If stepping into a winter wonderland with towering walls of glittering ice, tunnels, and archways sounds enchanting to you then you cannot miss a trip to the Ice Castles in Lake George, NY.
This post will serve as your Ice Castles travel guide with everything you need to know for your visit.
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What Are The Ice Castles?
The Ice Castles are man-made magical structures made entirely out of ice. The craftsmanship is incredible and it takes a team of 20-40 ice artisans at least 8 weeks to construct these.
There are ice thrones, fireplaces, igloos, fountains, and more all meticulously constructed. If you visit at night, the LEDs embedded into the ice will illuminate the castles with all the colors of the rainbow.
Please be respectful and do not touch the ice or break off any icicles.
Where Can I Experience The Ice Castles?
There are 5 locations in the US where you can take part in this experience:
- New Brighton, Minnesota – Long Lake Regional Park, 1500 Old Highway 8
- Midway, Utah – Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, 2002 Olympic Drive
- North Woodstock, New Hampshire – 24 Clark Farm Rd
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin – Geneva National Resort & Club, 1091 Hidden Cottage Circle
- Lake George NY – Charles R Wood Park, 19 W Brook Rd
My family and I visited the location in Lake George NY which is located in eastern upstate New York in the Adirondack Mountains.
How Much Does It Cost?
Tickets are $29.00 per person ages 12+, $22.00 for children age 4-11 and free for ages 3 and under.
Service fees are also added to each ticket.
Where To Purchase Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online here. You will want to get your tickets as early in the season as possible – especially if you have a certain date and/or time of day in mind that you want to visit.
It is possible to get tickets at the gate if they are not sold out online. But you are taking a huge gamble if you decide to go this route. Most of the time, tickets sell out online way ahead of time.
You may also be able to get tickets later in the season as more dates are added if the weather allows.
What Is There To Do at the Ice Castles?
The ice castles are for everyone and there is something to do for those of all ages.
Families with children will love the ice slides, ice mazes, and crawl tunnels. My kids went down the slides over and over and over again!
While the adults, and couples, will enjoy the new 2023 Polar Pub ice bar with winter-themed cocktails and hot drinks.
People of all ages will love exploring the ice mazes, tunnels, and fountains all illuminated by magical lights at nighttime. Don’t worry, all of these features are still available in the daytime too, just now under the natural pale white and ice blue.
If you are looking for a more private experience, you can book the Arctic Alcove private room for up to 6 guests of your choosing. Pricing is $450 for one hour and includes your entrance tickets, two souvenir photos, and 20% off any additional merchandise.
Be sure to take 5-10 minutes to stroll down the Mystic Lightwalk as well. Enter from the east end of Canada St (Lake George location) for the best experience.
Pro Tip for Lake George, NY location: If you can, coordinate your trip when the Lake George Winter Carnival is in town. The carnival takes place each weekend in February on the lake, yes seriously ON THE LAKE, and there are tons of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Kids can go on pony rides, watch car races on the lake, go for a sleigh ride, make cupcakes, and more.
Check their website for location details, if the ice is too thin the location will be moved.
When Do The Ice Castles Open?
The ice castles open for the season in January and typically close up around the end of February to the beginning of March. Obviously, ice castles are weather dependent and may stay open longer in some seasons than others. Keep checking their website for details, they will continue to add new dates as the weather permits.
Best Time Of Day To Visit The Ice Castles
The best time to visit the ice castles is going to depend on what kind of experience you are looking to have.
If you go during the day, you will experience the ice castles under natural light where they are a beautiful sparkling white and pale blue. However, if you choose to visit at night, then you will see them illuminated with colorful lights.
I personally enjoyed visiting at night better than during the day. It was just a little bit more magical, at least my kids thought so.
Insider Tip: If you just can’t decide if you want to see the ice castles in the daytime or at night then book the 4:30-5 pm time slot. This way you will be able to experience them in the daylight, at sunset, and at night!
How Long Does It Take To Walk Through?
On average, it will take around 30-60 minutes to go through the ice castles at Lake George NY. But feel free to take as much time as you would like. We spent a lot of time on the slides, watching the kids crawl through tunnels, and taking photos and videos, so we were probably there closer to 2 ½ hours.
Cancellations
As previously mentioned, all Ice Castles and their respective features are weather dependent and may need to be closed. Warmer temperatures for several days in a row, sunny days, or rain can cause unsafe conditions.
