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Key Points ICE! at Gaylord National returns for 2025 with The Polar Express theme and stunning sculptures. Additional festivities include Christmas Village, live entertainment, snow tubing, and themed suites. Tickets are available online; overnight guests get exclusive perks like ICE! priority access. If there’s one holiday experience people can’t stop talking about, it’s ICE! at Gaylord National. After a brief hiatus, the fan-favorite frozen spectacular returns for the 2025 Christmas season—and it promises to deliver every bit of frosty wonder. Related: ‘Best Christmas Movie of All Time’ Is Hitting Theaters for Limited Time in Honor of 25th Anniversary ICE! Returns With a New Theme Mark your calendars: from Nov. 14, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026, Washington, D.C.-area’s Gaylord National will host ICE! featuring The Polar Express in a grand return of its signature holiday attraction. Past seasons have seen the resort host ICE! with themes like A Charlie Brown Christmas, but this year’s theme is train-ride nostalgia, as beloved scenes from the 2004 holiday flick come to life in shimmering, colorful ice sculptures. Visitors can expect to wander through immersive vignettes, including: • A frozen version of the train gliding across “Glacier Gulch” • A grand North Pole scene with elves and Santa delivering the first gift • A nativity scene sculpted in clear crystalline ice • A Carver’s Showcase, where master artisans sculpt ice live before your eyes To maintain the integrity of the ice art, the exhibit is kept at a bone-chilling nine °F, so yes, you’ll want to dress for the frigid weather (even if indoors). Oops! We’re unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram Related: 9 Super Cool Things to Do in Washington, D.C. That Won’t Break the Bank A Full Christmastime Experience for All Ages ICE! may be the headliner, but Gaylord National’s holiday season is a full-sensory celebration. Here’s what else is in store for 2025: • Christmas Village & Atrium Lights — The resort’s 19-story atrium transforms into a forest of lights, garlands, and festive décor that makes the space feel like a winter wonderland. • Snow Flow Mountain & Ice Tubing — Zoom down multi-level frozen slides, perfect for thrill-seeking kids and adults alike. • Snowball Build & Blast — Craft your own snowballs and help “power” the resort’s snow machines in this playful, hands-on experience. • Cirque: Spirit of Christmas Show — Acrobats, dancers, and aerialists bring Christmas magic to life in a dazzling atrium performance. • Meet Santa & Mrs. Claus — Visits, storytime (with ’Twas the Night Before Christmas), and photo ops await families throughout the season. • Light Shows & Laser Experiences — Here We Glow: A Caroling Light Show pairs thousands of lights with a musical score to take you through decades of holiday songs. • Christmas Dreams Suites — For a truly immersive stay, book one of eight themed suites. They come fully decked out in holiday décor and include a plate of treats and a family photo. Overnight guests get extra perks too: priority access, Chill Pass line-skipping at ICE!, and special restaurant reservations. Tickets to the critically acclaimed attractions are available online now.
