urbanMSP

Have you seen the Eden Prairie Ice Castle this year?

Let's go back to best of the original St Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palaces so you can be correctly underwhelmed.


1886


1887

there were Moose drawn sleds.


1888



1917...ok this one's not that elaborate. But it's nice.


1937


1986 in Phalen Park


1992


2004



and now....drum roll.....the Eden Prairie castle of 2015




Really?

It looks like someone left the garden hose on. It looks so cheap. Where's the class and grandeur of the palaces of old?

Its Eden prairie......

We actually have tickets and plan on going for the three year old's birthday next month. But to be clear, this shouldn't be compared to the old ice castles that have gone up. This is a private investor who builds ice castles in a few different cities each year. And they do just leave the hose on to build their ice castles.

I can't wait for Minneapolis or Saint Paul to get their act together and do another true ice castle. It should be scheduled for every five years.

http://www.startribune.com/video/288276531.html
http://icecastles.com/#history

I recall reading one is planned for the Super Bowl year.

The Chinese certainly know how to do it right. Bring someone from our sister city Harbin. https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese ... d=0CB0QsAQ

I recall reading one is planned for the Super Bowl year.

You recall correctly.

They also told the owners that the St. Paul Winter Carnival has agreed to build an eight-story ice castle — its first since 2004.

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 68691.html

The pretty ones look nice in an old picture, but we were never allowed to get near them (I remember visiting the '86 one in Phalen). 2004 was a big disappointment, huge parking fee, and entrance fee, to stand next to a pretty flat wall with pointy tents on top? The Eden Prairie attempt looks like a redo-remake of the "spray castle" they had at the Mall of America last year. Pictures of that?

I am optimistic that new LED lighting combined with old style block construction can make a nice castle stand out and hold up better (lights melting the ice was the main problem of those "picture castles").

St. Paul Winter Carnival’s Super Bowl ice palace canceled

Turns out you can't find $15 million worth of donations to build a structure that will melt. Who knew?

Ice palace is back on... https://www.visitsaintpaul.com/blog/win ... ce-palace/