HOME TOUR

A few weeks ago on Martin Luther King Jr. Day we headed up to New Hampshire’s Ice Castle. Just over a 2 hour drive for us in Woodstock, NH, it’s a relatively easy drive at that and scenic. To be completely honest, my heart wasn’t much in it this year. Last year was soooo cold (single digits), busy (even with COVID restrictions in place) and the actual castle was smaller than I expected from the pictures I was seeing online. Typical Instagram woes. Aubrey was little and I stayed with her trying to keep her warm while the boys did the fun things, like the ice slide and tubing.  But the boys enjoyed it so much and we love outdoor activities with the kids that we got tickets again this year. I bought the early registration and booked tickets right when the reservations opened.

After the holidays and a long cold spell in Boston, I was feeling melancholy and just wanted to stay in my PJs. With a looming snowstorm in the forecast for Monday morning and my laziness kicking in to full gear, I emailed Ice Castles asking if I could have a refund for inclement weather. I got the stock email back saying something to the extent of “this is a winter event. We are rarely closed due to bad weather. You can’t have a refund” And that was that. It’s too expensive to not go. So we all hopped in the car, I tried to remember all the kids snow gear and we made the best of it, hoping we didn’t hit awful weather.

The drive was uneventful. The roads were mostly clear and empty. About 15 minutes from Woodstock I had the kids start getting their snow gear on. I have them wear just their thermals in the car so they don’t overheat. By the time we were pulling into the driveway, they were mostly dressed and we only had to worry about Aubrey.

Ice Castles gives you a 30 minute arrival window and then you can stay as long as you’d like. The last two years, 1.5-2 hours has been sufficient. I booked the 3-3:30 window because last year it worked out so well. When you arrive in the late afternoon, you can see the castle in the daylight but by the time you leave it is dark. This allows you the opportunity to enjoy the magic of it all lit up. I was shocked to see no one in line and as we went in, there were very few people. I think it may have been the storm because by the time we were leaving, there was a long line and it was getting quite full inside.

I was shocked to find it completely different than last year. From the entrance to the actual castle, it was bigger, more ornate and there seemed to be more to do. It never occurred to me that they completely change it every year. Well done New Hampshire’s Ice Castle. I think I’ll be less hesitant about booking tickets next year if it changes so drastically from year to year. And it was magical. With less people, warmer temps and snow fall it was straight out of a fairytale. Aubrey wasn’t quite big enough yet for the slides but Matt and I traded off so I could go down (finally!) and the kids went down the ice slide a bazillion times.

WHAT TO SEE

The Ice Castle (Admission includes most of the activities below)

Sledding Hill (free)

Rainbow Ice Tunnel Slide (free)

Forest Walk (free)

Ice sculptures (free)

Horse-Drawn Sleigh ride ($20 per person)

WHAT TO PACK

Thermals

Winter Coat

Warm Gloves (I brought leather gloves this year but by the time we left they were wet and my hands were freezing. You need waterproof gloves)

Hats

Snow Boots

A pull sleigh if you have little ones

Scarves

Snacks

Water

IN THE AREA

Woodstock, NH is a great spot to grab food and a hotel room because it’s right next to Loon Mountain. You can definitely make a weekend out of it especially if you like to ski. We usually eat at the Mexican restaurant, El Charro and I’d consider it only average. Not great, a bit overpriced but the darn advertisement outside of the Ice Castle entrance entices we Californians every time. A good friend recommended the Woodstock Inn Brewery and we’ll be trying that one next time. Since we’ve never stayed the night I have no personal recommendations for where to stay but we’d probably go with someplace like the Mountain Club at Loon Mountain or a smaller nearby inn. I hope you have a chance to visit New Hampshire’s Ice Castle this year, and if not, definitely put it on your radar for next winter!