Icy fun: The coolest ice mazes, castles, bars and other frozen attractions around Minnesota

Last year’s mild weather meant cancellations and early closings for many of Minnesota’s ice-dependent events and attractions. But cold temps in the forecast portend plenty of frozen fun in 2025. Check out these cool happenings around the state.

Ice maze If you manage to find your way through the 18,000-square-foot ice maze, billed as the world’s largest, the annual Minnesota Ice Festival (produced by the eponymous specialty ice company) also has three ice slides, an ice-skating rink and themed ice bars inside TCO Stadium, along with an ice-sculpting competition. (Thu.–Sun. Jan. 10-Feb. 16 and Jan. 20, $13-$25, Viking Lakes, 2645 Vikings Circle, Eagan, minnesotaicefestival.com)

Ice castles Ice castles have been part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival tradition since 1886 and this year’s cool construction brings more than 20 million pounds of ice to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds It’s packed with ice slides, caverns, tunnels, sculptures, bars, baths and thrones, plus there’s a pyrotechnic show. (Thu.-Mon. Jan. 10-Feb.17, $12-24, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 3818 Randall Av., Falcon Heights, icecastles.com)

Since the 1980s, the community of Spicer, Minn., has come together to build its own modest ice castle out of blocks cut from frozen Green Lake. It’s part of the monthlong annual WinterFest, which includes an ice-carving competition and other cool activities. (Jan. 10-Feb. 9, Green Lake Saulsbury Beach County Park, 151 Lake Av. S., Spicer, explorespicer.com)

Ice palace This west-metro ice palace is packed with tunnels and icy sled hills. Season passes are available for those who want to catch all the winter character meet-and-greets or special events for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday. (Thu.-Sun. Jan. 11-March 2 and Jan. 20, $11-$23, 657 River St. N., Delano theicepalaces.com)

Ice Sculpture Park The St. Paul Winter Carnival hosts an ice-sculpting competition on its first day and then displays the elaborate carvings in Rice Park for the duration of the festival. (Jan. 23-Feb. 2, Rice Park, 109 W. 4th St., St. Paul wintercarnival.org)

Ice bars St. Paul-based specialty ice producer Minnesota Ice is creating a 50-foot ice bar for the Great Northern festival, set up outside Union Depot, serving drinks by local mixologists, breweries and distilleries. (Jan. 24-Feb. 1, 214 E. 4th St., St. Paul, thegreatnorthernfestival.com)

Minnesota Ice is also bringing its Ice Bar Series to restaurants, breweries and hotels across the metro area for long-weekend visits. Stops include Kitchen and Rail, Tequila Butcher, Bad Weather Brewing Co., the Bungalow Club, Oro by Nixta, Four Seasons, Manger and Olio. (Through Feb. 22, find locations at minnesota-ice.com)

Downtown Rochester’s Peace Plaza becomes a frozen oasis during Social-ICE, which features ice bars with signature drinks, ice sculptures and DJs. (Feb.7-8, Peace Plaza, 1st Av. nd 1st St. SW., downtownrochestermn.com)

Luminary Loppet This nighttime walk around Lake of the Isles, part of the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival, glows with 1,000-plus ice luminarias shaped like globes, towers and pyramids. (Feb. 8, $15-$40, Lake of the Isles, Mpls., loppet.org)

Ice fishing Of all the ice-fishing contests in the state, the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake is the Big One. Now in its 35th year, the world’s largest charitable ice-fishing tournament draws 10,000 anglers competing for $150,000 worth of prizes, including a new truck. (Feb. 1, $50, Gull Lake, Brainerd, icefishing.org)

Ice carousel For the past several years, the I.C.E. Fest crew, led by the Zwilling family in Little Falls, Minn., has been creating record-setting ice carousels — giant circles of ice cut into a frozen lake and set (slowly) spinning. The hunger fundraiser also features curling and igloo building. (Feb.15-16, Green Prairie Fish Lake, 12636 Forest Road, Little Falls, mnicefest.org)

Pond hockey Over the past two decades, the homegrown U.S. Pond Hockey Championships have become one of the country’s largest tournaments. Even ex-NHLers are drawn to Minneapolis’ Lake Nokomis to play hockey “the way nature intended,” as the tourney puts it, and compete for the Golden Shovel. (Jan. 22-26, Lake Nokomis, Mpls, uspondhockey.com)

Polar Plunge Hardy souls can plunge through the ice into frigid waters to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota at locations around the state this winter, starting Jan. 25 at Lake Minnetonka. (Locations statewide, plungemn.org)

Ice climbing Sandstone is home to Minnesota’s first ice park, where climbers equipped with crampons and ice axes scale the “farmed” ice that covers a former quarry’s sheer walls. The annual IceFest features ice-climbing clinics, including for beginners, and gear demos. (Jan. 10-12, clinic costs vary, Robinson Quarry Park, 710 Old Wagon Road, Sandstone, sandstoneicefest.com)