Awe-Inspiring Ice Castles Near Park City, UT

Before you go, it’s important to know that the Ice Castles aren’t actually castles at all. With no roof, the Ice Castles are more like a giant Ice fortress with giant walls made of icicles up to 20 feet tall. Each year the Ice Castles are grown from scratch right at the Homestead Resort in Midway, just 20 minutes away from Park City. Starting with a few imported giant icicles, and a specially designed sprinkler system of sorts, the Ice Castles grow all through the fall and early winter to be ready for visitors to enjoy throughout the winter months. 

Inside the Ice Castles, you’ll find tunnels, secret passageways, and our family favorite - the Ice Slides. There are hundreds of multi-colored lights that make the ice seem to come alive at night as it glows from within.  You’ll spend your time making snowballs, crawling around on your belly, and you’ll probably have a hard time wiping the giant smile off your face. Basically, you’ll be transported back to when you were a kid, so my best suggestion is that you fully embrace the experience.

After you get your pictures, make your way immediately to the slides. The lines for the slides can get incredibly long as the night progresses, so get in line as soon as you can so that you don’t have to wait as long.

While the entire Ice Castle will take you at least an hour to explore, I recommend planning on at least 2 hours of time for your visit.  If your kids are a little bit older, it’s easy to give them the freedom to explore independently, since there is only one exit and one entrance to the ice castle.

To visit the Ice Castles, you’ll need to reserve an entrance time. While it’s always magical, we prefer to visit one hour before sunset so that we can enjoy the Ice Castles both in the light as well as in the dark. If you want to visit the Ice Castles without as many crowds, try and plan your visit during the week, as weekends are very popular and may be a bit crowded.

Yes, the Ice Castles are very kid-friendly. I especially love that there is only one entrance and exit so even if one of our little ones wanders off, they can’t ever really escape. The Ice Castles are not stroller-friendly, so plan on leaving that behind. If you are coming to the Ice Castles with a baby or little kids, plan on bringing a sled to pull them around in. It’s difficult for their little legs to walk through all the snow and they’ll likely get tired very easily.

We always take snacks and a thermos full of hot cocoa and leave it in the car for after our visit to the Ice Castles. It’s a great way to end the night, as well as warm up from the inside out. The Ice Castles do sell hot chocolate and other food in case you need it!

Also, if there is anyone in your family that gets cold easily, I recommend getting some hand and toe warmers and bringing them with you just in case they get extra chilly.  

The Ice Castles typically open at the end of December or the beginning of January every year, depending on the weather. While they try to stay open into March, I have seen them close in February before, so don’t procrastinate your visit. I have found that visiting the Ice Castles in early February to be the best since the icicles are usually bigger than early in the season, but they typically haven’t started melting yet. The Utah Ice Castles are closed on Sundays.

Advanced tickets to the Ice Castles are always recommended since popular dates sell out quickly.  

Peak Pricing $17 - 26 | Off-Peak Pricing $12 - 20