One of the top holiday traditions in Dallas-Fort Worth is visiting ICE! at the Gaylord Texan Resort, located in Grapevine. Since 2005, the North Texas resort has been spreading Christmas cheer at its 17,500-square-foot winter walk-through. The resort revealed this year’s ICE! theme will be inspired by the movie Elf, on display from Nov. 14, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026.
The beloved Christmas movie features Will Ferrell as the main character, Buddy the Elf, and follows his journey from the North Pole to New York City to meet his dad.
ICE! will incorporate the movie through ice sculptures created by 40 master artisans from Harbin, China. The master artisans will spend over a month carving 6,000 blocks of ice.
Family-friendly activities abound: There will also be two-story ice slides, 10 immersive scenes, an original circus-style show called “Cirque: Frost,” ice tubing, a build-your-own-snowball activity and craft stations. Kids can also enjoy story time at Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions. Other holiday activities for kids include gingerbread decorating, ice skating and the Holiday Atrium Light Shows, which feature thousands of lights synced up to festive music.
Details: Nov. 14, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine. Admission to the ICE! exhibit starts at $28.99 for visitors 12 and older and $19.99 for younger kids.
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