MIDWAY, Utah (ABC4) – An iconic venue for Utah’s winter season is making a comeback. The experience will be the same but in a new location.
For years, the Ice Castles have been found at Homestead Resort in Midway. This year, organizers are moving the Ice Castles to Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.
If you’ve never been to the Ice Castles, you may not know the frozen experience offers tunnels, caverns, towers, fountains, slides, and crawl spaces built entirely from icicles that are grown on-site, harvested, and hand-placed by professional ice artisans. This year, organizers will offer a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the Wasatch Valley to the Ice Castles.
“We are excited to partner with Soldier Hollow Nordic Center to bring the magic of Ice Castles back to Midway this winter,” says Ice Castles’ CEO Kyle Standifird. “Our mission is to give people a place where they can escape from the hustle of daily life for a moment and step into a frozen fairy-tale world while creating a fun and safe outdoor experience.”
As early as November, ice artisans will begin growing icicles to create the winter attraction. At least 20 ice artisans will spend about eight to 12 weeks building the experience. Ice Castles tend to open in late December or early January, depending on the weather, and remain open until late February. According to the venue’s website, Ice Castles will open in January this season.
Tickets for Utah’s Ice Castles will be available in December at icecastles.com. If you are out of state, Ice Castles can also be found in Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. The Ice Castles will not return to Colorado this year, affiliate KDVR reports.