Eagan ice maze certified by Guinness as world’s largest

The ice maze at the Minnesota Ice Festival in Eagan has earned the distinction of being the world’s largest, a year after the event was cancelled due to unseasonal warm weather.

On Friday as part of a ribbon cutting to open the attraction, a representative from Guinness World Records presented a certificate to Minnesota Ice Founder Robbie Harrell.

“Congratulations, you are officially a-maze-ing!” said Brittany Dunn, a Guinness adjudicator, during the ceremony, which was recorded and posted on Minnesota Ice’s Facebook page.

The ice maze, which has been erected in the open-air TCO Stadium at the Vikings’ Eagan campus, measures more than 18,148 square feet, significantly bigger than the 12,855-square-foot Arctic Glacier Ice Maze that previously held the record at the Buffalo Powder Keg Festival in Buffalo, N.Y, back in 2010.

“It’s going to be really cool to see people celebrate the bold north and winter that we all embrace here which is, you know, why we all are Minnesotans,” Harrell said, as snow fell around him.

Last season, higher-than-average temperatures pushed Harrell to stop construction of the ice maze and pursuit of the world record.

This year, the Minnesota Ice Festival also has three ice slides, an ice-skating rink and ice bars. The festival will run until mid February. For a full list of Twin Cities ice attractions, go here.