Opryland ICE at the Gaylord Opryland hotel is one of the most awesome “Christmas time” events in the Nashville area. There is such awesome detail that goes into the artwork created from colored ice.
Opryland ICE is an ice show held at the Gaylord Opryland hotel that has a different Christmas character/movie theme each year. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk through the event checking out all the magnificent artistic displays of ice sculptures.
Opryland ICE is lots of fun for the whole family. The theme for Christmas of 2022 is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Be mesmerized by the beauty and detail of the sculptures while talking about your favorite parts of the wonderful show.
What is ICE at Opryland?
Opryland ICE is a spectacular ice sculpture event that features a different Christmas theme each year. Being that it is held on the same property as the Gaylord Opryland Christmas light display, it is a perfect combination for friends and family to be embellished in the Christmas spirit.
Artists from China come from 7,000 miles away to sculpt over 2,000,000 pounds of ice over the span of several weeks into a wonderful Christmas display for everyone to enjoy. Yes, I know that is a “run-on” sentence. Some subjects just require a moment of “it is getting real up in here”!
I’ve been to three of the Opryland ICE events, each one was amazing at how detailed the ice sculptures were.
How cold is the ICE event?
Well .. I’ll answer this straight to the point. It is dad gum cold up in there!! It is like 9 degrees to be exact. They give you these big blue puffy parkas to help keep you warm. If you are sensitive to cold I do suggest bringing a hat, gloves, and even ear warmers if you need them.
The building that houses the Opryland ICE event has its own special industrial chillers and air handlers to maintain the crazy low temperature.
Once most people start walking around looking at the ice sculptures, they pretty much forget how cold it is. They are too mesmerized by that ice awesomeness to realize they too could become an icicle. No seriously, it really isn’t too bad as long as you are prepared for it. Not to mention it is totally worth it!!
What ages is ICE appropriate?
Opryland ICE is an all-ages event. So, bring your whole family and invite your friends to tag along to enjoy the festive event. As mentioned above, it is cold in there so make sure all the little family members are dressed appropriately for the cold temperatures.
Across the sidewalk is even more great fun for the whole family. There is a big “snow hill” that you can ride an innertube down. A couple of ice skating rinks as well for all ages.
Get warmed up by going inside the hotel and walking the atriums while checking out all the millions of Christmas lights. Inside you will find 3 huge atriums each with its own theme, each with a selection of restaurants with food for any age.
Want to know more about the awesome atriums? Click here to read that article.
Where is the ice skating?
Well, if you are standing at the door waiting to get into Opryland ICE, the ice skating is just across the sidewalk. Most seasons they have two ice skating rinks set up, with one being much larger than the other. They even have ice-skating aids/walkers to assist the little ones until they learn to skate.
You can skate all day for the one admission charge. Click here for ticket prices.
Opryland Christmas Events
The Opryland ICE show was obviously mentioned in this article and so were the ice skating and the beautiful lights. But those aren’t the only cool Christmas events you can do at the Opryland location. The Oakridge Boys puts on a dinner show. There is a riverboat ride inside the hotel located in the Delta atrium. Just outside the main entrance are the horse and buggy rides.
Just a short walk from the Opryland hotel is the Grand Ole Opry House. That is where the Opry Country Christmas is held each year. With performances from special guests such as the Gatlin Brothers, Mandy Barrett, and more. Obviously, there is bound to be lots of Christmas cheer for everyone.
Is parking free at Gaylord Opryland?
Actually, you can park for free. But not at the actual hotel is self. You can park at the Oprymills shopping mall, take a short walk across the street .. to da!! You are there!! I’m not gonna go into a bunch of detail in this article about the free parking. I have an article all about that already. Click here to read about free parking for visiting Opryland Hotel.
Where to get tickets to ICE?
The Gaylord Opryland website has a webpage with all the events listed. That is also where you can get your tickets. Click here to check out the events there which include Opryland ICE!
Summary of this awesome show
Definitely go to check out the Opryland ICE show, but don’t forget about all the other great attractions and rides that are within a very short walk. There is ice skating, riding the tube down the big “snow hill”, live music, and the beautiful Christmas lights that Opryland Hotel is world famous for. I am really happy to see that the ice show has returned after the pandemic, it didn’t happen for a couple of years and it was missed by many! Welcome back ICE!!