Warm Winter Victim: Maple Grove Ice Castles Closes
Disappointment would be an understatement. Ice Castles, Maple Grove’s much anticipated winter attraction, announced it shut down operations as of Thursday, Feb. 1.
The attraction was previously projected to generate significant revenue for the local economy.
“Certainly from an economic standpoint, we were forecasting something beyond what we’re experiencing, as well as ticket sales,” said Greg Anzelc, executive director of Experience Maple Grove, the destination marketing organization for the city. “The Ice Castles LLC, based out of Utah, were forecasting ticket sales 10-times greater than we experienced.”
Ice Castles was expected to open in mid-December and stay open for several months.
Due to the unseasonably warm winter weather, it barely stayed open a week.
Ice Castles, Maple Grove’s much anticipated winter attraction, announced it shut down operations as of Thursday, Feb. 1.
About 20,000 people attended the Ice Castles attraction during the five days it was open. In previous years, Ice Castles sold around 100,000 tickets.
The company hopes to give it another try next winter.
“We fully expect Ice Castles to come back next year,” Anzelc said. “And again, that invitation to Mother Nature for cold weather — as much as nobody loves cold weather — we’re cheering for it next year.”
The company will be refunding customers that pre-bought tickets for the attraction.
