Every winter Nashville, Tennessee hosts a fantastic wonderland at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. ICE! features three-dimensional ice monuments and colorful ice sculptures, many of which are over 25 feet long. ICE! takes place from mid-November to the first week of January, and this year’s theme is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas from Dr. Seuss.” The attraction has earned national recognition from USA Today, The New York Times, Southern Living magazine and Travel + Leisure magazine, to name a few.
The ice! Sculptures
ICE! provides an unusual and exciting addition to Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas. The Convention Center transforms into a 40,000-square-foot self-contained refrigerated space filled with ice sculptures, exhibits, and even some live entertainment.
This exhibit was created from 1.5 million pounds of ice and is kept at 9 degrees cold, combining incredible frozen creations with exciting ice slides, all enhanced by spectacular lighting and special effects. The resulting artwork includes beloved holiday figures like Santa and Mrs. Claus, frolicking snowmen, and heavenly angels, many of whom weigh more than two tons.
To stay comfortable along this ‘frozen fountain of youth’, guests receive complimentary warm parkas with hoods. Guests can also step out of the cold display to the retail and snack area, where they can enjoy warm treatment and purchase gifts and souvenirs.
The history of ICE!
The exhibit is the brainchild of 35 dedicated artisans from Harbin, China, who spend nearly an entire month in Nashville creating this one-of-a-kind attraction. To supply raw materials to artisans, a local factory produces 36 trucks of ice in a span of three weeks.
To build the ICE! The attraction requires three different types of ice. Clear “crystalline” ice is the most complex, requiring 45 gallons of water to be frozen over a three-day period for a single 400-pound block of ice. White ice has a cloudy, flaky appearance, much like snow, and is created by rapidly freezing water to prevent molecules from lining up. Lastly, colored ice is used to provide artistic reflections to ice sculptures and comes in nine different colors by adding food coloring.
Exhibits at ICE!
Upon entering, guests are met by the ICE welcome cart. style, featuring a country band of snowmen, complete with a Grand Ole Opry barn facade in vibrant colors.
Beyond the barn, a giant portal of full-color wreaths transports guests back in time to an old ice-carved farmhouse. The scene captures Christmas Eve, complete with a gingerbread ice porch and a giddy Victorian ice family in the holiday spirit. Mom and Dad steal a kiss under the mistletoe, the family dog sleeps by the fireplace where the stockings hang, and a child watches the scene in amazement. At the center of it all is the family tree, built from green ice with glowing electric candles.
Beyond the house, guests are met by a horse-drawn carriage and frozen driver, where they can climb aboard and have their photo taken on a frozen sleigh ride. Next up is the fantasy world of Christmas Castle, with toy soldiers standing guard and candy cane turrets. Guests can ride three different paths on the popular double-deck ice slides.
As they exit the castle courtyard through a long lighted tunnel, visitors will find Santa’s Toyland. The elves work hard carving toys and placing them on enchanted conveyor belts to load Santa’s sleigh. Bright flashing lights and colorful candy decorations adorn the whimsical gadgets, all under the watchful eye of Santa. Guests can pose for photos in a special setting next to the ice Santa himself.
Following Santa’s Toyland is The Winter Forest, featuring a running waterfall, twinkling stars behind a dusk-painted sky, and a winding path. To discover among the trees there are realistic forest creatures that populate the ice forest. A bench is provided for guests to sit and capture a snapshot in front of the waterfall and pond.
Guests emerge from the forest through a canopy of frozen trees into a Country Church setting. Here, a monumental sculpture of the Herald Angel stands in front of a rustic church. Light flows through the ice, stained glass windows that surround the angel with a miraculous aura.
Leaving the church, guests around the corner discover the iconic scene from ICE: The Nativity. Guests marvel year after year as the crystal manger completes the experience with one of the most beautiful and inspiring representations of the Nativity in the world.
