Wander Minnesota: Ice Castles
It's back. A couple of years ago, Ice Castles premiered a couple of years ago at the Mall of America, and now it's making an appearance at Eden Prairie's Miller Park.
It's a massive ice structure, with corridors and nooks and crannies, all built from ice. It's an impressive structure, and a great deal of fun to wander through.
Be sure to look closely at the walls and edges—you never know when you might find a peephole with a view.
There's even a sort of scenic overview, where the wall is low enough for easy viewing to the lake that borders the park (and playground).
There's even a steamy waterfall.
And a child-sized slide.
Speaking of kids, fans of Frozen will recognize the character at the base of this structure.
In the daylight, the ice structures have a beautiful sea-green and blue tint to them, not from any additives, but just from the thickness of the ice and the light that penetrates it.
Evenings will find the Ice Castles lit with LED lights, which should be spectacular.
There are several events planned for Ice Castles, which you can find at the bottom of this page: ice skating, visits from the Ice Princess, Fire Performances and two evenings of star-gazing with WCCO meteorologist Mike Lynch.
Note: these are all based on the weather both staying cold enough for the structures to be safe and the weather not becoming inclement. It's a good idea to check the website the day you plan to visit to make sure all plans are still in place. Right now, the Ice Castles are scheduled to be open through March 7, but that date is subject to change.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.