Ice Castles

Now More Than Ever We Need Moments of Magic Ice Castles Deliver

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY THERESA ST. JOHN

Last winter, I had the chance to finally visit Ice Castles – a wonderland of frozen magic – in the charming little town of Woodstock, New Hampshire. “Our primary goal at Ice Castles is to make people smile.” A perfect mission statement, as a girlfriend and I found ourselves grinning ear-to-ear the entire time.

On the afternoon of our arrival, it was cold, the skies a dark overcast gray, but that did not detract from the beauty of ice-adorned archways we walked through.

We could hear the peals of laughter – not just from children. Everyone was delighted with the attraction.

Founder Brent Christensen first designed and built the ice castles in his front yard, much to his six kids’ surprise. They’d just moved from California to Utah and the cold months were long and monotonous. From what I understand, this icy enterprise drew people from all over the neighborhood. I mean, my dad was great at dreaming things up to keep five stir-crazy daughters busy during the winter months, but even he’d admit this guy had him beat, hands-down. Using hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists, we were blown away by the LED-lit sculptures, water fountains, frozen thrones, and ice-carved tunnels kids could slide through. Ice Castles even built a fire-pit where families gathered to warm up hands and rosy-cheeks. We met a couple of female workers who walk through the property with shovels, ice-picks, and rakes, cleaning up areas that hundreds of visitors wander through each day. The women were super friendly and spoke with us, sharing how much they love working through the colder months. “Everywhere we turn, there are smiling faces, people taking pictures, having fun, and forgetting that it’s freezing outside. Many of them tell us about their childhood memories – playing in the snow where they grew up. They’re happy to pass on some joy to their kids.” Outside, off in the corner, we were excited to see a horse-drawn sleigh. We’d bought our tickets for the ride months ago. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been on one. We climbed in with others, bundling ourselves in blankets. Sleighbells rang as we enjoyed our leisurely tour through the backwoods of the property. The ride added to the magic of the day; afterward, we sighed in contentment as we walked back to the car.

I smiled, remembering one of my favorite fairytale heroines growing up – Snow White. She would have loved it here. At that moment, I could almost hear her lilting voice tell us, “You’re never too old to be young.” Visiting other Ice Castles across the country – in Colorado, Utah, and Wisconsin are on my bucket list for sure. After a trip to New Hampshire, perhaps you’ll add them to yours as well. For more information and updates regarding the pandemic and any travel restrictions, please visit their website: IceCastles.com/new-hampshire I know you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!