Are the Ice Castles in New Hampshire Worth Visiting? What to Know in 2025
I’ve been hearing about the Ice Castles in Woodstock, New Hampshire for several years, and finally this year (2024), my family booked tickets to go!
As with many things, sometimes so much hype is built up that you wonder if it’s as good as people say it is. Are the Ice Castles in New Hampshire really worth visiting?
In this post, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Ice Castles and share my personal experience to help you decide if you want to make the trip!
About the Ice Castles in New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s Ice Castles are in the small town of Woodstock in the heart of the White Mountains. Woodstock is about two hours north of Boston, Massachusetts, and two hours and 15 minutes northeast of Killington, Vermont.
About 20 ice artists design the Ice Castles from scratch each year. The Ice Castle displays are always different, enticing people to come back to see what’s different every year.
Here are a few photos from our visit in January 2024:
What is there to see at the Ice Castles?
The Ice Castles include a series of tunnels, crawl spaces, mazes, and caverns to explore. There are also several ice slides for some slippery fun.
My favorite slide was the one with a dual track where you can race someone to the bottom. (My three-year-old daughter beat me, that stinker!)
There’s a special kids’ section at the Ice Castles, too, with tunnels that lead to smaller ice slides. Adults can also fit inside the tunnels, but I only recommend doing it if you’re not claustrophobic. The tunnels can get crowded with kids clamoring to get to the slides. 🙂
Aside from the Ice Castles themselves, there’s a tubing hill on site (it was closed when we were there) and a sleigh ride you can add on for a fee. (It’s $25 extra per person, which I thought was way overpriced!)
There are food and drink stands at the Ice Castles offering things like cinnamon buns, chocolate chip cookies, and roasted pecans. There’s also a Polar Pub where you can purchase adult beverages and warm up by the fire pits.
One of my favorite parts of the Ice Castles – apart from the castles themselves – was the Mystic Forest Light Walk, a 0.25-mile path through the forest that’s decorated with string lights and other fixtures the entire way.
We didn’t stay until dark but I heard the trail is magical after the sun sets and everything lights up.
When are the Ice Castles open in 2024?
The New Hampshire Ice Castles opened on January 20 and will remain open through the end of February, weather permitting.
The Ice Castles have peak hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They are open Friday from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Off-peak hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., when you can get tickets at a cheaper price.
How much do the Ice Castles cost?
During peak hours, tickets for the Ice Castles are $30 for ages 12 and up, $23 for ages 4-11, and free for ages 3 and under.
During off-peak hours, tickets are $20 for ages 12 and up, $15 for ages 4-11, and free for ages 3 and under.
You can book tickets on the Ice Castles website. (I recommend purchasing them in advance as slots sell out quickly.)
Are the Ice Castles in New Hampshire worth visiting?
Yes! I really enjoyed the Ice Castles, especially as a parent. My daughter had a blast exploring all the caverns and tunnels, and we never ran out of things to do.
I’ve read reviews from adults saying the Ice Castles are a bit overrated and not as big as they had hoped.
If you’re expecting the Ice Castles to be the size of a real castle, you may be disappointed. But I thought there was still plenty to see and do, and the details in the ice carvings were impressive.
Not really a “castle,” but still cool
Note that while this place is advertised as “Ice Castles,” it’s not an enclosed castle structure with doors, windows, towers, etc.
It’s more like dozens of ice walls and structures positioned close together, with tunnels, caverns, and slides carved throughout. I still thought it was cool, but it wasn’t like the castle in Frozen. 🙂
All in all, it took us about an hour to walk through the Ice Castles with some stops along the way for the slides and to take pictures. Then it took almost one more hour for us to grab food and drinks and walk through the Mystic Forest Light Walk.
We drove two hours from Boston to get to the Ice Castles, and even though we only stayed there for a couple of hours, the experience was worth it.
However, we added other activities to our New Hampshire day trip, including a drive along the Kancamagus Highway and a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad following the Ice Castles experience. That made the drive up from Boston feel even more reasonable.
Know before you go
Before you plan your visit to the Ice Castles, here are a few important things to know:
Buy your tickets in advance
I reserved our tickets over a week before we planned to go, and by that time, most time slots were already sold out, especially the popular late afternoon/evening times. I recommend reserving your tickets as soon as you can.
Even though their website says you can buy tickets on-site, I wouldn’t rely on that, especially if you’re arriving from out of town. When we arrived at 11:15 a.m., shortly after they opened, there was already a sign by the entrance that said “Sold out for the day.”
Arrive early
Plan to arrive at the Ice Castles at least 15-20 minutes before your scheduled time slot, as there is usually a line of cars by the entrance, and the parking lot gets really full.
Dress warm
This should go without saying, but the Ice Castles are, well, made of ice. Not only that, but the weather in the mountains of New Hampshire in winter can get very cold and snowy.
