Ice castles may seem like only something that can come from the enchanted world of a Disney movie, but every winter one stands tall in Dillon, Colorado! The dates vary depending on the weather but opening day is in December and they usually go until mid February.

The Ice Castles are just what they sound like — walls of beautiful ice and magical winteresque scenes! I first discovered them on Instagram and made a note to get there one day! Between being first trimester pregnant & sick and having a newborn, I’ve only gone one winter since I discovered them, but if any year needs a little more magic, this is it! I can’t wait to go back with my daughter now that she is a little older!

Not only do the ice castles provide a beautiful background for photos (if you want to connect with a photographer for a family photoshoot there!!), but they also have tunnels and slides and caverns to explore. Depending on your family (and how warm you dressed) you can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours playing! When the sun goes down, they light them up which really gives it the Frozen II vibes!

SOME TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR TIME THE MOST MAGICAL

  • Get tickets online before you go. This is especially important this year because you don’t want to drive up all the way to Dillion only to get turned away because they are at capacity. Plan the date you are going and buy tickets as soon as you know!
  •  Try to get the first time slot of the day when purchasing tickets. This makes it less crowded and gives you more opportunity to get photos without people. They let people in at their time so as the day goes along, it only gets more crowded. If you are part of the first time group, you are the only people in the Ice Castles until they start letting the next group in.
  • Dress Warm! No matter how warm it is in town, it WILL be cold in the Ice Castles. They are made out of ice after all! Wear snow boots, snow clothes, hats, and gloves. If you have kids who would like to crawl in the tunnels and go down the slides, put them in snow suites/ pants so that they stay warm!
  • You cannot bring a stroller because of the slushy snow on the ground. So, if you have little babies, plan on carrying them around or bring a carrier to wear them. You can however bring a sled if you want to pull your kids around!
  • Visit their website here to purchase tickets and prepare for your trip: https://icecastles.com/colorado
  • If you are planning on going this year, make sure you check out their COVID-19 safety precautions.

The Ice Castles in Dillon is such a unique Colorado adventure and one that has a small window of time to get it on your calendar! And if you can’t figure out a way to make it happen this year, there is always next year!