World Ice Art · Experience
The Ice Park
Alaska's most surreal walk — among glowing ice sculptures at 10 below zero
Open dates
~Feb 16 – late March 2026
Best time
After dark — illuminated sculptures
Kids' zone
Giant ice slides + playground
Admission
Ticketed; kids' zone separate pricing
Beyond the competitions, the World Ice Art Championships are open to the public as the Ice Park — an outdoor gallery where dozens of ice sculptures are displayed, illuminated after dark, and open for exploration. Kids have their own area with giant ice slides and an ice playground built fresh each winter. Adults wander between the monumental multi-block pieces and the more intimate single-block works. When the temperature is right and the sculptures are lit against a dark Fairbanks sky, it's one of the most genuinely remarkable things to see in Alaska.
The sculptures after dark
The Ice Park is dramatically different at night. As Fairbanks' ambient light fades, the illuminated sculptures — lit internally and externally with colored and white light — begin to glow. The effect is something between a gallery and a dream: enormous glowing ice structures surrounded by Alaska winter cold. It's worth going twice — once by day to understand the scale, once at night for the atmosphere.
The kids' area
The Ice Park builds a dedicated kids' playground and slide area each year — giant ice slides, climbing structures, and ice mazes, all carved from the same Fairbanks pond ice as the competition pieces. Kids need proper winter gear and parents need patience — the lines for popular slides can be long. Plan for at least 2 hours if you're bringing children.
Pairing with aurora
Fairbanks is the aurora capital of Alaska, and the Ice Park is ideally located. Finish your evening walk among the lit sculptures, then check conditions and head to a dark site outside town. In a good winter, you can see the aurora dancing over the ice park itself.
What to wear
This is not a heated venue. Temperatures during popular evening hours can be -10°F to -30°F. Serious layering is required: insulated boots, heavyweight base layers, wool mid-layer, down or synthetic outer layer, face covering, and handwarmers. The cold is predictable — don't let it catch you off guard.
Pro tip
Arrive just before dark and watch the sculptures transition from daylight to illumination — it usually happens in the 4–6 pm window depending on the time of year, and the transition itself is a memorable moment.
More from the Ice Art Championships
Single-Block Classic
One carver, one block, 50 hours — the purest test of ice sculpting
Multi-Block Realistic
Teams carve towering, room-sized ice structures from dozens of blocks — scale beyond imagination
Steve Brice
Fairbanks' own — multi-time World Ice Art champion and the most celebrated American ice carver
International Champions
Harbin, Sapporo, and beyond — the world-class carvers who dominate multi-block
Fairbanks Pond Ice
The clearest competition ice in the world — why Fairbanks ice is like no other