Ice Castles are back baby!
Everyone's favorite Winter wonderland is back for another season in Colorado after a two year hiatus. This year, Ice Castles make the teeny tiny mining town of Cripple Creek, two hours south of Denver, their home. A new location, but with all the same wonder and jaw dropping beauty that makes Ice Castles simply magical.
We recently visited and I'm so excited to share it all with you today. Read on for lots of pics (you know I always go a little overboard with the photos!) and some handy tips for visiting...
Have you ever been to Ice Castles? If you haven't (or if you're new to the blog and haven't seen me sharing them before) prepare to be amazed. Scratch that - even if you HAVE been to Ice Castles before prepare to be amazed! Because no matter how many times you experience Ice Castles you'll always be in awe!
Ice Castles truly is a Winter wonderland. Created by hand one ice crystal at a time, Ice Castles dazzle and delight as the ice structures sparkle in the sun or under LED light. Visitors will find castle walls made of solid ice, ice structures that reach towards the sky, tunnels and caves to crawl through, arches and ice sculptures, and ice slides in three different sizes for visitors of all ages.
As the sun goes down LED lights inside the ice glow in shades of pink, yellow, purple, green and blue creating an even more magical experience. I personally prefer the natural color of the ice and the contrast against the (hopefully) blue sky, but seeing the ice all lit up is pretty cool too. My tip is to visit later in the afternoon, around 3:30pm to 4pm so you can experience the natural blues and whites of the ice during the day and see the lights turn on as the sun sets. The sunset glow over the ice is stunning too.
I also enjoyed the views from the higher levels of the Ice Castles (at the top of the slides) where we were able to see the town of Cripple Creek and the surrounding area contrasted against the white of the ice.
Ice Castles is located at 339 Irene Avenue, Cripple Creek. We found that Google Maps directed us
to an access road that was closed to Ice Castles traffic, so make sure to keep an eye out as you enter Cripple Creek for signs pointing towards Ice Castles parking. You'll find parking for Ice Castles on 4th Street where staff will direct where you park.
As of now, Ice Castles will be open through late February, but this may be extended depending on the weather. If it stays cold enough it may be extended into March, but I'd plan on going earlier just in case. It was a sunny day when we visited and the ice was dripping quite a lot, but I'm hoping that the coming extreme cold weather will help keep Ice Castles open a little longer.
Timed entry tickets can be purchased in advance at www.icecastles.com. Walk ups may be available, but I definitely recommend booking in advance to avoid any disappointment. Tickets are $27.00 for adults (ages 12+) and $22.00 for kids (ages 4 - 11) during peak times. Peak times include Fridays through Saturdays, public holidays and Winter breaks. Off peak tickets are a little cheaper at $21.00 for adults and $16.00 for kids. Off peak times include Wednesdays and Thursdays. Kids ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge.
As you can probably imagine, the ice is pretty chilly, so you'll definitely want to rug up with layers, a warm jacket, beanie, and gloves etc. Snow pants are a great option, but if you're like me and prefer to wear dresses/skirts then these fleece tights are good too. Make sure to wear warm shoes with good grip. Disposable hand warmers and foot warmers are handy for a little extra warmth.
Porta-potty restrooms are available just outside of the entry to Ice Castles. Re-entry is not permitted once you leave Ice Castles, but if you need to use the restroom during your visit speak to one of the staff members at the exit and they will help you out.
Strollers are not permitted, so if you are visiting with a baby or toddler consider using a baby carrier. You can also bring a small sled to use instead of a stroller - but keep in mind that sledding is not allowed. We used this small sled for Mathilde the first time we visited Ice Castles and it was very handy when she got too tired to walk.
Please respect the ice! I know it seems kind of obvious, but breaking icicles off the Ice Castles, punching holes in the ice walls, and licking the walls are all a no-no. That said, we saw people doing all of these things during our visit, and they weren't just kids. In fact, we had a run in with one dad who was encouraging his kids to do all of these things and also showing them how. When I asked him to please respect the Ice Castles his response was "It's just ice. Chill out". Don't be that guy. That guy ruins the fun for everyone.
If you plan on staying in the local area or just plan to eat dinner locally please be aware that most restaurants in Cripple Creek are located inside of casinos and limit guests to those ages 21+. We stayed overnight and only found two restaurants open in Cripple Creek that allowed children. These are Maggie's and The Creek. Both had very long waits due to limited staff and high demand, so please plan accordingly and bring plenty of snacks.
For more information visit www.icecastles.com and if you'd like to see more of our visit head over to Instagram to see it all in action here.
Thanks to Ice Castles for hosting our visit!
No comments:
Post a Comment