Viking Lakes SKOLstice

KIM THE RUBICON

While the traditional corn mazes of fall always attract large numbers of visitors, the Minnesota Ice Maze proves that they don’t just have to be limited to one season and one material. Open during the first two months of the year, the Viking Lakes in Eagan features the largest ice maze in Minnesota history, made of over one million pounds of ice. Additionally, the Winter SKOLstice event, which is free and open to the public, offers activities like hockey, ice skating, and curling in the same area.

The space surrounding the maze offers great photo spots and other attractions like ice sculptures and fire pits; visiting at night ensures that the colorful lights placed virtually everywhere will make photo subjects look their best. After weaving through the maze to the end, cookies and hot chocolate are avail- able to purchase near the entrance, as well as access to bathrooms. The whole area is organized clearly, and times are convenient for visitors as the attraction is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Although the maze is almost half a mile long in total it took less than 10 minutes to finish. For tickets that are $24.99 for ages 14 and up, the attraction felt a little overpriced for being so short. It would most likely be more engaging for families with younger kids and people planning to participate in the Winter SKOLstice event as well. Overall, the event is fantastic for visual purposes, but the maze itself is a little underwhelming to simply walk through, especially given how expensive the tickets are.

Be sure to reserve tickets at minnesotaicemaze.com ahead of time. The Minnesota Ice Maze is open until Feb. 19.