Be sure to wear plenty of layers and boots, and if you plan to go down the ice slides, you may want to wear waterproof ski or snow pants, too.
Bring a sled for young kids
The ground at the Ice Castles is made of snow and ice and can be slippery, especially for little feet. We brought a sled to pull our daughter around when she got tired of walking, and we ended up using it quite a bit.
Other things to do in the area
As I mentioned above, we visited the Ice Castles as part of a larger White Mountains itinerary. Here are a few other activities to consider if you’d like to make the most of your time in this part of New Hampshire.
Drive the Kancamagus Highway
The Kancamagus Highway—known as “The Kanc”—is a 34.5-mile highway that starts a few miles from Woodstock where the Ice Castles are located, and ends in the town of Conway.
It’s a beautiful drive through the White Mountains offering scenic vistas and several stopping points along the way if you want to go for a winter hike or just take in the views.
Ski at Loon Mountain Resort or Attitash Mountain Resort
Loon Mountain Resort is a short drive from Woodstock and is one of the most popular ski resorts in New Hampshire with 73 different trails. If you drive across The Kanc to Conway, you can also visit Attitash Mountain Resort with 68 trails.
Hop aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad
Take a ride on a vintage train through the forests and mountains near Conway. There are several different ride options offered throughout the year. In the winter, they have a Snow Train that lasts 80 minutes.
The Snow Train route takes you to Attitash, so you could get off here to go skiing and then hop on a later train back to Conway.
Note: We did the Snow Train and my husband and I were a bit disappointed. The views were not that impressive and we felt it was overpriced for what we got out of it. But our daughter seemed to enjoy it, so it’s still a nice option if you’re with kids or want a unique way to get to Attitash Mountain Resort.
Where to stay near the Ice Castles
If you’d like to extend your stay in the White Mountains, here are a few highly-rated hotels near Woodstock.
📍RiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain: Stylish hotel with mountain views, right by the ski resort
📍Holiday Inn Express & Suites: Comfortable accommodations with a popular breakfast buffet
📍Lumen Nature Retreat: Luxury glamping and Nordic-style cabins
FAQs
Here are answers to other common questions about the Ice Castles.
How much time do you need at the Ice Castles?
We stayed at the Ice Castles for about two hours and felt that was plenty of time. If you’re not visiting with kids, you could probably see everything in even less time.
If you’re visiting during peak time, there might be long lines for the slides and other attractions, so you should plan for more time in that case.
Where can you park at the Ice Castles?
There is a large, free parking lot right by the Ice Castles entrance. Parking attendants are there to guide people to the nearest spot.
Is the sleigh ride at the Ice Castles worth it?
In my opinion, no. We got in line for the sleigh ride before realizing it was an additional $25 charge per person. The sleighs were packed full of people and the ride didn’t seem like it lasted very long, so we didn’t think it was worth the money.
Is it better to see the Ice Castles at night or during the day?
We visited during the day, which is a nicer time to take photos and see the ice shimmer in the sunlight.
We actually didn’t consider visiting the Ice Castles at night, not realizing that all the ice structures are lit up with LED lights after dark. Photos I’ve seen of the place at night look magical.
I can imagine the Mystic Forest Light Walk is amazing at night, too. We enjoyed our daytime walk but saw thousands of lights that wouldn’t be illuminated until dark.
If I could do it all over again, I would reserve a slot for an hour before dark so I could see the Ice Castles both during the day and at night.
What is the best time to see the Ice Castles?
We visited the Ice Castles at 11 a.m. right when they first opened. The advantage to this is you are one of the first people to get in and can avoid lines for at least the first 30 minutes.
After that, the Ice Castles get very crowded and you can expect to wait a while for some of the slides and photo opportunities.
By the time we left the Ice Castles around 1 p.m., the parking lot was full and people were everywhere.
My guess is the Ice Castles get even more crowded after dark when people come to see all the LED lights shine through the ice and enjoy the Polar Pub near the Mystic Forest.
If you don’t mind crowds, I’d recommend visiting later in the afternoon so you can see the Ice Castles in both daylight and in the dark. But if you want to avoid long lines, try to snag a ticket right at 11 a.m.
Are there other Ice Castle locations?
Yes, the Ice Castles are in four locations across the U.S.:
- Woodstock, New Hampshire
- Cripple Creek, Colorado
- Midway, Utah
- New Brighton, Minnesota
There are also magical “Winter Realms” experiences at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Lake George, New York.
Conclusion: Should you plan a visit to the Ice Castles in New Hampshire?
Yes! I thought the Ice Castles in New Hampshire were definitely worth visiting. It was a one-of-a-kind experience and a great way to spend a couple of hours on a snowy winter day.
This part of New Hampshire is beautiful, so it’s worth extending your visit and exploring more of the White Mountains, too.
Happy planning!
