Scroll Top

Embracing the Winter to Explore Ice Castles MN

Exterior wall of Ice Castles MN

Winter can be a rough time to plan a road trip in the Midwest. The weather is be unreliable, and driving long distances in a blizzard can be stressful. To be honest, there’s not a lot I’m willing to stand outside for during the Midwest’s coldest months. The beautiful Ice Castles MN easily made my short list.

Created from nearly 25 million pounds of solid ice, the Ice Castles are as cool—both literally and figuratively—as they sound. Every day the creators of the Ice Castle produce 10,000 icicles to help strengthen the 10-foot thick walls of the giant structure.

We opted to wander the frozen maze at night when the castle is illuminated and the idea of spending an extended amount of time in the sub-zero Minnesota cold seemed, well, slightly more magical. Once inside we loved snapping photos and exploring the maze of hidden caverns and coves. The structure is truly breathtaking and included a lot of unexpected elements, like a hot cocoa stand and freely flowing fountains. Yes, there may have also been a music light show playing “Let it Go” and a visitor dressed as Princess Elsa. Because why not? But even with blazing bonfires to thaw in front of, we only made it about 45 minutes inside the Ice Castles before heading home.

If you visit Ice Castles MN

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

For $12.95 each, I thought the Ice Castles were well worth the time, money, and frozen fingers. While Eden Prairie has long been home to icy winter wonders for decades, the company that’s now responsible for the Ice Castles creates snowy spectaculars in Minnesota as well as Utah, New Hampshire, and the Canadian province of Alberta.

Ice Castles, 17970 E Miller Parkway in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

Discover one of Minnesota's "coolest" attractions at the Ice Castles!

Related Posts

Comments (1)

[…] they’re now unfortunately closed for the season, the Eden Prairie Ice Castles are a winter must if you’re traveling anywhere near Minneapolis. I absolutely adored […]

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.