The Gaylord Opryland Resort and & Convention center has been turned into a snowy winter wonderland with ICE! featuring The Polar Express this holiday season. The exhibit is an immersive, once in a lifetime experience where you can view and explore over 2 million pounds of colored ice carved by expert artisans.
The artisans behind this magical ICE! display traveled all the way from Harbin, China to Nashville, Tennessee to create these ice carvings. They spent over 12,000 hours carving and sculpting 9 different Polar Express scenes. The entire process took about 6 weeks of hand-carving 6,000 blocks of ice. You can even see a live carving experience from one of the artisans during the tour through the exhibit.
Kept at a chilly 9 degrees, the ICE! exhibit is a story-driven attraction complete with larger-than-life ice sculptures, 5 icy slides, and ice tunnels. Don’t worry, Opryland will provide you with a complementary blue parka to enjoy your experience with a bit more warmth.
Travel Addict Tip: Make sure to dress in warm layers for the experience. Bring a hat and gloves. I was so excited to take videos and photos of the experience I didn’t wear gloves and my hands were frozen by the end of the walk through the exhibit.
Experience the famous “Hot Chocolate” scene inside a frozen passenger car, then plunge down an ice slide to see the Polar Express itself arriving at its destination, The North Pole. At The North Pole, you’re greeted by an 11-foot tall Santa Claus offering a bell from his sleigh. At the end of your journey, you’ll find a replica nativity scene completely made of crystal-clear ice.
The Opryland ICE! featuring The Polar Express exhibit is open now until the first of January. Guests are encouraged to take their time through the exhibit, with no time limit. Our journey through the exhibit took approximately 30 minutes.
Depending on the day and time you purchase your tickets, they range from $31.99 to $45.99. Opryland is also currently offering package bundles where you can experience this incredible exhibit and other attractions at the Resort like gingerbread decorating, ice skating, a Snoopy scavenger hunt, and more. There is guaranteed to be something for everyone in the family to enjoy this holiday season at Opryland.
I was a little skeptical to visit this attraction due to the price but once I was inside I was so glad I did. It was remarkable to see life-size models of trains, people and reindeer all carved and painted into ice. This is an experience that we highly recommend if you are in Nashville this holiday season.
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig