Midway Ice Castles permanently close for the season after warm start to February

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The iconic ice castles in Midway are officially closed after only two weeks of operation due to an unseasonably warm start to February.

Ice Castles publicly announced their immediate closure for the season on Friday, Feb. 7, after temporarily suspending ticket sales earlier this week. The closure of the ice castles was originally suspected to be temporary, with a plan to attempt to reopen by early next week.

However, Kyle Standifird, Ice Castles CEO, said they will not be welcoming visitors again until next winter season as “it has been much warmer than anyone could have anticipated.”

“I am incredibly proud of our crew and their determination to build a spectacular castle with all of the hurdles Mother Nature has thrown at us this year,” Standifird said. “We are already looking forward to next season.”

He said the business attempted to stay open as long as possible, but unfortunately had to cut the season short. While the ice castles were only open for two weeks this year, the company said thousands of visitors bought tickets.

“As a weather dependent event, we never know how long we will be able to operate each season. We always say that Ice Castles is a delicate dance with Mother Nature. This winter, Mother Nature decided she only wanted a short dance with winter,” the press release reads.

The ice castles first opened in 2011 and have since become a staple winter attraction in Utah. The owner has since expanded the patented ice castles to several other states, including Colorado, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.