One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions is spending a day at Gaylord National to see the annual ICE! Exhibit and experience the resort’s other holiday activities. This year’s exhibit features the classic story of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Although the stunning ICE! exhibit is the main attraction, the resort’s huge Christmas Village is spectacular and a great way to make a day of your visit. One reason my family returns to ICE! again and again is because we love doing all of the Christmas events at Gaylord National, from seeing Santa to snow tubing indoors.
ICE!
ICE! is a truly awe-inspiring experience. The exhibit has literally tons of hand-carved, larger-than-life, full-color ice sculptures spread across multiple rooms. This year’s theme for ICE! is A Charlie Brown Christmas. As you enter ICE! it feels like you are entering the world of Charlie Brown and the gang from Peanuts. Once inside, children (and adults!) can become a part of many of the iconic TV special’s classic scenes and even crawl through Snoopy’s doghouse. At the end of the exhibit, there is a lovely, peaceful nativity scene.
Grab a cup of hot chocolate once you exit to warm up.
Tickets are for timed entry, but you can stay as long as you like once inside.
The Ice Slides
For many kids, the highlight of visiting ICE! is the ice slides in the middle of the exhibit. My kids loved going on the slides repeatedly. Plenty of adults got in on the action, too.
The slides are included with admission to ICE! There is no limit to how many times you can ride, but be sure to tuck your parka under your bottom for warmth and speed.
Storytime with Mrs. Claus
A “sweet” experience is cookies and milk during story time with Mrs. Claus. Mrs. Claus plays the part perfectly. Along with her bubbly sidekick, Snowflake the Elf, she asks kids about their favorite holiday traditions and reads them “The Night Before Christmas” while they enjoy warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies and milk.
Cookie and Gingerbread House Decorating
Decorating cookies and building gingerbread houses is a time-honored tradition for many families. Gaylord’s Gingerbread Decorating Corner has several options for cookie and gingerbread house decorating—and best of all, staff clean up the mess. Bringing a gingerbread house home is a great souvenir.
Snow Flow Mountain
Snow Flow Mountain is a series of big indoor slides. Riders sit on a tube and go fast. Since there are four slides, the line moves pretty quickly, and kids can get in plenty of rides with the all-day pass. These slides are bigger and faster than the ice slides in the ICE! exhibit, and my kids thought it was a worthwhile add-on. I had fun, too!
Snowball Build and Blast
Think you need to freeze to make snowballs? Think again! My kids and I absolutely loved Gaylord’s Snowball Blast. Elves magically create snow from the comfort of their indoor clubhouse for visitors to use to make their very own snowballs. Snowball fights are discouraged, but my family liked aiming at the Elves’ targets and having a friendly competition.
Where to Eat
Gaylord National has a range of on-site restaurants, and there are even more options if you exit the hotel to explore National Harbor. We really liked taking a break at the on-site restaurant, Harbor Social. The restaurant has great sliders and fun desserts, but the real draw for my family is the duckpin bowling lanes, pool tables, dart boards and bocci in the restaurant.
National Harbor
Gaylord National is in the heart of National Harbor, a bustling shopping and eating area with plenty of activities. Don’t miss the Capital Wheel, an enormous Ferris Wheel with enclosed, climate-controlled cars. Also, explore the beach area by the Potomac, the shops and the restaurants.
More to Explore
Be sure to check out Gaylord National’s site to see what else is on, including visits with Santa, a Cirque-style show, a dazzling Christmas tree in the atrium and more. A visit just to see ICE! is definitely worth it on its own, but be sure at least to take a look at other available activities and experiences to be sure you don’t miss out on something you know your child will love!
Good to Know
Pricing varies greatly based on when you visit and if any specials are running. There are several different packages available that have significant savings. We suggest deciding which activities you would most like to do (or if you want to do all of them!) and finding the package that is the best fit. The bundles are the best deal if you would like to do more than one or two activities. Also, look for overnight packages that include perks like early entry to the ICE! exhibit.
If you have a little one, note that strollers are not permitted in the ICE! exhibit, but there is stroller parking just outside the entrance. There were plenty of babies in carries when I visited. We strongly recommend bringing a stroller if your child usually uses one since there is a lot of walking in the hotel. Just have a backup plan for the exhibit itself.
ICE! is cold at a very chilly nine degrees Fahrenheit. Big blue parkas available at the exhibit are mandatory to stay warm. You need to bring your own gloves and hats. Because everyone looks alike in blue parkas, we suggest using bright hats or hats with big pom-poms so that you can easily find your kids. Parkas are available as small as 2T. I discovered that if a parent wears a parka that is one size too big, it can be snapped over a baby in a carrier. As cold as ICE! is, with the parka, gloves and a hat, no one in my family has ever gotten uncomfortably cold.
Have fun—and stay warm!
