Amy Schwabe
This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.
Ice Castles will not return to Lake Geneva this year.
The castles, which were hand-built from thousands of icicles to create slides, thrones and tunnels for visitors to walk through, had been a winter event in Lake Geneva since 2019 (their first Wisconsin appearance was in the Dells in 2018).
On Oct. 16, Ice Castles, LLC announced on its Facebook page that: "Just like the icicles, our hearts are melting as we share that we won’t be returning to Wisconsin this year. But we’re excited for new adventures on the horizon! We can’t wait to bring the magic back in future seasons and create even more unforgettable moments with you."
The allusion to a weather-related reason for the castles not returning doesn't come as a surprise as warm winters have plagued the Ice Castles for the past few years. In 2023, the Ice Castles had to close after just three days, as the company's Facebook page announced: "Over the last three days, the castle has melted beyond repair. We always say that Ice Castles is a delicate dance with Mother Nature. Sadly, this winter she didn't feel like dancing."
Last year, Lake Geneva's Ice Castles event was rebranded as "Winter Realms," and the ice structures were billed as more "weather-resilient," although Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird still encouraged people to hedge their bets, stating in a news release at the time that, "We do not know how long we will be able to remain open due to unpredictable weather forecasts, and we encourage guests to come as soon as possible and not wait."
That turned out to be good advice; in an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Standifird said last year's castles only lasted ten or 11 days. He did note, however, that the "weather-resilient" innovations — which included adding snow elements to the ice — did help, as the castles lasted longer than the previous year, even though last year's temperatures were even warmer.
"Last year, about half the castle was made out of snow, and we made ice igloos that we covered with snow as a form of insulation, with some ice features inside the igloos," Standifird said. "We also did things like have courtyards made of snow instead of ice, and we have some other ideas that we're working on that can keep the Ice Castles magic but also keep things open a little longer."
Although those innovations won't be used in Lake Geneva this year, Standifird described this year's cancellation as a pause that the business had to take in order to regroup in an effort to "bring the Ice Castles magic back to Wisconsin."
Quite a few Facebook comments noted that it might make sense to locate the Ice Castles in a more northern area of Wisconsin, where the weather is likely to be more cooperative. Standifird said that's a possibility, but also said that the company's preference is to return to Lake Geneva.
"We have been looking at other Wisconsin markets to see if we might have a better chance of success farther north, and we're evaluating if that would be necessary in order to return to Wisconsin," Standifird said. "But we have loved being in Lake Geneva, the community there and the partnership with Geneva National Resort
"Lake Geneva has just been a great place to do business with, and we hope to be back."
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