Ice Castles to rise in Lake George this winter

Thousands of icicles, hand-sculpted and arranged by a team of artists, will form a glittering, LED-lit display of caverns, tunnels, slides, fountains and towers reaching 20-25 feet high at the Festival Commons in Lake George this winter. Organizers expect this acre-sized attraction to draw up to 90,000 visitors from around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Lake George will be Ice Castles’ sixth location in the country.

“We do strive to bring magic to all of our guests,” says Ice Castles CEO Kyle Stanifird, speaking at an Oct. 5 press event. “…as you enter, you kind of leave the world outside of those walls a little bit and enter a magical space with creativity and imagination.” Construction of the ice structure is scheduled to begin in the fall, depending on the weather, and open to visitors in early January 2022. The attraction will remain open through early March, weather permitting.

Jared Henningsen of Ice Castles explains that long stretches of cold weather are needed to produce the volume of ice required. Ice Castles builders create large icicle “farms” to grow ice to the length required for specific sections of the castle. The icicles are then harvested and loaded into backpacks. The artists (an estimated 20-25 will be working on the Lake George Ice Castles), climb up into the structure and “plant” the icicles. They then turn on sprinklers to further grow the ice.

Warren County Director of Tourism Joanne Conley expressed enthusiasm for the new attraction: “It’s hard for me to contain my excitement. We’ve been working on this with local Chambers of Commerce and different communities and the County for the last three years, and it’s finally come to fruition. And now we just need Mother Nature to cooperate. In addition to bringing Ice Castles this winter, we’ll have the 60th anniversary of the Lake George Winter Carnival…Winterfest and all the wonderful winter activities—snowmobiling, downhill skiing, snowshoeing—that the Lake George Area and Warren County has to offer.”

Village of Lake George Mayor Robert Blais calls Ice Castles a “game-changer” in the effort to make Lake George a year-round destination. He noted that five years ago, when the former Gaslight Village property was transformed into the Festival Commons, the Village and County goal was to expand the season into spring and fall. With the opening of this major winter attraction, the Commons will be booked solid, January through October. “Today we make Lake George a year-round destination…people will start thinking about Lake George in the winter as much as they have this past summer, spring, and fall.”

Tickets for Lake George Ice Castles will be available online beginning in December. Prices vary depending on day and method of purchase. Children’s tickets (ages 4-11) will be $15-$30; Adults $20-$35. Ice Castles will be holding “Local Days” with discounted ticket prices for local residents. Children aged 3 and younger are free. Tickets may be available on-site at a premium price, if available.

photos credit: A.J.Mellor/courtesy Ice Castles