Ice Palace 2018

Going all the way back to the first Ice Palace in 1886, the towering palaces have been an awe-inspiring feature of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival for decades.

The Ecolab Ice Palace is the central expression of the bold north mindset during the heart of winter and will, once again, be joining the Saint Paul skyline during the 2018 Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Get ready to tout your visit to this frozen wonder in the heart of Rice Park, January 25-February 10, 2018.

In partnership with

Build the People's Palace

When the world comes to Minnesota for the Super Bowl, we want our one-of-a-kind community celebration to be their destination. The Capital City's historic Rice Park will act as center stage for the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, and create a winter gathering place for our community and visitors alike to celebrate the rich history of Saint Paul. In addition to the exciting features and traditions of the 132nd Saint Paul Winter Carnival, we will be building a 4,000 block, 70-foot tall Ice Palace in the heart of Rice Park to exemplify our winter festivities during this "super" year. This incredible palace will shine over Rice Park throughout the 17-day Carnival as we welcome Minnesotans and visitors from across the country to our radiant Capital. This year, we're offering an exciting opportunity for the community to be a part of the Ice Palace with the Buy a Block initiative. This is your chance to help us build the People's Palace by purchasing ice blocks and helping us raise funds to support this community-driven project. From certificates to architectural drawings to exclusive invitations, each ice block purchase comes with a special keepsake to commemorate the experience for generations to come. Buy an Ice Block: $25 to $50 Palace Enthusiast: $100 Ice Palace History Presentation: $250 Architect's Rendering: $500 Designer's Drawing: $750 First 250!: $1,000 Supporters of the Palace: $2,500 Ice Ambassador: $5,000

Become a Sponsor

Sponsorship opportunities are endless at the People's Palace! To learn more about becoming a sponsor of the 2018 Ice Palace and the various packages available, please contact Deb Schaber at dschaber@spfhf.org.

Ice Palace History

When a smallpox epidemic broke out in Montreal in 1885, St. Paul leaders moved quickly to build a palace here in hopes to attract tourism to St. Paul. To date, the St. Paul Winter Carnival has built 36 Ice Palaces, all of different shapes and sizes. Below are some of the most memorable designs.

2004

Location: Cleveland Circle across from the Xcel Energy Center. Designed by: SLL/Leo A Daly Architects & Engineers of Minneapolis. Material: 25,000 Ice blocks. Size: Height 75 feet; Length 250 feet. This was the first Ice Palace since 1941 that the public was able to walk through. This palace coincided with the 2004 National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Game. Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Press.

1992

Location: Harriet Island. Designed by: Rust Architects. Construction: By 100 construction workers from 29 local unions for half wages. Material: 20,000 blocks of ice measuring 42 x 22 x 20 inches from Green Lake near Spicer, Minnesota. Size: Height 166 feet; Length 220 feet; Width 170 feet. Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Press

1988

Location: Harriet Island. Designed by: Rust Architects. Construction: Austin P. Keller, contractor. Material: Ice blocks. Size: Height 40 feet; Width 100 feet. This is the year that Vulcan had his volcano and King Boreas had his Ice Palace on Harriet Island. Vulcans came out of the top of his volcano several times a day. Photo courtesy of Bob Olsen.

See More Historical Palaces

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