Ice Castles in NH: A Magical Place to Visit!
If you are looking for a unique NH winter experience, carve out some time to visit the Ice Castles in NH!
We all get overwhelmed. Caught in the ever swirling thoughts of our own heads. It feels like the moments of being swept away by magic we felt as kids are now commandeered by work and worry and bills. What we wouldn’t give to turn our eyes skyward and forget where we are… be so enamored by our surroundings that we forget we are separate from the things around us. Be lost in the magic of it all.
The thing is, sometimes it doesn’t take much for this to happen. It might even come from an experience we plan for our kids. We may begrudgingly prepare the snow pants and long johns and mittens and scarves. Lament about the amount of time and gas it will take to get there. Think of all the other things we could be doing instead of driving in the car.
But somewhere along 93 something shifts. It seems like we leave the chaos and need for a plan behind. The magnificent pine trees and wondrous snow magically crowd out all the things we “should” be doing and we find ourselves in a comfortable quiet. A moment of gratitude. Even if we cannot articulate it we are in a moment of joy. And it feels so good.
Northern NH can do this to us all on its own. There is something about being outside in a New Hampshire winter that is magical wether day or night. But when you add in ice castles, colored lights, a snow slide, tubing, and a magical forest… well, it helped this grown-up get lost in the magic. Forget where I was. Be lost in the best way.
Each year the folks at Ice Castles create this experience for those who want to partake. In fact, they create it in a few other spots around the country, too.
It all started one winter when founder and head ice sculptor Brent Christensen attempted to build an ice cave in his backyard for his daughter. It attracted so much attention -and created so much joy- that Brent committed to making this accessible to lots and lots of other people. Now, the Ice Castles host over 350,000 people per year in 5 different places!
Thousands of people hours and millions of pounds of ice, these structures are built entirely by hand. Each castle is about an acre in size and is made entirely of hand grown and sculpted icicles. In fact, the daily process involves growing between 5,000-12,000 icicles to sculpt by hand! LED lights are placed in the ice before freezing and the result is, well, magical! This attention to detail and the artistry of it all is felt fully when you visit.
In addition to the castle there are caverns (which make for spectacular photo ops!) and ice slides. Grab a mat, hop on, and race to the bottom. I can’t say I’d ever been on an ice slide before! There is also an opportunity for traditional snow tubing, sleigh rides, and -one of my favorite parts- a walk through the magical forest.
The Magical Forest
I love Christmas lights. Like, love them. Our tree goes up on November 1st every year. The soft glow. The happiness. The peace… I love them so much. I always feel sad taking them down.
The Magical Forest (my name for it) felt like Christmas amplified! Not only are there loads and loads of lights, but they are arranged in such unique ways. Hanging from trees. Creating a canopy. Swaying in the magical mountain wind… I was just so excited and happy when I walked through the forest. It felt like magic was all around me.
We spent a few hours walking around the Ice Castles, sliding down the ice slide, tubing, walking through the magical forest and warming up by the fire. Everyone was in such a great mood and so happy!
A Sparkly Take Away
One of the coolest parts of an experience like this is that the joy stays with you once you’ve left. It wafts and circulates into daily life. And though it doesn’t eliminate the worry and bills and work, it makes everything a little bit more sparkly.
And when it is time for the Ice Castles to return to the Earth, this is exactly what they do. I was moved to learn that all castles thoughout the country are built near a natural water source. So when everything melts it returns to the environment for wildlife, plants, and people.
I recommend visiting the Ice Castles in NH or one of these locations. So do my husband, kids, friends we went with, and really anyone I have every asked about it. If you are thinking of going, go! Here is a little more information for you:
Operating hours are currently from January 24th through February 25th (closed Sundays and Mondays) with various timed ticketing from 4PM to 8:30 PM. Be sure to check Ice Castle’s Facebook Page as weather (as we are all feeling this year!) can change things.
Pricing ranges from $20 (adult) and $15 (child) for weekday tickets to $29 (adult) and $22 (child) ticket weekdays and holidays. Parking, tubing, the Magical Light Walk, Ice Slides, and Ice Castles are all included in the price of the tickets. Sleigh rides are extra and can be purchased with tickets.
Location: This year the NH Ice Castles will again be located in North Woodstock, NH.
For more information visit IceCastles.com or click here.
