Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
One of Wisconsin's most popular winter events, limited to just a three-day season in 2023 because of warm weather, will once again be forced to close early due to "unseasonably warm" temperatures, organizers announced Thursday.
"Winter Realms,", formerly known as Ice Castles, opened in Lake Geneva on Jan. 26, but will close for the season at the end of the day Thursday.
“I’m incredibly proud of our crew and their determination to build a spectacular event with all the hurdles Mother Nature has thrown at us this year,” Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird said in a statement. “We hoped to stay open longer with our new event Winter Realms. We are taking our learnings from this season as we plan for 2025.”
Last year's season was drastically shortened -- it lasted all of three days -- due to warm temperatures melting ice castles "beyond repair."
The open air experience, described by officials as a "snow fairy-tale playground," includes ice-carved tunnels, slides, frozen thrones, horse-drawn sleigh rides, a snow tubing hill and more.
The attraction is located at the Geneva National Resort and Club, located at 1221 Geneva National Ave in Lake Geneva.
Local
The company's second Winter Realms location, which is in Lake George, N.Y. has already opened for the season. Ice Castles experiences are still up and running in Midway, Utah, Cripple Creek, Colo., Maple Grove, Minn. and North Woodstock, N.H.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
