ICE at Gaylord National resort is a family fun holiday event that is back for the 2022 season.
Gaylord Resorts know how to celebrate Christmas. We love celebrating the holidays with family and ICE at Gaylord National was an awesome place to create family memories that we will never forget.
Located on the National Harbor Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is a gorgeous resort to celebrate the holidays with your family.
The view of the Potomac is amazing and the floor to ceiling holiday decorations make Gaylord National an amazing place to visit this holiday season.
The holidays to me are all about creating memories. Every year I like to plan special moments for my family to enjoy each other and spend time together that is just for us.
From the minute you enter the lobby expect to feel the holiday season all around.
With gingerbread houses and lights all around Gaylord National doesn’t disappoint to get you in the holiday spirit.
Holidays at Gaylord National
- 2022 Dates: November 20th-December 31st
- ICE! featuring The Christmas Story
- Cirque Show: Spirits of Christmas
- Merry Snoopy Scavenger Hunt
- Snow Flow Mountain
- Ice Skating
- Ice Bumper Cars
- Snowball Build and Blast
- Gingerbread Decoration Corner
- Shine Light Show
- Build a Bear Workshop
- Photos with Santa
- The Greatest Story Stage Show
- Learn more about the activities and tickets here.
What to Expect at ICE! at Gaylord National
The highlight of our visit was the ICE! event. This ticketed event takes you through ice sculptures of your favorite holiday classics.
2017 was themed to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. I loved seeing the time and talent that went into creating this amazing event.
The theme changes yearly but expect the same type of experience.
The ICE! event is set at 9 degrees. It is really cold!!
We came prepared with hats and gloves. Everyone that enters is given a blue parka to wear as you walk through.
Smaller children should be bundled up but all the kids were warm enough. It is a walk-through exhibit and you can walk at your own pace.
We visited during a low crowd time and were able to view everything at our own speed. It took us about 30 minutes.
The time is dependent on how comfortable you are with the cold as well as the crowds. The low-crowds allowed us extra time to go on the ICE slide too!
You can’t miss this!! All five of us enjoyed the slide a few times! It is really fun and a unique activity!
Do You Have to Stay at Gaylord National to Experience ICE?
No guests can purchase ICE! tickets separate of staying at the resort.
What Does ICE! at Gaylord National Cost?
Tickets for ICE! at Gaylord National start at $27.99 and up.
Activities at Gaylord National During the Holidays
At Gaylord National Resort they have a Snoopy Scavenger hunt. During our visit they had a Build a Bear scavenger hunt.
This will have you searching all over the resort. Work together as a family to find the 11 Build-A-Bears hidden through the resort. This was a lot of walking and searching but also a lot of fun!
Tickets for the scavenger hunt can be purchased at the ICE! box office. Each ticket includes a scavenger hunt booklet.
Christmas Village is where the action is. There is ice skating, train rides, and carousel rides but there are also moments to relax and take it all in.
Guests can also enjoy treats and snacks. During our visit to Christmas Village we stopped to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows.
Christmas Village is also where we decorated Gingerbread Men. You can purchase tickets to decorate gingerbread men or houses.
Our final stop in the Christmas Village was to meet Santa Claus and pick up a holiday ornament. One of our favorite holiday traditions when we travel is to pick out a holiday ornament for the tree.
We walked thorough the Christmas Village store looking for the perfect ornament to remind us of our trip once we are back home. I think we found the perfect one in the ICE! snow globe.
At Gaylord National Resort we planned a viewing of the Tree Lighting from our room balcony. The Tree Lighting happens at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm nightly.
You can view it from the resort atrium or from your room balcony. We had a few snacks and set-up a special family time viewing on our balcony.
The Tree Lighting is amazing! I think we watched every show! The kids loved the lights and music and we were all in awe of the beautiful view from our room.
ICE! at Gaylord National is a great place to celebrate the holiday season as a family. Each Gaylord resort across the country features a different holiday theme.
This year Gaylord Palms in Florida is Grinch themed and Gaylord Texas is the Polar Express.
ICE! is an awesome event worth visiting this holiday season.
Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.
OMG we JUST did this in Dallas!! It was sooo fun!! The kids honestly loved everything except the Build a Bear scavenger hunt–WAY too much walking and only a tiny little cheap-o flashlight for a prize! We will def be going back to do this again!!
Hi! Thanks for reading. Isn’t it a blast!! We shared the scavenger hunt. So three kids with 1 flash light!! AGH!! I loved ICE! and all the holiday decorations. It is incredible!!