Ice Castles are Coming Back to Minnesota! Here’s an EXCLUSIVE 15% Discount (valid winter 2024- 2025)
Ice Castles are coming back to Minnesota this Winter (2024 – 2025)! And this time they’ll be at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds!
Plus, I’m excited to announce that once again I have an exclusive 15% discount for tickets! Use code frugalmn25 online!
Ice Castles will open mid-winter. Stay tuned for updates.
NOTE: Tickets go on sale November 26th.
Ice Castles in Minnesota
We’ve loved Ice Castles since they first came to Minnesota in 2013.
They were at the Mall of America, then Eden Prairie, then Stillwater, then New Brighton, Maple Grove, and now they’ll be at the Minnesots State Fairgrounds!
“The decision to move to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds comes after careful consideration,” said Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird. “We value our relationship with the City of Maple Grove and Experience Maple Grove, but we faced some construction challenges at that site last year.
“Our team is eager to craft something truly unique in our new home this winter. The State Fairgrounds are centrally located, well-known, and have plenty of infrastructure to handle our construction and operational needs.”
Construction for Ice Castles begins this month! A team of about 20 talented ice artists will work for weeks, growing, harvesting, and carefully hand-placing thousands of dazzling icicles to create this magical experience.
Ice Castles usually opens to the public in early January (weather permitting) and stays open until late February or early March. Stay tuned for opening date information.
Ice Castles will be an acre in size, and will feature tunnels, caverns, towers, fountains, and slides, built entirely from ice.
Minnesota isn’t the only location for Ice Castles. The company, based in Utah, has 5 locations this year with other locations in Utah, New Hampshire, Eagle, Colorado, and Cripple Creek, Colorado.
And you can save 15% with my code frugalmn25..
Learn more about Ice Castles here.
Our Experiences
We’ve visited many times. It was so beautiful both day and night! There were new features and lights this year, including the swirling lights inside the slide.
I loved walking through the tunnels.
The tunnels and pathways were illuminated blue and seemed to go on and on.
Even walking out there were cool lights to see.
First, here’s a video tour from our visit in 2020:
The whole walk-through attraction was full of ice formations, rooms, waterfalls, and even fountains. There were fire pits to warm up at, slides big enough for adults and kids alike, and tunnels for kids (and brave adults) to crawl through.
There was a bigger enclosed slide that was very popular. You could pick up a blue mat and wait in a line that went to the top. I guess it was like the giant slide at the fair, but made of ice? My kids didn’t want to wait in line so we didn’t go on it, but the line was moving pretty steadily and it looked like fun.
Kids were LOVING all the cool tunnels and surprises throughout the place. I especially loved the “rooms” you could walk through. They’re located near the exit.
We visited during the day – there was music playing, and everything was a pretty soft blue. But at night everything is lit up so it’s like a whole different place. No matter when you go, it’s a memorable experience.
My Reviews Each Year
Read my previous reviews here:
Ice Castles in Stillwater 2018
Ice Castles in Stillwater 2017
Ice Castles in Eden Prairie’s Miller Park 2016
Ice Castles in Eden Prairie’s Miller Park 2015
What You’ll Love:
- Plenty of unique picture opportunities, both day and night.
- Being among the many people smiling and posing for pictures and curiously exploring different ice formations and features. Kids and families squeezing, squishing, sliding, stomping and crawling through parts of the stunning, Narnia-like display.
- Amazing ice features including possibly archways, tunnels, slot canyons, ice slide, caverns, glacial waterfalls and a frozen throne (these vary year to year).
- Natural frozen ice tones during the day; colorful LED-lit ice set to music at night.
- Having a good reason to brave the cold for a little while – a unique experience for all.
What You Can Probably Expect (based on previous years):
- There is no place to warm up or sit down. There have been “porta-potties,” but no warming house. In previous years I saw people warm up in their cars, waiting for family members who are in the ice castles. (This year when we visited it wasn’t that cold.)
- The ground is uneven and slippery. It’s full of crushed ice, and all the people traffic helps to pat it mostly down. However, wear good boots and assist children or anyone in your party who may be pregnant, elderly or disabled. You have to walk carefully, and you definitely can’t bring a stroller in here.
- In the evening, the lights go on and off and change color inside the ice, so if you’re planning to take pictures, you may have to wait until the lights cycle to a brighter intensity. I had to wait a few times through some darker moments.
Tips for visiting:
- To avoid the crowds I recommend visiting on a non-holiday weekday. You may not see all the entertainment, but you’ll get in and out quicker.
- Bring a sled for the kids! We saw people pulling kids around on sleds everywhere.
- BUNDLE UP to be outside for at least 45 minutes.
- Bring your camera – the best camera you have, if possible.
- Bring cash as there may be concessions. You’ll probably at least want something warm to drink.
- Get your tickets in advance. The line for buying tickets can be long!
NOTE: All of these features vary year to year – the above tips are based on our visits from previous years.
PRICING AND EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT!
I’m excited to share an EXCLUSIVE discount for Ice Castles 2024 – 2025!
Just use my code frugalmn25 and you’ll save 15% off tickets any day of the season!
Visit their website to purchase the tickets and use the code here: https://icecastles.com/minnesota
(Tickets go on sale Tuesday, November 26th, 2024.)
MORE INFORMATION!
Visit the Ice Castles website for more information!
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