The Ice Castles In New Brighton Are Now Under Construction

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Crews have begun chipping away at construction of Minnesota's Ice Castles.

The popular winter wonderland at Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton will feature ice-carved slides, tunnels, fountains and waterfalls. It's expected to be completed in three to four weeks.

According to the organizers, a team of ice artisans will spend 4,000 hours dripping, shaping and hand-placing icicles, before embedding the structures with color changing LED lights.

Ice Castles (credit: Ice Castles)

wcc, until the castle towers at about 30 feet tall.

Organizers expect to open to the public in early January, but they caution that the exact date is dependent on the weather.

Previously, the event has been held in Stillwater, Excelsior, Eden Prairie, and even at the Mall of America.