CRIPPLE CREEK — Tickets for the Ice Castles went on sale Wednesday as the attraction arrives for the first time in Cripple Creek.
Work has been going on for several weeks now to get the venue created and ready for the thousands of people who visit each year.
It's been two years since the Ice Castles have been to Colorado. They were previously featured in Dillon.
Right now, organizers are hoping to have them open in late December or early January, depending on weather conditions.
Tickets went on sale starting at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday.
Peak season tickets (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and during winter breaks) will cost you:
- $27 and up for ages 12 and up
- $22 for 12 years of age and under.
Off-peak tickets (Wednesdays and Thursdays) run:
- $21 and up for general admission, ages 12 and up
- $16 for ages 4-11 years old.
The castles will be built on an open area in downtown Cripple Creek.
Jeff Mosher is the special project director for the town of Cripple Creek. While Cripple Creek had a boost in visitors over the summer, Mosher said Cripple Creek is expecting even more visitors this winter because of the famous ice castles.
Mosher said the ice castles fit in perfectly with the annual Cripple Creek Ice Festival. The Ice Festival is scheduled for Feb. 17-25, 2024, but people will be able to visit the castles before then.
“We anticipate anywhere from 80,000-100,000 people to come when they are here,” Mosher said.
The winter playground is lit up at night and is built so people can slide, walk and crawl throughout it.
“They grow the icicles in a controlled environment and then every night they come out and plant the icicles and they spray them down in water and the castle builds off those,” Mosher said. “They light them up and there will be music, so it is more of a night event, which will be fun.”
Cripple Creek relies heavily on tourism for their economy. Thousands of people will pass through Cripple Creek during the summer months. Many people come in the fall to see the leaves changing, visit the active gold mine or test their luck at one of the many casinos in town.
Shawn Perkins has visited Cripple Creek around seven times.
“This has just been outstanding, it has been a beautiful trip,” Perkins said.
Perkins is visiting from Tulsa, Oklahoma. While her friends and family play games at the casinos, Perkins likes to venture around town.
“I just love to walk up and down the street, I love all the stores here. Every time I have been here, the people have been so welcoming and kind,” Perkins said.
She typically only visits Colorado in the summer, but she is thinking about coming back to see the ice castles in January.
“For it to come somewhere like this, it is going to draw so many people, it would be a huge financial boost for these stores. It's going to be absolutely amazing. So yes we would definitely come if we come at the same time it is here,” Perkins said.
A team of 20 people will spend nearly eight weeks building the castles.
