The popular ice castles in Lake Geneva will open this Saturday, January 22nd. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 19th at 12:00 p.m.
Visitors can explore ice caverns and archways adorned with hand-placed icicles, race down ice slides, squeeze though ice passageways, and even book a private alcove for a VIP experience.
The experience is built using hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists. The castles include LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains and more.
The ice castles are located in five cities across North America, and the closest to Milwaukee is in Lake Geneva.
Milwaukee With Kids readers offer the following tips:
- Dress very warmly. This seems to go without saying, but our readers say you should dress even more warmly than you normally would. You will be walking on ice and surrounded by ice, so the experience is very cold. The walking surface is made up of crushed ice and snow. The feeling is much like the condition of walking on a sandy or gravelly beach where some places are compact and others are several inches thick of ice/snow. Weather conditions affect the walking surface.
- Buy a ticket for just before sunset. This way you’ll get to see the ice castles in both the daytime, and when they are lit up at night. According to the website, “The daytime allows you to appreciate the deep blues that only the natural light of the sun brings out in the ice, as well as the details in the Ice Castles. At night, once the sun has set, LED lights illuminate Ice Castles from within as you experience the majestic creations under the stars.”
- Bring a sled. Strollers are not allowed, so you can either carry your small children through, or bring a sled to pull them.
You can buy tickets online. Tickets may be available on-site if Ice Castles is not sold out. On-site prices are subject to higher rates. For guaranteed entry and the lowest price, buy tickets online in advance.
For more information, head to their website.
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