In the event of a closure, or delayed opening time, you will be notified via email. This is why it’s important that you enter an email when purchasing your tickets. Delays or closures usually aren’t decided any earlier than 48 hours before your scheduled time.
Although tickets to the Ice Castles are nonrefundable, you will still receive a refund if there is a weather-related closure. The refund will include the price of the ticket and the sales tax, but unfortunately, you will still lose out on the service and exchange fees.
You also have the option to exchange your tickets for another date if there are other dates available. The exchange fee will be waived for 24 hours if you decide to go this route.
What To Wear To The Ice Castles
Some people may think that this answer is obvious but for me, it wasn’t. And maybe it isn’t for you either! Before our trip to the ice castles in Lake George NY, I scoured Instagram looking for other people’s photos to try to determine what they wore and how bundled up they had their kids.
Obviously, it’s an outdoor winter attraction so it is cold… but just how bundled up you get will all depend on the location you choose to visit and the temperature that day. If it’s windy – bundle alllllll the way up!!
The best advice I can give is to dress in layers with a good pair of winter boots.
I wore fleece-lined leggings, boots, a sweatshirt, and my winter coat. My kids were in their snowsuits since they were down on the ground playing in the snow and you don’t want their clothes getting wet.
Gloves and a hat are also a must.
What To Bring For a Visit To the Ice Castles
If you are traveling with small children, note that there are no strollers allowed. You can either wear your baby or you can bring a small sled. We brought a sled for Jacob and he LOVED IT! This allowed him to walk around as much as he wanted but also be pulled around if he got tired.
Also, be sure to bring a camera or your phone, you won’t want to miss out on capturing these memories.
Is The Ground Slippery?
No, for the most part, it is not slippery at the ice castles. The ground is covered with more snow than ice, and although there can be some slick spots, you will find that your footing is pretty steady, especially with a good pair of winter boots.
Are There Bathrooms?
Yes, all ice castles locations will have bathrooms.
Parking
This parking information is going to be specific to the Ice Castles location at Lake George, NY. If you are visiting any of the other locations, check their website for parking details.
There is free parking on W Brook Rd and paid parking on the street directly in front of the ice castles. When we visited at our 7:30pm time slot, we did not pay for any parking.
According to the official website, the street adjacent to Charles R Wood Park, where the ice castles are located, has recently changed names to 17 Elizabeth Little Blvd, Lake George NY 12845 if you happen to have issues putting this into your GPS.
Can I Get Good Photos?
You will get incredible photos here at the Ice Castles. It can be crowded at times but if you are patient, people usually move quickly through so you should be able to get a shot without anyone else in it. Also if you go when they open or closer to the time they close you will be less likely to have as many people there.
If you don’t want to worry about taking photos, although I do recommend that you take at least a few of the castles from the inside, there will be a photographer as you first walk in who will take your photo that will be available for purchase.
Is There Food Available At The Ice Castles?
There is food available for purchase at all of the Ice Castles locations. The types of food will vary by location.
Hotels Near Ice Castles Lake George NY
There are plenty of lodging options for any budget near the Ice Castles in New York. My personal choice would be the Marriott right on the lake. It’s important to plan ahead with lodging as far in advance as possible. Rooms book up quickly during the ice castle and winter festival season.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL STAY IN LAKE GEORGE, NY
During our visit, we actually stayed in Saratoga Springs, which is about a 30 minute drive south of Lake George. Never having been there, I was eager to check out what the internet calls a ‘more refined, adult atmosphere’ in Saratoga Springs.
I’m going to be completely honest and say I was not at all impressed with our hotel stay. However, the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs looked really nice and may be worth checking into.
Where To Eat in Lake George
There are several dining options in the Lake George area but you will have to do some research on when/if they are actually open this time of year. I was quite surprised at how dead the town actually was. For reference, we visited the Ice Castles on a Sunday night and left Monday afternoon.
For dinner on Sunday night we ate at Charlie’s Bar & Kitchen inside the Marriott. It was a nice, casual atmosphere.
Lunch the next day before we left was at Duffy’s Tavern because it was literally the only thing open for lunch on a Monday. I think we may have got the ‘out of towner menu’ because it was extremely overpriced for bar food.
Are Ice Castles Worth Visiting?
Yes, the Ice Castles are absolutely worth experiencing.
These magnificent structures are a true testament to the beauty and magic of the winter season. They are truly unique and unforgettable. I hope you found this guide to the ice castles in Lake George NY helpful in planning your family’s own trip!
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