It may still be summer, but Gaylord National is in the holiday spirit. Halfway to Christmas, the Maryland resort announced the theme of its annual ICE! display will be based on the 1964 TV special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
From November 19 to December 31, guests will be able to make their way through the life-size sculptures at Gaylord National, which keeps its ICE! venue at 9 degrees fahrenheit.
Each October, the ice sculptors from Harbin, China, make their way to Gaylord National to start creating the magical displays in time for the holiday season. It takes about 10,000 hours over a six-week period for the sculptors to carve 2 million pounds of ice into the various holiday scenes.

As guests make their way through the attraction, they’ll notice a variety of iconic scenes from the beloved show in ice form, including Rudolph flying, characters from the Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph pulling Santa’s sleigh, and an interactive scene where you can make his nose glow.
Once guests make their way through the festive scenery, there are plenty of other holiday attractions to try. This season, the original production of Cirque: Spirit of Christmas will be back on the stage. Guests can also try Snow Flow Mountain — the indoor snow tubing run, ice skating, gingerbread decorating, and Reindeer Games Scavenger Hunt.
Tickets for the DMV holiday tradition are now on sale. Prices range from $39.99–$48.99 for guests 12 and older, $29.99–$39.99 for kids ages 4 to 11, $34.99–$41.99 for military adults (12 and older), and $24.99–$34.99 for military children ages 4 to 11. Children 3 and under are free. Discounted tickets are available through the end of August.
Feature image courtesy Gaylord National
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