Midway Ice Castles – The Coolest Place in Utah

I’m always looking for new ways to get outdoors with the kids, especially in winter. That’s why I was so excited to visit the Midway Ice Castles, an outdoor attraction made entirely of ice.

This one acre winter wonderland includes slot canyons, tunnels, a slide and a throne formed from beautiful frozen water. The walls extend twenty feet high and are lit from within with multicolored lights that change in time to music.

These ice sculptures are truly amazing. They reminded me of visiting Lehman Cave in Great Basin National Park with all the stalactites and stalagmites. The formations are all unique, built by water spraying onto icicles. Some take weeks to truly grow.

On this outdoor adventure, Little G, Baby L and I braved a snow storm to drive to Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT for the media preview. Little G loved the Frozen soundtrack and spent most of her time pretended to be Elsa in her ice castle (in her version there was a grandfather who also had ice powers). In her game she explored every area of the castle, some of which were impossible for me, a full-sized adult with a baby strapped on, to enter. I was glad to have the baby strapped on though, the floor is ice and snow and a stroller would’ve been impossible.

The snow falling added to the winter wonderland appeal, creating a sense of wonder and excitement. I loved exploring the different rooms and pathways. It was truly beautiful.

The Ice Castles company have locations in Utah, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Alberta, Canada. Opening dates and times may be different at each location since the attraction is dependent on weather. Last year they were only open 3 days, but this year they expect to remain open until March.

When you visit, make sure to purchase tickets online at the Ice Castles website – icecastles.com/midway. Not only is it cheaper, there are limited numbers of standby tickets available for each night they are open.

If you’re looking for something a little different this winter, check out the coolest place in Utah – Midway Ice Castles.

Hours
Monday-Thursday 3pm to 9pm
Friday 3pm to 10pm
Saturday Noon to 10pm
Sunday Closed

Online Pricing (Ages 0-3 are free)
Weekday
Child (4-11): $6.95
General (12+): $9.95

Weekend
Child (4-11): $8.95
General (12+): $12.95

Standby Pricing (Ages 0-3 are free)
Weekday
Child (4-11): $10.00
General (12+):$15.00

Weekend
Child (4-11): $12.00
General (12+): $18.00

Outdoor Retailer, Ice Castles and Gorgoza Tubing

This is a busy week at Mountain Mom and Tots. Not only is it my birthday week (why celebrate one day when you could celebrate seven?) it’s also a week full of fun outdoor events.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show 2016

Photo from GoSnug Blanket Kickstarter

Outdoor Retailer is the largest convention of outdoor the outdoor industry. From January 6-10, 2016 companies large and small come to show off the cool, new, and unique products that help us get outdoors. And I’ll be there checking it all out.

Follow me on twitter or instagram for live coverage of the show! I’m @mountainmomtots and I’ll be using #OR2016.

Midway Ice Castles

Photo from Midway Ice Castles Gallery

This Friday January 8, 2016 is opening day for a truly unique winter experience. Just up the road in Midway, UT the company Ice Castles LLC is creating a winter wonderland. I’ve never seen anything like the photos online and I’m excited to check it out in person. For more info visit their website.

Tubing at Gorgoza Park 

Photo from Gorgoza.com

I was invited to attend a Utah Blogger’s Day at Gorgoza Park in Park City this week. I’ve always wanted to try this out with my tots and now that Little g is not quite so little I think it’ll be a fun time. They also have Fort Frosty for the under 3 crowd.

Come back soon to check out how these fun winter activities went. I hope you get out and explore!