ICE! The Polar Express at Gaylord Rockies

Disclaimer: We were hosted by Gaylord Rockies during their media event. All photos and opinions are my own.

This weekend we kicked of the holiday season with a visit to Gaylord Rockies for their So Much Christmas event. We marveled at the intricate Christmas trees throughout the resort, watched in awe as acrobats did the impossible in Cirque Frost, ate delicious treats, shopped in Mistletoe Village, and so much more. But the highlight of our visit, as always, was the amazing exhibition ICE! 

This year ICE! features scenes from beloved holiday movie The Polar Express. Colorful ice sculptures depict the magic of The Polar Express with ten scenes made from hand carved ice. This immersive experience will delight visitors of all ages as they make their way through the chilly exhibition. With ice slides, interactive exhibits and a ton of photo opportunities ICE! is a holiday event not to be missed.

Let's take a look...

We've been to quite a few ICE! exhibits in the past, and this year's offering is just as wonderful as all of the others. Even if, like us, you haven't seen the movie or read the book it's definitely a magical experience that you won't forget.

So, you're probably wondering how all of that ice stays frozen, right? Well, the entire exhibition is kept at a chilly 9F (-13C) to keep the sculptures from melting. That's pretty cold! Visitors are given giant blue parkas to wear as they make their way through the exhibit, but you'll definitely want warm layers underneath as well as a pair of gloves or mittens. You'll want to be warm so you can spend as much time as possible checking out the displays.

ICE! features ten different scenes from The Polar Express across 17,000sf of space starting with a young boy who sees the mysterious train outside his bedroom window. The exhibition takes visitors aboard the train, through mountains (complete with ice slides), and onto the North Pole and Santa's headquarters where Santa and his elves create holiday magic. 

Throughout ICE! music from the movie plays with its respective scene. The hot chocolate display is definitely a favorite with waiters balancing cups of hot chocolate in a chaotic scene. 

The highlight for most visitors is the ice slide installation. Five two story slides made entirely of ice ready for races against friends and family. As slippery as ice sounds, the slides are a little slower than you might expect so you'll definitely need to lay back to pick up speed. It's best not to attempt it with bags hanging off you like I did too! To see the slides in action head over to my Instagram.

Once you manage to pry your kids away from the ice slides the next part of the exhibit brings visitors to the North Pole and Santa's headquarters. You'll find a colorful world with a towering Christmas tree, presents galore, elves at every turn, a larger than life Santa, 

The journey through The Polar Express ends up with the boy from the beginning back home under his Christmas tree opening the gift of the classic bell.

There's one last display before leaving ICE! altogether. The last room features a clear ice nativity scene and a towering angel. 

Now for all the important details you need to know before visiting.

ICE! The Polar Express runs daily now through January 1st 2025.

Hours vary depending on the day. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season are open from 10am - 8:45pm. These hours will be extended to all days from December 19th onward. During all other times Mondays through Thursdays are open from 3pm - 8:45pm. 

Timed entry tickets are required and can be booked online at 

https://christmasatgaylordrockies.marriott.com/ice. Tickets may be available onsite but as this is a popular event it's best to book in advance.

Tickets start at $33.48 for adults (ages 12+) and $22.63 for children (ages 4 - 11). Children 3 and under do not require a ticket. These prices are inclusive of all fees.

Most areas of ICE! are ADA compliant. The ice slides are not.

Strollers are allowed in the exhibition, however wagons are not allowed.

Gaylord Rockies is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora.

Parking is available onsite for a fee.

For more information about ICE! The Polar Express and other holiday events at Gaylord Rockies visit https://christmasatgaylordrockies.marriott.com/.

Want to check out an ICE! exhibit but you're not in Colorado? All other Gaylord resorts will be featuring their own ICE! exhibits. Gaylord Palms features Elf, Gaylord Opryland features Frosty the Snowman, Gaylord National features A Charlie Brown Christmas (you can see our visit when it was in Colorado here), and Gaylord Texan features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (you can see our visit here).

Big thanks to Gaylord Rockies for hosting us at the media event.