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Q&A: Ryan Nelson answers questions about Ice Castles
February 15, 2015
How do you make an ice castle? What is the process?
We make thousands of icicles each night. Then we gather them up and fuse them to the ground on the first day, and to the ice after the first day. We then run water on the icicles and as the water freezes the icicles get larger and larger until they are huge!
How do you grow the icicles?
We invented some ice racks that make about 400 on each rack. We have 30 racks in Eden Prairie that we grow ice on.
How did the idea of a small backyard castle evolve into a huge castle with 4 locations?
Brent had so many people drive by his house that he the police said he couldn’t do it in his yard anymore. So he asked everyone that he could if they would let him build one on their property. One resort in Midway Utah said yes, and that’s how it started!
What makes the Ice Castles so appealing to the public?
The lights in the ice and that it is so different from anything you can see anywhere on earth.
Do you have a favorite spot to visit in the Ice Castle? Why?
The tunnels are awesome. I like them because people get so excited to go in them.
Why is there an Ice Castles location in Minnesota?
Because Minnesota is cold! And we love Minnesota and Minnesotans. We really do.
