Minnesota Ice Castles Attraction Organizers Announce Weather-Delayed 2024 Opening Date
The warm start to Minnesota's winter season has delayed - or even canceled - several winter traditions around the state, and the annual Ice Castles attraction is one of the many things impacted.
Being the entire attraction is heavily based around the ice formations used to create the attraction itself, it is easy to see how an unseasonably warm start to winter could be problematic for the Ice Castles organizers.
Despite the late start, the attraction is still preparing to open to visitors soon!
Over the years, the Ice Castles organizers have moved their annual attraction to different places around the Twin Cities area. This winter, the attraction is located in Maple Grove. It will be located in the area near Main Street and Weaver Lake Road in Maple Grove.
When will this year's Minnesota Ice Castles open?
In a social media update, organizers acknowledged the challenge of the "abnormally warm temperatures and a lack of snow throughout December", but excitedly shared that the wait to visit the attraction this winter is nearly over.
Organizers say the attraction will start welcoming visitors on Wednesday, January 24, opening at 5 pm that evening.
If you're looking forward to seeing this year's Ice Castles, it may be a good idea not to wait too long. With the attraction being so weather-dependent, it's hard to say how long it will stay open. I don't mean to suggest it won't stay open very long, but with the way this winter has started, who knows?
As of right now, organizers are offering tickets for sale for sale all the way through February 18. Here's hoping the weather allows for them to have a long season!
While they will be opening on a Wednesday, their normal days of operation will be Thursdays through Mondays most weeks of their operation. You can see more and buy tickets on their website.
What will be at this year's Minnesota Ice Castles?
In social media posts from Ice Castles and from Experience Maple Grove, they say this year's attraction will feature many of the same types of experiences as in years past, with a new spin at the new location.
Things that are being promoted as part of this year's attraction include:
- Ice slides
- Ice caverns & archways
- Ice sculptures
- Tubing hill
- Ice bar
- Fire shows
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Gallery Credit: Ian