Make the Most of Winter with a Stroll through Castles Carved Out of Ice

And don't miss the Mystic Forest light walk.

By Kelsey Allen· 1/13/2021, 2:20 p.m.

Photo of Mysic Forest by Spencer Helmen

There might be light at the end of the tunnel as vaccine doses roll out, but we’re still in for a long winter in quarantine. That doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up instead of taking the same walk around your block every weekend. Try heading up to North Woodstock in New Hampshire to visit the annual Ice Castles attraction.

Made up of hundreds of thousands of icicles, Ice Castles creates a fairytale-like wonderland, where you’ll stroll through LED-lit sculptures, thrones, tunnels, and more, all carved by professional artists out of ice. While the attraction appears every year, in 2021, they’ve also added a Mystic Forest light walk and a snow tubing hill in anticipation of the need for extra socially distant outdoor activities.

This year, of course, attending will look a little different. To ensure everyone’s safety, Ice Castles is requiring all guests and employees to wear masks at all times. Groups must maintain a 6-foot distance between each other, and all of the icy crawl spaces, slot canyons, and tunnels will operate in a one-way traffic flow to reduce contact with those outside of your household. Ice Castles is also providing hand sanitizing stations near the entrance, exit, restrooms, and concession areas. They’re also going to operate at reduced capacity, so make sure you get tickets in advance. And as always, be responsible about your own risk levels—stay home if you’re not feeling well or if you think there’s any chance you might have been exposed to COVID recently.

Ages 12+ $19.99 on weekdays, $24.99 on weekends, ages 4-11 $14.99 on weekdays,$19.99 on weekends. Mondays 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 4 p.m.-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m.-10 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., 24 Clark Farm Road, North Woodstock, NH, icecastles.com.