OPENING NEW YEAR’S EVE!
Brent showing how the magic comes together at Ice Castle – Mall of America — by carefully fusing icicles together with the right amount of water and freezing temps. Thank you Brian Benson for gathering these great shots!
Happy Holidays Ice Castle fans! We realize that there has been some confusion as to when the Steamboat Springs and Mall of America Ice Castles are going to open. As with anything weather-dependent, the fate sometimes lands in the hands of Mother Nature. With a few warmer weeks than anticipated this year, we had to overcome a few climate challenges and work a little faster. That being said, we are still opening Late December — even if that means the last day of December — and we look forward to ringing in the New Year with you on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31st! See you then!
Opening Day Update: Ice Castle – Mall of America will open at 4:30 p.m. Please do not plan to come any earlier so that our crews can get the site perfectly prepped for your arrival!
Mall of America Castle Cam
Thanks to our friends at KARE 11, we have 24-7 coverage of the Ice Castle developments with our Castle Cam! Watch the progress from the warmth of your living room, and then pick the best time to throw on your winter duds and head to the MOA to see it in person.
Sneak Peek at Ice Castle MOA
Updates on opening dates!
Mall of America — December 31st
Steamboat Springs — Definitely by December 31st, but likely December 28th … stay tuned!
In the mean time, here is a sneak peek at the Ice Castle MOA with the castle creator himself, Brent Christensen!
Lindsey Stirling — YouTube Phenomenon
If you haven’t had a chance to watch these clips, DO! Lindsey Stirling, who filmed this video (with Devin Graham) at Ice Castle in Colorado last year, has generated over 33 MILLION hits on YouTube. She was also featured on Larry King as a YouTube sensation. Congrats Lindsey, and thank you for including us in this magical experience!
Update: Ice Castle – Mall of America
Brent, Red, Blake and the rest of the Twin-Cities-based ice castle creators & experts have been dealt a hand of warmer weather than expected this time of year, but things are quickly looking up (or down if you are talking temps!). Here are some photos of their progress this past week!
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- Mini icy wonderland now … stay tuned!
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- Ice Castle – Mall of America kiosk — East Side — Opening Soon!
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- Red, resident ice expert, fusing harvested icicles to create monumental 40-ft towers!
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- The coolest formations!
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- Blake harvesting icicles for replanting in the center of the castle grounds
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- Ice farms in action
Update: Ice Castle – Steamboat Springs
Cory, Dan and the team in Steamboat Springs are making GREAT progress on their Ice Castle! They are right on schedule to open the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Start making your winter break plans to swing through Steamboat and visit what is already becoming an amazing structure!
Video – Children react to the 2011/2012 Ice Castle
Children love the Ice Castle and so we thought we’d get some of them on film to tell about. This short clip is the result. We filmed on St. Patrick’s Day in 2012. Hope you enjoy it!
Favorite Photos ( Ice Castle )
Ice Castle Stunning Red Dress
Between now and when we open, we will regularly post our favorite photos from last year.
We love it when talented photographers shoot photos at the Ice Castles. One the most well-known photos taken last year was by Tony Gallagher of a beautiful bride in a stunning red dress. Here is Tony’s site and here is the photo:
When will we open this winter? (2012)
Winter Schedule Info
We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about when the Ice Castles will open this winter. Good question!
Our opening dates totally depend on the weather. If we have normal temperatures for the next 6 – 8 weeks, we expect that we will open in Steamboat in mid-December 2012 and at Mall of America in late-December 2012.
If temperatures are warmer, we may open later. And temperatures are cooler than normal, we may open earlier.
The photo below was taken at last years Ice Castle by Ariana Habich. You can see more of her work here.
Announcement!
Finally! We are ready to announce that this winter the Ice Castles will come to Minnesota, locating next to the Mall of America!
Another Ice Castle will be built at Ski Time Square, at the base of Steamboat Springs Resort in Colorado!
We couldn’t be more thrilled with these two locations for this winter. We’ll start growing ice any day now, so keep checking in to see photos of this years Ice Castles as they begin to form.
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