Previous Next

The otherworldly icy creation known as the Utah Ice Castles began as a way for a local Utah family to cure their boredom one wintry day back in 2011. Now, every year the frozen attraction lures tens of thousands of visitors to its location as they meander through the icy creation with curiosity at the sheer size of it all. Weighing more than 25 million pounds when completed, the Ice Castles sprawls over one acre of open land in Midway, Utah. But, how did it become this fairytale frozen creation in the first place?

The First Ice Castle

Ice Castles co-founder, Brent Christensen, came up with the concept at his residence in Alpine, Utah, when his children were listless one winter day and tired of being cooped up indoors. After moving to Utah from California, he decided to embrace this winter wonderland and make his children an ice cave in his front yard.

His first-ever ice cave was a hit for his children and kids all across the neighborhood! Word quickly spread throughout the town. Soon, curious neighbors started driving by his yard to see the ice cave, some even going through the cave to experience it for themselves. Eventually, Brent’s kids coined their dad's ice cave creation an “ice castle.”

With this beginning, the Utah Ice Castles grew to become a major winter attraction in Midway, Utah each year. Now, with multiple locations at unique wintry destinations across the country, the Ice Castles is a company that works diligently every winter season to create magical icy creations and experiences that inspire and bring happiness, laughter, and unforgettable memories to all who visit any of its locations.

Making Today’s Ice Castles

Each year, the Utah Ice Castles are made entirely by hand. Brent Christensen is the lead artist and architect who makes each year’s castles truly unique and memorable. A team of 20 to 40 ice artists assist Brent in building the castles with man-made icicles. These dedicated workers "grow" roughly 12,000 icicles every day over the course of two months before the Ice Castles are complete and ready for visitors.

The handmade icicles are harvested for the castle design, then each is placed by professional artists. Icicles are intentionally and carefully placed to create frosty features such as tunnels, slides, fountains, thrones, arches, and more. Overall, hundreds of thousands of icicles are made for each destination. In more recent years, the local creation has included special balloons and water features to help create smoother tunnels and rock-solid walls.

Once the castle is finished, it covers approximately one acre in size and weighs over 25 million pounds. The magic of the castles is illuminated with LED lights at night. Each LED light is frozen inside the ice to make the experience even more radiant and breathtaking. And each year brings a new element of surprise.

The Ice Castles are purposefully located next to a natural water source so that when temperatures begin to warm in the spring, the pure ice melts back into the surrounding environment.

Visit the Utah Ice Castles

With a new, unique design every year, thousands of visitors come to the area to view the captivating frozen fortress and experience its interactive activities. Bring your family and friends, also perfect for a date night activity, and walk through frozen tunnels of all sizes, witness the LED-lit sculptures, sit on frozen thrones, race down icy slides (adults and kids welcome), and enjoy your evening outdoors and under a starlit sky. Add another level of merriment to your experience and book a peaceful horse drawn sleigh ride with Rocky Mountain Outfitters through a dazzling nighttime light display. Get tickets online and in advance.

Dress for Warmth

Be sure to dress in warm, waterproof layers! We recommend snow boots, waterproof pants, warm base layers, a winter coat, waterproof gloves, and a snow hat or something to cover your ears. This is an outdoor winter attraction. You will be walking through snow and icy areas. Winter nights get pretty chilly so dress for the conditions.

Let's Get Social

Please share your adventures with us and others on social. Tag @hebervalley and #hebervalley so we can see all the fun you're having, and maybe even share your posts with our followers. Find Heber Valley on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and let's connect on social!

Read more about Other Icy Fun Adventures in Heber Valley and plan your trip to Utah this winter with these pre-built itineraries!