A Saturday in December, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas In The Country runs Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cracker Country, the living history museum inside the Florida State Fairgrounds.
Cracker Country holds 13 original buildings on a four-acre complex. The buildings date from 1870 to 1912.
The museum runs one public session that day. Every ticket sells in advance.
The price ladder for a company group
Adults 12 and up pay $16. Seniors pay $14. Students ages 6 to 11 pay $12. Children 0 to 5 enter free.
Advanced purchase is required. The event page states that on-site ticket sales do not run, and that all sales are final.
A 40-person outing of adults costs $640. A mixed group of 30 adults and 10 students costs $600. The order form sells Adult, Senior and Student as separate types, at up to 25 of each.
Three crafts inside the grounds cost $2 each: dip a beeswax candle, twist a rope, dye with indigo. The General Store accepts cash and all major credit cards, and its prices start at $1.00.
The Main Stage carries performances at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The group floor is 15 participants
Cracker Country publishes a weekday field-trip program with its own terms. A minimum of 15 participants is required, and groups below that may book for a minimum fee of $150.00, which equals 15 paid admissions.
Student admission on the Long Ago & Today and Rural Home Life tours is $10 per student. One adult per ten students is required and enters free. Additional adults pay $14 each.
Those terms cover school and homeschool groups on Tuesdays to Fridays, September to December 2026 and March to May 2027. A company should confirm eligibility before it builds a weekday outing around the $150 floor.
The museum states that individual tickets cannot be sold at the gate during a field trip, and that it stays closed to the public for the visit.
Two gates: Orient Road for groups, MLK for the public
The Fairgrounds FAQ states that all field-trip groups and homeschools use the Orient Road entrance, and refers public event parking to the event page.
The field-trip directions repeat it: follow the museum directions to the Orient Rd Entrance, and leave GPS alone. The address is 4800 US Hwy. 301 North, Tampa FL 33610.
The public event page gives the other route. Enter the Fairgrounds through the MLK Parking Entrance and park near Gate 2. The venue gate table puts Cracker Country at the MLK Blvd Entrance, Gate 2.
Send the gate name and the entrance road with the booking.
Picnic lunches stay in the vehicle until lunch
The field-trip FAQ states that groups are welcome to bring a picnic lunch. Picnic tables and restrooms open after the tour ends, and the museum asks groups to leave lunches and coolers in the vehicle until then.
The Fairgrounds publishes no food service on site.
A catered lunch needs its own plan. Ask for the picnic table block, the lunch window and the delivery rule at the gate.
Four acres with no paved walkways
The museum grounds are grassy with no paved walkways. Wheelchair-accessible locations include the Admissions Gate, the Okahumpka Train Depot, the Governors Inn, the Carlton House, the School House, the Terry Store and the Main Stage.
A group of 40 walks the four-acre complex on foot. Publish the walk in the invitation and set a meeting point at the Main Stage.
The field-trip FAQ states that tours run rain or shine, and that the museum may cancel on the tour day by phone in severe weather.
Deposit, cancellation and payment
A $75.00 non-refundable deposit is due 30 days after Cracker Country confirms a field trip. The remaining balance is due on the day and adjusts to the number of students who attend.
A cancellation made 30 days or more after confirmation carries a $75.00 fee. Cancellations go in writing to Museum@FloridaStateFair.com.
Payment runs as one group transaction. The museum takes cash, check and major credit cards, and accepts no purchase orders.
Chaperones arrive with the group. The gates close once the program begins, and late chaperones cannot be admitted.
Parking runs $10 online and $12 at the gate
The event page prints $10 online and $12 onsite, with the MLK Parking Entrance and Gate 2 as the route.
The venue parking portal lists three December 12 products: UFLY, AAYA and Fairgrounds Flea. Fairgrounds Flea carries the MLK entrance at $10.00, and UFLY carries the US Hwy 301 entrance at $10.00 general or $15.00 for a day pass. No product carries this event name.
Use the event page price and buy before the morning.
The room side for a Tampa outing
The Fairgrounds lists seven hotel partners with a distance field and no rate. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa Fairgrounds Casino sits 0.2 miles out and describes itself as directly across the street. Wyndham Garden sits 1.5 miles out, Staybridge Suites Tampa-Brandon 2.7, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-East/Brandon 2.8, Courtyard Tampa-Brandon 4.4, Cambria Hotel Tampa-Brandon 5 and Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa East 5.0.
A 40-person outing that stays one night needs 20 rooms at double occupancy, plus rooms for the organisers. Put the date and the count to each sales office. Ask for the rate, a cut-off date and the minimum stay in writing.
The bookMyTeam seller-of-travel notice, dated October 21, 2026, states that the platform cannot process hotel booking requests from residents of or for travel to Florida. The notice cites Chapter 559, Florida Statutes. Questions about the restriction go to compliance@hotelhuddle.com.
