Forget Frozen, this year ice castles are all the rage and these winter wonderlands are popping up everywhere. With amazing ice castles in Colorado, Alberta, Utah and even China, there are plenty of great places to choose from. These castles are beautiful to look at but many of them also have interactive features like slides and skate rinks. So instead of heading south this January, bundle up and head outside for all the fun. Here are some of the best ice castles for you and your family.
Midway, Utah
Homestead Resort, located in the sleepy bucolic town of Midway, is a small town that is transformed into a frozen ice kingdom come winter. Here a dedicated team of ice artists sculpts a magnificent ice castle that will have you living out your ‘Frozen’ fantasies. While the castles are pretty amazing during the day, at night the ice is illuminated by colorful LED lights which only add to the beauty of these structures.
North Woodstock, New Hampshire
The New Hampshire ice castle is beautifully created with thousands of frozen ice crystals and plenty of LED light displays. Here visitors are allowed to roam free and explore the frozen castle, wandering through frozen tunnels and passageways.
When visitors need to rest they can sit on frozen thrones that are dotted all over the castle and enjoy a meal. Within the castle walls, there are also several working ice fountains that are amazing to see. Around the holidays you can also take a traditional sled ride in the area while enjoying hot cocoa.
Harbin, China
When winter rolls around artists construct one of the world’s most fantastical ice castles in the world right outside the town of Harbin City. Using ice and snow and taking advantage of the drop in temperature, designers create a fantasy land where famous monuments from all over the world are recreated in ice and snow and form part of the city’s ice festival. The ice show also has a great line up of winter activities that visitors can enjoy.
From enjoying the ice slides to participating in the snowmen and snow castle competitions, there is plenty to do when visiting the festival. You can also hop on a horse-drawn sled and tour the frozen wonderland with your family while you enjoy some hot chocolate.