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ANYONE WHO SAYS WINTER
ISN'T A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF YEAR
PROBABLY HASN'T SEEN SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ICE
CASTLES.
THIS YEAR IN BEAUTIFUL
STILLWATER.
THAT'S WHERE KATE IS FREEZING
HER FINGERS AND TOES AND EARS.
WE FEEL FOR YOU THIS
MORNING.
WE DO.
BUT IT IS BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE.
Reporter: IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT IS
ACTUALLY WARMER INSIDE THE ICE
CASTLES.
THE ONLY TIME I STARTED TO GET
COLD IS WHEN I TRIED TO TAKE A
PICTURE FOR YOU GUYS.
I'M WAIT UNTIL I GET BACK IN
THE CAR TO DO THAT.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
I'M HERE WITH AMANDA WITH THE
ICE CASTLES.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH
US.
THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT IN THE
COLD.
SO TELL ME HOW DID THIS EVENT
GET STARTED?
I KNOW THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT JUST IS STARTING IN
STILLWATER.
IT STARTED BACK IN 2008 WHEN
A DAD STARTED MAKING SOMETHING
IN HIS BACKYARD FOR HIS KIDS TO
PLAY WITH AND ENJOY THE WINTER.
THIS IS WHAT CAME FROM IT.
THE ICE CASTLES EVOLVED AND
STARTED GETTING BIGGER AND MORE
ELEMENTS INCLUDING THE L.E.D.
LIGHTS AND THE TUNNELS AND
CAVERNS AND ICE SLIDES WERE
ADDED YEAR AFTER YEAR.
IT STARTED IN HIS BACKYARD AS
FAMILY FUN.
Reporter: IT IS STUNNING.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE TUNNELS.
THEY ARE LIT UP IN BLUE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THEY DO ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE IN
WISCONSIN THIS YEAR.
I KNOW YOU HAVE IT IN THE
DELLS.
WHY STILLWATER?
STILLWATER IS HISTORIC.
THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO.
RESTAURANTS, BREWERIES,
BOUTIQUES, IT IS ALSO A SCENIC
AREA.
BEING ALONG THE ST. CROIX IT IS
A PERFECT LOCATION TO MAKE A
DAY TRIP WITH THE FAMILY, A
DATE OR
A WHOLE WEEKEND ADVENTURE.
Reporter: IT IS BEAUTIFUL TO
LOOK AT.
YOU ARE SEEING IT NOW.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO?
YOU SAID THERE IS A SLIDE
PEOPLE CAN GO ON?
WE HAVE SIDE BY SIDE ICE
SLIDES.
YOU CAN RACE.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS CAN RACE.
COUPLES CAN RACE DOWN THE
SLIDE.
WE HAVE KIDDIE SLIDES AND
TUNNELS AND MAZES.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT PLACES TO
HAVE FUN.
IT IS AN OUTDOOR WINTER
PLAYGROUND.
Reporter: I KNOW WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT TICKETS.
PEOPLE SHOULD, IF THEY CAN,
BOOK ONLINE.
BECAUSE YOU RESERVE A TIME
SLOT.
WE'LL HAVE ALL THE TICKET
INFORMATION AND HOURS UP ON OUR
WEBSITE.
TODAY IS OPENING DAY.
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IT OUT.
WE'LL HAVE THEIR WEBSITE LINKED
UP AT WCCO.COM.
PRETTY AWESOME.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON SEEING IT?
IT LOOKS MASSIVE IN THE VIDEO.
Reporter: IT IS.
WE ARE IN JUST ONE SMALL PART
OF THIS.
IT GOES WAY BACK.
I MEAN IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
I'M SURE KIDS WOULD BE
ABSOLUTELY AMAZED BY IT.
IT LOOKS LIKE A WINTER
WONDERLAND.
BEAUTIFUL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IF YOU ARE GOING OUT THERE
TODAY BUNDLE UP.
A LOT OF LAYERS.
KATE LOOKED LIKE SHE HAD THE
PROPER AMOUNT OF LAYERS ON.
TIPSTERS CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
ANYONE WITH SAYS WINTER
ISN'T A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE
YEAR PROBABLY HASN'T BEEN TO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ICE
CASTLES IN STILLWATER,
MINNESOTA.
