Popular Minnesota Winter Attraction Announces Opening Date For 2025 Season

Despite a warm, rainy, and foggy end to 2024, the new year is bringing with it the opening of a popular Minnesota outdoor winter attraction!

In the same week that we got news about a pair of Minnesota winter events being postponed due to uncooperative winter weather, we're getting some good news for winter lovers.

The organizers of Minnesota's Ice Castles attraction shared Thursday morning (January 2) that they are getting ready to open for the season, sharing their opening date for 2025 in their brand new location!

Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Minnesota Ice Castles.

Where is the new 2025 Minnesota Ice Castles location?

The team behind the beautiful winter attraction shared back in October that they'd be moving to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for the 2025 winter season.

The attraction has moved around the Twin Cities area over the years, being held in places like Maple Grove, Stillwater, Excelsior, and New Brighton.

The new State Fairgrounds location will be on Randall Avenue, just north of the Grandstand.

Free parking will be available in the Robin Lot, which can be reached off Hoyt Avenue into Gate 3.

What will be at this year's attraction?

Whether you've been to every single Ice Castles event since they started in Minnesota years ago or it's your first one ever, there's always something new and exciting to check out!

Some of the highlights mentioned by organizers this year include things like caverns, archways, and crawl tunnels to explore, ice slides, ice sculptures, and even a polar pub to enjoy an adult beverage if you're of age and want to try a fun cocktail at a frosty ice bar.

When will the 2025 Minnesota Ice Castles open?

As organizers announced Thursday morning, this year's festivities will kick off on Friday, January 3 for the season.

After opening on January 3, it will be open through the weekend and will operate most weeks Thursdays through Mondays with some exceptions, depending on the week.

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All of this is, of course, weather-dependent and the season will last as long as the weather will allow. While there have been years where they were only open for a matter of days, there have been many years they've stayed open well into February or even March.

You can see available dates/times and get tickets via their website.