Founded by a Utah father of six in 2011, the primary goal of Ice Castles is to make people smile. I can’t help but wonder if Disney got their inspiration for Frozen from this family-friendly, magical experience. What started in a front yard in Utah has now become a bucket-list-worthy winter travel destination.

This frozen attraction that brings fairytales to life can be visited in 6 locations across the United States beginning in January:

• Colorado
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Utah
• Wisconsin

(These locations may change year-to-year, but these are the locations as of January 2024, according to their website.)

Ice Castles is not just a place you visit, it’s a place that will bring out the kid in everyone with their giant thrones, slides, and LED lights to magically light it up at night. The day and night experiences are completely different, so you may want to plan your visit so you don’t miss any of the amazing sites.

What are others saying about Ice Castles?

“Ice Castles was an awesome experience for us and our kids. Our kids really enjoyed wandering through the maze of ice, into the igloos and tunnels and down the ice slides. Definitely recommend!”

Jessica S., Travelocity User, January 2021

“Perfect date night as always. We loved the extras this year; tubing and the enchanted walk through the forest. The forest was amazing and the walk was very nice. We understand the changes due to covid. The castle was very open and different.”

Barbara W., Facebook user, February 2021

Tips when planning your visit:

Purchase tickets early. You can get your tickets online ahead of time to ensure you will be able to visit on the day you want to. Consider purchasing your tickets for later afternoon, so you’ll be able to experience Ice Castles during the day and after it gets dark. Once you are there, you are able to stay as long as you want, though an hour seems to be the duration most people stay.

Dress warmly. The warmer you are, the more you will enjoy it. Think gloves, hats, winter coats, snow pants and boots. Sliding down the icy slides can leave you really cold if you’re not dressed appropriately (and it will give you some extra padding to cushion your ride).

Plan on extra expenses. You don’t need to spend more than the cost of the tickets for an unforgettable experience, but to fully enjoy all this attraction has to offer, you may consider also purchasing the additional tickets for the Sleigh Ride.

Do the slide first. The line can get long pretty fast, but it’s definitely something worth doing. So, when you arrive, head straight to the slide to get in line. If you’re lucky, you may have the chance to slide down a couple of times before the line grows.

Use the bathroom before you go. There are no bathrooms inside Ice Castles, and once you leave you can not go back in. Plus, the added fuss of having to take off all the snow stuff… better just to go before you visit.

For full details and to book your adventure, visit icecastles.com.