KATE IS THERE LIVE THIS
MORNING.
IT IS MAGICAL.
IT IS STUNNING.
Reporter: IT IS SO
BEAUTIFUL.
I KNOW EVERYONE IS THINKING
THAT IT IS COLD.
HONESTLY WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE
THESE ICE CASTLES THE ICE IS SO
THICK THAT IT REALLY DOES MAKE
IT WARMER INSIDE HERE.
I'M HERE WITH AMANDA ROSE WITH
THE ICE CASTLES EVENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
I KNOW WHEN THIS CAME TO
MINNESOTA THEY HAD IT AT THE
MALL OF AMERICA AND EDEN
PRAIRIE.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO
STILLWATER THIS YEAR?
STILLWATER IS THE PERFECT
LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE ST.
CROIX AND LIFT BRIDGE.
IT PROVIDES A COMPLETE
EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE.
AFTER OR BEFORE THEY COME
EXPERIENCE ICE CASTLES THEY CAN
GO TO THE RESTAURANTS,
BREWERIES AND BOUTIQUES IN THE
AREA.
IT IS A COMPLETE PACKAGE FOR A
DAY TRIP OR THE WHOLE WEEKEND.
Reporter: WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT HOW IT IS WARM IN HERE.
MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE I READ THIS
ICE IS TEN INCHES THICK.
IT WEIGHS 25 MILLION-POUNDS.
HOW DO THEY BEGIN BUILDING
THIS?
THE PROCESS STARTED IN EARLY
DECEMBER.
IT TAKES THREE TO FOUR WEEKS TO
BUILD.
WE START WITH A SINGLE ICICLE
AND PLACE THEM EVERYWHERE YOU
SEE AND CONTINUE TO SPRAY WATER
AND GROW ICICLES.
THERE IS HALF A MILLION ICICLES
IN THE ICE CASTLES.
THE WALLS ARE TEN FEET THICK.
BECAUSE THEY ARE SO THICK
YOU'LL SEE A BLUE HEW DURING
THE DAY.
THEY ARE LIKE A GLACIER.
Reporter: PEOPLE THINK THESE
ARE BLUE LIGHTS.
IT IS NOT TRUE.
IT HAPPENS TO TURN BLUE.
I KNOW THERE ARE KID SLIDES.
IF PEOPLE BRING THEIR KIDS
DON'T BRING STROLLERS.
IT IS VERY TOUGH TO PUSH
STROLLERS THROUGH HERE.
WE RECOMMEND PULLING A SLED
WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
IT WILL HAVE A MORE ENJOYABLE
EXPERIENCE INSIDE.
Reporter: THAT'S A GOOD TIP.
IF YOU HAVE A SLED FOR
CHRISTMAS IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO
BRING ALONG.
IT OPENS TODAY.
THIS IS OPENING DAY.
IT OPENS AT 3:00.
IT IS OPENED UNTIL 10:00
TONIGHT.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT HOURS EACH
DAY.
WE'LL HAVE ALL THE HOURS AND
TICKET INFORMATION UP ON OUR
WEBSITE.
YOU WANT TO SIGN UP, IF YOU CAN
ONLINE, THEY GIVE YOU TIME
SLOTS, AS WELL.
I KNOW IT IS 9 BELOW IN
STILLWATER RIGHT NOW.
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO I HAVE 17
FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ON THE ICE
CASTLES.
SOP.
STOP!
THAT'S SO MEAN.
Reporter: CAN WE SAY AMANDA
IS 33 WEEKS PREGNANT.
SHE IS A TROOPER.
HER BABY IS GETTING A TASTE OF
MINNESOTA WEATHER.
IT IS CALLED CONDITIONING.
VERY GOOD.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ICE CASTLES ARE OPENED EVERY
DAY OF THE WEEK EXCEPT
TUESDAYS.
TICKETS DURING THE WEEK ARE $15
AT THE DOOR.
TEN FOR KIDS AGE 4-11.
ON FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY TICKET
PRICES GO UP.
IT IS MORE LIKE $18 AT THE
DOOR.
$12 FOR KIDS.
IF YOU BUY ONLINE YOU CAN
RESERVE YOUR TIME SO YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE.
GO TO WCCO.COM/LINKS FOR ALL OF
THAT.