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Dazzling Ice Castles draw tourists to New Hampshire, other states

The annual ice building festival is happening again in New Hampshire and several other states.

A temporary art installation and tourist attraction, the Ice Castle includes towers, tunnels, archways, and caverns, all created by growing, harvesting, placing, and exploding thousands of icicles with sprinklers. It is made.

The company developing the display has expanded since its first installation in 2011.

Lights embedded in an ice layer glow at dusk on Friday, January 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. AP

This year, the company has expanded to two locations in Utah, Minnesota, Colorado and New Hampshire, and also has a snow tubing hill and ice bar on site.

After last year's warm winter, officials were pleased that this season's temperatures were low enough to allow the season to start early.

“This is one of the largest ice castles we've ever built,” said Jared Henningsen, the company's vice president of operations.

“We're looking at about 25 million pounds of ice spread over two acres.”

As a winter storm brought bitterly cold, wet snow to the South, visitors to New Hampshire Castle banded together Friday to explore its twists and turns.

Colorful lights shine inside the ice walls of the Ice Castle on Friday, January 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. AP
Young people explore Ice Castle Cave, Friday, January 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. AP

Julia Jones, a resident of Gloucester, Massachusetts, said she travels to northern New Hampshire several times a year but had never experienced an ice castle until her first visit.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said.

“Honestly, I never expected it to become this big.”

The icy conditions weren't the only thing that surprised Jessica Sullivan of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

Her boyfriend Brian Jack proposed to her during the visit.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Jack said, receiving the “yes” he was hoping for.

“We believed now was the time and place to do it.”

A boy climbs into an igloo at Ice Castle on Friday, January 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. AP
Jessica Sullivan holds out her ring finger after accepting a surprise marriage proposal from longtime boyfriend Brian Jack of Fair Haven, Massachusetts, at Ice Castles on January 10, 2025. AP

During the day, walls and other structures glow a pale blue.

When it gets dark, lights embedded in the ice glow pink, purple, and green.

“When you enter the ice castle, you are transformed into a completely immersive world unlike anything most guests have ever seen before,” Henningsen said.

“I think it’s an inspiration to people.”

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