Spotlight: Wasatch Mountains - Midway Ice Castles

Spotlight: The concept of ice castles was developed by Brent Christensen who built the first one in his front yard in Alpine, UT in 2008. The following year, Christensen built his first public ice castle at Midway's Zermatt Resort. Since then, the project has continued to grow, and Christensen has constructed his spectacular castles in other states as well. Today, the ice castles are created with several dozen employees and about 5 million gallons of water.

      Construction of the ice castles begins in late November, and takes about a month. The walls of the ice castles are 10 inches thick and very solid. The size and shape of the ice castles changes daily as 10,000 - 15,000 new icicles are added to the structure each day. Unlike icicles that grow on houses, these icicles don't fall because the bond between icicle and ice is much stronger than bonds between icicles and other materials (metal, wood, etc.) On warm days, the icicles melt from the bottom up. Over time, they get absorbed into the structure or turn into slush. Each ice castle weighs about 25,000,000 pounds. To see a behind-the-scenes look done by Fox 13 News on the castles' construction, click here.

Ice tower

Location: The Midway Ice Castles are seasonal, and as such have no permanent location. They began in Midway, UT. Due to their great popularity, however, they outgrew their original location. For the past two years they have been located at 2002 Soldier Hollow Road, just a few miles outside of Midway. Other locations include: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Lincoln, New Hampshire, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Cost: The prices quoted below are when you purchase tickets online. Standby is significantly higher.
          Mon.-Thurs.: $6.95/child (4-11); $9.95/adult (12+)
          Fri.-Sat.: $8.95/child (4-11); $12.95/adult (12+)

Time: The Ice Castles are usually only open a couple of months a year (early January - early March). However, if it is a warm winter, the window may be considerably less. Allow about an hour to explore.
Hours: 3 pm - 9 pm (Mon. - Thurs.); 3 pm - 10 pm (Fri.); noon - 10 pm (Sat.); closed (Sun.)

Description: The ice castles are beautiful structures made entirely of ice. They cover about 1.5 acres of land. Once completed, they form a maze of ice towers, glowing tunnels, spiky archways, small caverns with light displays, and secret passages, including the popular Slot Canyon, where visitors need to turn sideways to squeeze their way through the glossy passage.

Slot Canyon

Secret Passage

     Some of the featured structures include ice slides, a water fall and a fountain. The 2016 version has two ice slides - a small one for little children and a larger one for bigger kids and adults. If you looked carefully, you could also spot Olaf from Frozen.

small slide

     At night, the natural bluish white color fades and is replaced by glowing multi-colored LED lights, embedded inside the castle walls. The lights change from one color to the next at variable intervals throughout the evening.

water fountain

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - You need to purchase your tickets ahead of time for two reasons: 1) They are cheaper; and 2) They often sell out. There will be a service charge, but it is still cheaper than standby.
- Ticket sales are final, but dates and times may be changed up to 24 hours in advance of ticket time. You are encouraged to check weather forecasts ahead of time since there are no refunds for inclement weather.
- When you purchase tickets, you enter during your 1/2 hour ticket window. You may then stay as long as you want, but will probably be done within 60-90 minutes. Don't be late or you may be waiting standby.
- The ice castles are made completely out of snow and ice. They are also outside, so it gets COLD. Recommended clothing includes: boots, snow pants, sweatshirt and jacket, gloves, hat or cap, scarf, and warm socks.
- When you get cold, hot chocolate and warm cinnamon rolls are sold on the premises for about $3 each.
- We went at 5:30 so that we could see the castles in the daylight and at night.
- Ice princesses are on hand for pictures at select times: 4pm-8pm (Mon. & Fri.) and 1pm-9pm (Sat.) Appearances may be shortened or cancelled due to weather.
- You need to sign a waiver form before entering the Ice Castles.
- The best way to ask questions is through their Facebook page.
- Click here for information regarding sleigh rides to the ice castles.

Nearby: Soldier Hollow Cross-Country Ski Resort, Heber Valley Historic Railroad, Brighton and Alta Ski Resorts, Park City