A look inside Lake George’s new ice castle
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (WCAX) - People are flocking to Lake George to see a majestic ice castle that just opened.
Just three weeks ago there was grass where the castle now stands. But thanks to some help from all this cold weather we’ve been having, builders created a piece of art you can walk through.
“This is one of the most spectacular winter attractions you will ever see,” said Brad Buehlhorn, the event manager of Ice Castles Lake George.
This is the first time the company has built in the state of New York.
Warren County Tourism told us when it was announced that this attraction could bring about 100,000 visitors to the area.
“We sell tickets in half-hour ticket blocks because we like to control the flow of people in the castle to make sure everybody has their space and an enjoyable time and has plenty of room for pictures,” Buehlhorn said.
More than 1,800 people came through for opening night on Sunday. Ice Castles began selling tickets last Wednesday and are already about 70% sold out for the whole season.
“Mother Nature is our lead architect. So as long as the weather holds out, the castle will be open. We’re hoping at least through the end of February,” Buehlhorn said.
The steady, cold temperatures allow builders to strategically plant over half a million individual icicles to form the castle. That’s 25 million pounds of ice!
“They just happen to kind of build and build and build on top of each other once we run water at night and that is how an ice castle is formed,” said Anna Closser, the build manager.
Closser says they create a design incorporating an entrance, exit and slide. Then they let the ice do its own thing, creating some of its own features.
“It’s great if you have kids, it’s a great date night spot. It’s just great for all different activities and great to get outside when we are still dealing with COVID,” Closser said.
Groomers come through every morning to make sure the paths are safe for walking, grinding up the ice to an almost sand-like material. But you’ll want to make sure any footwear you bring is appropriate for the cold.
“Wear snow boots,” Closser advised. “If you have young children, we highly recommend you bring sleds to pull them around in. Strollers do not do well on the ice.”
There are even spots throughout the castle telling you it’s a great place to take a photo.
It costs from $15-$27 to get in. Click here for more information.
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