addition of The North Pole Series™ to The Heritage Village Collection.

1994
The Disney Parks Village Series™ was introduced, bringing beloved Disney magic to our collections.

2000
The release of the popular first Harry Potter™ movie based on the novel by J.K. Rowling prompted Department 56 to introduce several giftware items based on Harry, Ron, Hermione and other characters from the movie including a series of secret boxes with interactive clues found on a special internet site.

2005
The popular Clothtique Possible Dreams collection was added to an already strong line-up of outstanding giftware. Every figure is handmade by a team of skilled artisans. It has become the No. 1 Santa brand.

2009
Department 56 becomes part of the ENESCO family of giftware brands. ENESCO was founded in 1958 and it's International Headquarters is located in Itasca, Ill.  

2011
We introduced The Grinch Village based on the Dr. Seuss classic, bringing Whoville to life. The royal wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton inspired the addition of "Anglesey Cottage" with coordinating accessory, "A Fairytale Romance" for Dickens' Village.

2014
The Department 56 Villages maintained their place as number one in the gold standard of illuminated villages. The Downton Abbey® village was launched, becoming an instant favourite with collectors.

2019
Our love affair with the Harry Potter™ continues, making it a hugely popular series for our Village collections. Our Village artist, Paul Lundberg, has expertly captured the spirit of Hogwarts and all the magic that happens there in each beautifully detailed cast stone piece. Each piece feels as though it has been brought straight from the enchanting pages of J.K. Rowling’s celebrated books.

Each of our Possible Dreams Santas is designed as a loving tribute to the original Father Christmas. These hand-sculpted Santa figurines are brought to life with unique facial expressions, individual poses, and distinct personalities—no two are ever the same!

2024
Dickens’ Village, designed by Village artist Tom Bates, celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Today, we continue to bring the joy of the Christmas season to homes with our ever-growing collection of enchanting and collectable Villages and figurines.

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