Lake George Ice Castles: Where to Find the Closest Location Now

Amber in New England | Updated: Nov 1, 2025

❗️ IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Ice Castles attraction is NO LONGER OPERATING in the Lake George, New York area (including past venues like Festival Commons). This popular winter attraction is a touring event.

We have updated this post to show you the current closest location and other similar events you can visit this winter! Scroll down for details on where to go next.

How often does someone have a chance to see Ice Castles in their life? Given the opportunity, I had to go!

While they originally opened in places like New Hampshire, New York, Minnesota, Utah, and Wisconsin, the exact location changes every year based on climate and planning.

I missed them last year in New Hampshire due to timing and distance. A few years ago, they opened in Lake George, NY, which was much easier for me to travel to, and I jumped on the chance!

🎟️ The Hype is Real

Even then, I still needed to select an 8:00 pm time on a Wednesday night. Tickets sell way too fast! My friend and I drove the 2.5-hour drive to Lake George immediately after work.

We made it to Lake George in good timing, so we stopped at Duffy's Tavern for an appetizer before our ticket time. I chose their mozzarella sticks with the raspberry melba sauce. I never had mozzarella sticks with anything other than marinara sauce, so I wanted to give it a try. Absolutely delicious, I recommend everyone to try it at least once!

By the time we got our food to-go, we had to hurry out and find a parking spot closer to the Ice Castles down the road. This time of night there were still a lot of cars, but we circled the street once and found a perfect spot across from the entrance.

🧊 Walking Through the Ice Magic

The first thing you'll have to do is check in. It's super quick; they scanned my ticket QR code and off we went!

You enter through a huge opening in the ice that is colored with slow-fading colorful lights. This was one of my favorite areas of the Lake George Ice Castles.

We spent some time by the entrance waiting for the 8:00 crowd to work their way in so we could have the space to ourselves. That’s one of the unfortunate things about these types of events, you don’t get to enjoy much of it in peace because everyone wants to see what they have to offer. That being said, everyone was pretty respectful of others taking photos or admiring the sculptures.

After walking through the entrance, you entered into the main area. This was a pretty open space with a few different special areas: a moose carved out of ice, a fountain for fairies, a colorful tunnel, and a couple others.

We found a short little tunnel to sneak through and tested out the ice slide. I wish it was a bit longer, but it was super slippery. I’m guessing that’s why they keep it short and simple.

Working your way through past the slides is another open area where you can snap photos in front of a sparkling wall or peer into a handful of different caves. Many photos later, we made our way to the exit and back to the car for our late-night trip home.

I was absolutely pleased to have the chance to check out these amazing ice designs and am hopeful to visit the New Hampshire version one year!

🗺️ Where to Find the Ice Castles NOW (2025-2026 Season)

Since the Lake George location is no longer running, if you are looking to visit the Ice Castles, you will need to check their current tour schedule.

Current Closest Location: New Hampshire

Historically, the closest Ice Castles location to the New York and New England area is usually in Lincoln, New Hampshire (at Loon Mountain Resort). This is the best place to aim for if you live in the Northeast!

• Location: Check the official Ice Castles website for the current year's host resort in New Hampshire.

• Time: They book dates based on what the weather is, so you need to keep checking back in on their page, typically in early winter (November/December) for tickets opening in January/February.

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If you have the chance to see them, make sure to snag tickets quickly!

Your Experience

Have you ever visited the Ice Castles before?

What was your experience? Drop a comment below!