How Long Will Minnesota’s Ice Castles Attractions Stay Open With This Warm Weather?

While this year's warmer and less-snowy winter conditions in Minnesota might be friendly on your wallet or forgiving if you don't have great tires on your vehicle, it is taking a toll on winter events around the state and beyond.

UPDATE: Minnesota's Ice Castles announce closure for the 2024 season. Read more here. 

Outdoor ice rinks around the state have been closing, fishing contests have been modified or canceled, and sled dog races have been canceled.

A touch of colder weather in mid-January helped attractions like the Ice Castles in Maple Grove and Ice Palace in Delano open to visitors, but it looks like their 2024 seasons will be brief.

Ice Palace Minnesota, being hosted in Delano this winter, announced they have already ended their 2024 season. They shared on their Facebook page on Saturday (January 27) that it would be their last day for this winter. They said, "Despite our best efforts, the unseasonably warm temps forced us to make the difficult decision to end the season much earlier than we anticipated."

READ MORE: Another Minnesota sled dog race forced to cancel 2024 event

The Minnesota Ice Castles, a different ice experience being held this winter in Maple Grove, is also seeing an end coming soon for their winter attraction. While they have not yet announced a closing date, they did tell BringMeTheNews in a statement that they are extending their hours in the short term to allow as many visitors as possible to check the attraction out before they close for the season.

The Ice Castles generally are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for maintenance, but they have decided to open this Tuesday (January 30) and Wednesday (January 31). They are still scheduled for their normal dates of Thursdays through Mondays.

Organizers are encouraging anyone who purchased tickets for dates in February to change their tickets for a date this week to be sure they are able to check out this year's attraction. They say changing your date can be done free of charge.