Experience The Stunning Fairytale “Ice Castles” This Winter
Have you ever wanted to step inside a winter wonderland with beautiful icicles, ice-carved tunnels, and more?! Well, now you can experience a Frozen-fairytale in real life at the Ice Castles. There are multiple locations around the USA that you should definitely add to your winter bucket list!
What are “Ice Castles”
Each and every winter, Ice Castles creates a fairytale icicle land for kids and adults to enjoy. The castles are each built by hand and are roughly one acre large. It take 2 months to construct with 20 to 40 crew. Some fun facts about the Ice Castles – each castle has over 20 million pounds of ice and grows over 12,000 icicles a day!
The story behind how Ice Castles stared is truly adorable! Brent Christensen, a father of 6, began creating snow tunnels in his front yard for his children. Kids all around the neighborhood wanted to experience the fun, so in 2011 he decided to make this an experience for children all over the USA.
Where are “Ice Castles” located?
The locations for the Ice Castles change over the course of the years. Currently, there are (5) locations around the USA. I personally visited the Midway, Utah Ice Castle location.
–> Midway, Utah
–> New Brighton, Minnesota
–> North Woodstock, New Hampshire
–> Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
–> Lake George, New York
Prices vary depending on location and dates (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are more expensive).
When Can You Visit the “Ice Castles”?
The Ice Castles are a seasonal attraction in a few select states across the USA. Opening and closing dates for this attraction depends on the weather and climate. It typically opens at the start of January and closes around February/March. Keep an eye on the website for further details.
During the season, the castles are open every day including holidays and weekends. To guarantee entry, book your ticket in advance! Tickets do sell out quickly!
What to do at “ice Castles”?
The number one thing to do in the Ice Castle is walking around in awe to see all the gorgeous icicles, ice-carved tunnels, and more. That is truly what the attraction is here for! You can spend about 30 minutes to an hour doing just that and taking pictures of the beautiful winter wonderland around you.
If you visit at dusk or at night, you will experience a beautiful LED show of lights and music. I recommend reserving tickets for about 30 minutes before sunset so you can experience the castle during the day and night – best of both worlds. Keep in mind, this is the busiest timeframe so it will be crowded and you’ll need to reserve your tickets in advance!
In addition to walking around, there is a slide for kids (and adults) that is included in ticket pricing. Kids must be at least 42″ tall to ride the slides. There is also a concession stand featuring hot cocoa, coffee, and light snacks.
10 Tips for Visiting “Ice Castles”
- Dress Warmly! Wear gloves, hats, scarfs, and other winter accessories!
- Bring Your Camera!
- Book Your Tickets in Advance – especially for the weekends and holidays.
- Expect to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour inside.
- Go early to avoid the crowds (as much as possible).
- Visit at the Cusp of Sunset to see it during the day and lit up at night.
- Wear good walking/snow shoes… the pathways are made of crushed ice and snow!
- If you’re bringing kids, consider bringing a sled because strollers are not allowed inside the castles!
- HAVE FUN!
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Enjoyed this post? Check out my other guides for things to do in Utah:
5 Things To Do in Midway
Top 10 Things To Do in Park City, Utah
These look amazing!! I want to plan a visit for next winter.
I never knew about Ice Castles in the USA. I thought this was a trend only in European countries. However, this post was very much detailed and gave lots of information about ice castles. Would love to visit someday.
These are such great tips! The castles look so gorgeous! Fingers crossed tickets are extended so I can go next week!