Ice Castles now open in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. (WLS) -- With towers climbing toward the skies, a massive ice castle defends the shores of Geneva Lake this winter.
"The color, the turquoise, the ice, the icicles, it's amazing. Absolutely amazing," visitor Linnea Lawson said.
Lawson traveled from Chicago's northwest suburbs to marvel at the temporary installation. Even from the outside, she knows she's in for a treat.
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"I've been out west, I've lived in the east. This is the first time I'Ve ever seen anything like this," she said.
Inside, you'll find a spacious fortress with multiple courtyards. And you can do a lot more than just look at this ice castle.
"We've got tunnels and slides and water features and mazes," said A. J. Mellor, director of visual media for Ice Castles.
Most of it is built by hand.
"We actually grow icicles on site and then we break them off and hand place them and we spray water over them and the water as it accumulates during freezing temperature, it expands," Mellor said.
Ice Castles has five more structures like this in North America. Mellor said the Lake Geneva construction began in October.
And with plenty of places to crawl around, he recommends you dress like you're sledding - and not to impersonate Elsa from "Frozen."
"If you show up to this ice castle in a gown and heels, you're not gonna feel like singing," he said.
If you want to wonder through the displays and strike a pose, online tickets start at $10.95 for kids.
The Ice Castle throne can be yours to sit on starting January 23 and it will be here all winter long, as long as it's cold enough.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit icecastles.com.
