Over the weekend we visited a magical winter scene in Lake Geneva Wisconsin…Ice Castles. Like magic, they appear every year for a limited time and bring excitement and fun to people of all ages. It’s an award winning, frozen attraction that comes to four cities across North America. This year the ice castles are in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Utah and Colorado.
The ice castles are built using hundreds of thousands of icicles that are man made by ice artists. The intricate designs are breathtaking, it’s hard to believe that they create them by hand. There are various tunnels, sleds, fountains, lights and frozen thrones within the ice castle. You are led through the castle in icy passages and tunnels. Some of the tunnels are so small that only children can get through.
In this post I am going to share all the details you need to know like how to get tickets, what to expect and how to dress for the Ice Castles!
Ice Castles in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Ice Castles Tickets
Tickets are available online and they go quick! You can find them here. Tickets are available on site, however there is no guarantee of availability when you arrive. This year they feature a pre-sale, where you can buy early access to tickets once they were released. I highly recommend this option as you get a 48 hour jump start on the tickets. So for next year set an alarm in your calendar now in early December to check for tickets. You will thank yourself later for this.
We visited the ice castles in Lake Geneva Wisconsin, which is about an hour and half northwest of the city of Chicago. It was a far enough/close enough drive to keep it to a day trip and not spend the night.
Visiting The Ice Castles
If you are like me I love to figure everything out ahead of actually attending an event. I’m also a person who reviews the full menu to a restaurant online prior to going there. So here are the things you need to know ahead of time
Bathrooms
There are port-a-potties available, however they are before you enter the actual castle and immediately after you leave. They are not inside the Ice Castle itself, so plan properly.
Sleds
While you can bring sleds into the ice castles, you can’t slide down anything while inside the ice castle with them. You can use your sled to get around the ice castle. So if you have a small child that you want to pull around on a sled you can. I would only suggest using a sled for kids under 1. Otherwise just let your kid run around in the snow and have fun!
Ice Slides
There slides are for all ages, however certain slides have height requirements. The slides have employees to help keep order, but in all honesty it was like the wild west. The kids are so excited to go on the slide they forget things like waiting their turn or not pushing other kids. If you have a little one, walk them up to the top of the slide and have someone wait at the bottom for them.
Snacks
There are refreshments right before you enter the ice castle and right when you exit. You can bring those snacks into the castle with you. However, I would suggest you skip the snacks at the entrance if you have kids. You want your hands free while inside, to pick up snow, take pictures or hold your kid. If you are attending without kids by all means pick up a hot drink and enjoy sipping it inside.
At the exit they had refreshments and firepits set up along with heaters. It’s open seating and fun to warm up a little by the fire sipping hot chocolate.
Photos
There are plenty of photo ops inside the ice castle. They have plaques and signs set up inside to take photos. The entire ice castle though is a photo op, it’s amazing that it was man made. My suggestion is to take your photos in portrait mode, they really pop with the cool ice background.
When To Attend
Ticket times vary for each location. It boils down to daytime or nighttime. We selected tickets at 4:30pm so we could get the best of both worlds. I honestly thought I would love nighttime more, but I actually liked the daytime better. At night the ice castle is lit up with lights illuminating the space. The daytime is actually very blue and grey and equally as pretty. Overall it doesn’t matter what time you go, it’s a great experience either way.
Safety for COVID-19
Masks are a requirement in the ice castle, however it is not strictly enforced. While most people do wear masks, some do not and the majority of people are taking their masks off for pictures throughout the ice castle. Social distancing is encouraged as well, but they don’t appear to limit the amount of people allowed in.
How To Dress
Let’s face it you are in an ice castle, so you need to dress like it. Layer up and get your best boots and hat on! Here are my suggestions for how to dress adults and kids.
Adults
Layers are key! I get pretty cold these days so I wore long underwear! I invested a great set of long underwear for our Quebec trip years ago. They have lasted for a long time and are a great item to have around for years. I have these pants and this top. They run true to size, however I would size down if you are between sizes. You want your long underwear to fit tightly.
For boots I wore my nordic boots, which are sadly sold out, however you can find warm boot options here. And I wore my non-puffer, puffer jacket, which is old, but super warm. You can find the newer version here.
Kids
Snow pants are a must! Once a kid sees snow they are going to roll around in it. Plus it provides an extra layer to keep them dry when they use the ice slides. Lizzie has this pair and they are priced right, under $20 and hold up great in the snow. Warm boots are also a must for kiddies. She has Boggs and they are super warm, waterproof and easy for me to get on her feet. Obviously a hat and gloves are needed too, but the gloves may come off from time to time.
Overall Rating
My overall rating is a B. I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed by the size of it, I was expecting something a lot bigger and more interactive. However Lizzie gives it an A+, the ice slides were pretty awesome and where we spent a majority of the time. It was definitely cool to see and play around in. I would say it’s a once every 4 year activity for our family, not an every year activity.
Looking for more winter fun? Check out my Iceland Travel Guide.
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