Ice Palace closes for season due to warm weather

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) - Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the Ice Palace announced Monday it will be closed for the rest of the season.

"We hoped this winter would last a little longer, but we are thankful for the time we've had and for everyone who worked tirelessly to make it happen. We're truly grateful for your ongoing support," the Ice Palace said in a Facebook post.

Parts of one of the southern walls have already collapsed which has led to the closure. Brigham Youngstrom the head of Idaho Operations said that they want to ensure a quality product while keeping visitors safe.

"Our first priority is the safety of our customers and guests and the quality of our product. So with this warm weather, we're not able to provide both at this time. So we're shutting down because of these temperatures," Youngstrom said.

The warm weather has fought the family behind the Ice Palace on two fronts, as their Minnesota location also had to close down early.

"Typically we have about ten or 12 weeks of being open. And in Minnesota, we threw everything we had at it and we were only able to be open for one week, which makes it hard in the end. Here we we threw even more resources at it to be able to provide an amazing experience for our guests and unfortunately, we were only able to be open for four weeks of that 10 to 12-week span," Youngstrom said.

If you already purchased tickets, you can get a refund or hang on to them for the season of 2024-2025.

Refunds will automatically be issued Feb. 14. if no response is given. You can reach out to support@theicepalaces.com with any questions or concerns.

Despite the early closure, the family behind the Ice Palace says they are already looking for ways to improve and come back for the next season.

"We really pride ourselves in being able to grow from challenges. This year's been a challenge. We're looking forward to growing to that challenge, to building, to improving for future years, to be better prepared for years, where this may be an outcome, and being more prepared and getting ready to do even better next year," Youngstrom said.

Youngstrom added that they are grateful for the community support and look forward to having their icy doors opened again.