Extreme Ice Carving
Delight in these 14 frozen creations by artisans and sculptors around the world.

By:
Lori Johnston
Related To:
Natural Environment
There's an ethereal effect to the ice sculptures that celebrate natural creations in the 44 rooms and suites at Hotel de Glace in Quebec City.
Nativity Display
A special ice carving of a nativity is presented at Gaylord Hotel's four ICE! attractions: Gaylord Texan’s Lone Star Christmas, Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac, Christmas at Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas.
Icy Animation
The story of Frosty the Snowman is retold in ice by sculptors from China. The scenes are seen at the ICE! attractions at Gaylord Texan’s Lone Star Christmas near Dallas in Grapevine, Texas, and Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac in Maryland.
Floral Ice Suite
New ideas for ice designs bloom each spring at ICEHOTEL, such as "The Flower" by Natsuki Saito and Shingo Saito. Then each November, artists arrive from all over the world to build their designs in the northern Sweden hotel and wedding venue.
Frosty SpongeBob
SpongeBob SquarePants—made out of colorful ice bricks—towers above a slippery foundation in Ice Land at Moody Gardens. Sculptors from China created the world out of 900 tons of ice.
Colorful Creations
The inhabitants of Bikini Bottom from the children's TV show, SpongeBob SquarePants are depicted using 900 tons of ice at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. For its Winter Wonder Island exhibit, Moody Gardens worked with 31 ice carvers from Harbin, China.
Magical World
Scenes from The Nutcracker, such as this one featuring Clara and her Nutcracker Prince, get a wintery treatment with blocks of colored ice. Artisans from Harbin, China, home of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, built the displays for the ICE! attraction at Christmas at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla.
3-D Effect
More than 2 million pounds of ice sculptures, including a Nutcracker-themed winter wonderland, are part of the ICE! attraction at four Gaylord Hotels resorts.
Lovely Moment
Snow and ice sculptor AnnaSofia Mååg created this couple in love at ICEHOTEL in Sweden. ICEHOTEL hosts more than 100 wedding ceremonies annually.
Arctic Accommodations
Visiting artists and designers from around the world bring new designs for beds and more annually to ICEHOTEL in Northern Sweden.
Grand Room
Ice ceilings measure up to 19 feet in Canada's Hotel de Glace, the only hotel in North America made from ice and snow.
Surrounded by Ice
Designs are carved into ice blocks that make up the ICEBAR in Jukkasjärvi, a small town in northern Sweden. Even the glasses are made out of ice.
Works of Art
The construction of Hotel de Glace in Quebec City begins every December, with about 15 sculptors joining workers who produce the hotel. Ice blocks weighing 500 tons are used to create sculptures, columns, furniture and drinking glasses.
Barely There
Bear sculptures are often found in mountain homes, but this chilly carving was on display during the 2014 "Fire & Ice" event, an annual ice sculpting display and chili cook off, in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Hotel de Glace/Xavier Dachez