The popular Ice Castles is relocating to Maple Grove, and the spectacle is likely to be the largest event ever held in the northwest metro suburb.
Ice Castles attraction moves to Maple Grove for 2024
More than 100,000 visit winter spectacle of ice slides, tunnels and sculptures.
October 14, 2023 at 9:02PM
Last year more than 100,000 people visited the frozen wonderland featuring slides, tunnels, caves and sculptures when it was held in New Brighton's Long Lake Park. It has also been held in Excelsior and Stillwater in the past.
But executives with the Utah-based company responsible for the attraction were looking for a new site with better access to power and parking, and that is easy for the public to get to. Maple Grove was able to check all the boxes, said Greg Anzelc, executive director of the city's new tourism organization Experience Maple Grove.
When the weather gets cold enough, work on this year's castle will begin on city-owned land across from Lifetime Fitness at Weaver Lake Road and Main Street. A tubing hill plus an ice bar and food trucks will be part of this year's event.
Anzelc said the city has hosted professional golf events at Rush Creek Golf Course, but "nothing of this size or scope." The Ice Castles could bring in as much as $3 million to the city, he said.
"People need to understand the value of bringing events like this to town," Anzelc said.
