One of the coolest new attractions this winter isn’t in Vail or Beaver Creek, but down the valley in Eagle. Ice Castles is an immersive, self-guided experience through a maze of icicles where the whole family can explore the wonder of ice through caves, tunnels, slides and more.

You can’t miss the 25-foot-tall ice walls located along the Eagle River and next to the Eagle County Fairgrounds. The place is a perfect place for the masses to gather, view the mythical space and enjoy the side effect of water and cold temperatures.

“You can see it from Interstate 70, so we hope it entices people driving by to stop by,” said Shayla Hibbard, event manager at Ice Castles in Eagle. Eagle is also a great location for those traveling to and from the valley via the Eagle County Regional Airport, as visitors can plan a trip to the ice castles before or after their flight.

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Eagle is the second location in Colorado. Cripple Creek is also home to locations such as St. Paul, Minnesota, North Woodstock, New Hampshire, and in Utah, the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, which hosted Nordic competition during the 2017 Winter Olympics, in addition to other areas across the country.

The idea for Ice Castles came about when founder Brent Christensen was trying to entertain his six children and get them outside to play during the winter months. They had moved from California to Utah and he began building snow and ice structures in their yard. Not only did Christensen’s children love it, their friends loved it too, and the news spread throughout the city and Christensen knew he was on to something. That was in 2011 and since then Ice Castles’ goal has been to make people smile.

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“This will be my ninth year working at Ice Castles and I just love it,” Hibbard said. Hibbard began working as a ticket scanner at Ice Castles in New Hampshire during her freshman year. “Being surrounded by a magical LED ice castle is a great way to spend the winter.”

Hibbard said she loves seeing guests’ faces and their reactions to different facial features.

“The smiles are so big and the giggles are great, and I see it in both the kids and the adults,” Hibbard said. She also believes the Vail Valley is a perfect location. “They already come here to ski, so they are not afraid of the cold and would like to come to an ice castle. I don’t think there’s a better way to end your day of skiing than coming to the ice castles.”

Hibbard oversees about 25 events staff, some of whom travel with the company and some locals who work here during the season. The construction team also includes around 25 people, made up of national and international ice sculpture specialists, who help build the ice castles across the country. Hibbard said they are taking up about an acre of land for the Ice Castles operation and have been on site since September.

“There was a lot of pre-planning involved, and then we started building the icicles in November,” Hibbard said. “We start by growing icicles and then we harvest the icicles. We plant the icicles individually with slush and then spray them with water overnight. When we wake up in the morning and look at the icicles, they have usually grown a few centimeters, depending on the weather. Over time, an icicle turns into a two-foot icicle, and eventually they form together and get bigger and bigger, and you repeat the process over and over again.”

Crews sculpt, sculpt, build and design all sorts of features such as tunnels, ice slides, caves, sculptures and more. The result is pure magic, art and nature, packed into an impressive showcase of ice fun.

“Once you enter, you can go in any direction you want. This is a self-guided, choose-your-own-adventure discovery tour. “You can spend as much time in the castle as you like,” Hibbard said. She also recommends watching it during the day and at night.

“I don’t think one time is better than the other. During the day you can see all the intricate details in every icicle, our arches and sculptures,” Hibbard said. “At night the icicles are highlighted by our beautiful, colorful lighting in the background, which simply creates a completely different experience.”

In addition to ice cream flavors, hot cinnamon rolls, soft pretzels, other snacks and hot cocoa are also available at the Frost Bites concession trailer and Polar Pub serves adult beverages on Fridays and Saturdays.

Hibbard recommends visitors dress for the elements to comfortably enjoy everything the ice castles have to offer, and wear sturdy snowshoes, since you’re essentially strolling through tiny particles of ice that feel more like a sandy beach. Hibbard also recommends purchasing your tickets in advance at IceCastles.com.

“I strongly encourage people to purchase their tickets in advance because it guarantees you a spot on busy nights when we sell out and you save money if you purchase in advance,” Hibbard said.

After the busy holiday season, Ice Castles is offering a Locals Night for the Eagle and Gypsum Residences.

“Starting January 9th, every non-holiday Thursday, our Locals Night will be held from 4 to 9 p.m., with residents of the Town of Eagle and Gypsum paying just $5 admission,” Hibbard said. “All they have to do is show their ID or prove they live in these cities and they can get in for $5 and the tickets can be purchased at the gate, not online.”

The Ice Castles are also showing some love for a local charity.

“We partner with the local animal shelter and all the money that goes into the fountain is donated to that organization at the end of the season,” Hibbard said.

To learn more, purchase tickets and see operating hours, which vary throughout the season, visit IceCastles.com.