Race Down Slides Of Ice At This Thrilling, Winter Wonderland Destination In The West

Indulge your inner child by venturing into a mesmerizing, icy winter scene that's sure to put a smile on your face regardless of your age. Let the gloriousness of laughter and delight keep you warm as you enjoy some of the best winter activities and explore an icy spectacle. You can zip down slippery ice slides, observe incredible ice sculptures, watch live entertainment, and so much more when you visit the wondrous Ice Castles in Cripple Creek, Colorado.

Ice Castles has other locations around the country, but we'll focus on the Colorado one for now. This site is about 2.5 hours away from Denver, making it the perfect excursion for a winter day trip out of the city. "Our team is dedicated to creating an unforgettable experience in Cripple Creek that complements the natural beauty of the area while providing a unique and immersive experience for guests," CEO of Ice Castles Kyle Standifird told CBS Colorado in a statement.

As you can probably imagine and have inferred, everything is made of ice at Ice Castles. The slides and statues are sculpted from it, the caves and tunnels are formed by it, and the maze is surrounded by it — everything, everywhere, is ice. See these slippery phenomena adorned in colorful LED lights for yourself by booking your tickets in advance. "Ice Castles is a winter experience unlike any other, you enter and you feel like you've entered a different world," the Colorado location's event manager Kail Hanrahan told KRDO News.

The founder, Brent Christensen, originally came up with the idea of building ice castles for his children after moving from California to Utah and experiencing snowy winters. They became popular amongst the neighborhood kids and, soon, the city. Eventually, he started the large-scale Ice Castles in 2011. Nowadays, there are Ice Castles in six different states across the United States.

Ice Castles' operations depend on the weather. For example, it opened in December 2023 because weather conditions were favorable, as opposed to its originally scheduled opening date of January 2024. It operates five days a week, except for Mondays and Tuesdays. You can see Ice Castle on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Or, arrive between 3 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Fridays. The establishment runs for about 12 hours on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., but on Sundays, it opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m.

Admissions depend on whether or not it's considered a peak period, which is Fridays through Sundays and on holiday breaks. When it is, prices are $27 for individuals 12 and older and $22 for those between 4 and 11. When it's not peak season, prices drop to $21 for the former and $16 for the latter. Whether you're 7 or 70, you can delight in the magic of Ice Castles this season. Bring your friends and family and have a blast exploring this western winter destination before it closes for the season in February.