By Brittany Anas / NewsBreak Denver
(Denver, CO) When it comes to classic holiday movies, “Charlie Brown Christmas” is among the best. But instead of just watching it this year, Christmas enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a frozen Peanuts wonderland with larger-than-life ice carvings that recreate scenes from Charles Shultz’s 1965 animated television special.
The ICE exhibit is part of the Gaylord Rockies’ over-the-top Christmas programming, including the Cirque: Spirit of Christmas show, gingerbread decorating, and outdoor activities like tubing and ice bumper cars.
Working with 2 million pounds of colored ice and equipped with specialized chippers and chainsaws, 40 expert artisans from Harbin, China—the ice carving capital of the world—crafted a dozen Charlie Brown vignettes. The scenes include the Peanuts cast ice skating and Snoopy’s red-roof, decked out dog house, and some are synced up with original songs from the TV special.
But one of the most popular exhibits within the attraction is the smooth, five-lane, illuminated ice slide that you can zip down. At the top of the slide, you’ll spot Charlie Brown himself in his yellow zig-zag patterned shirt, with a director’s chair.
To keep everything frozen in time for the holiday season, the exhibit is kept at a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit. As part of the experience, guests get big blue parkas to keep them warm. (They’re pocketless so that phones and keys don’t get left behind!)
It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to get through the exhibit (though there’s no time limit!) and there’s lots of photo opportunities with the carved characters in the 17,500 square-foot space.
The Ice exhibit is back at the Gaylord after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. In 2019, during the first Christmas season at the resort, ice carvers recreated storybook-like renderings of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
The Ice exhibit and accompanying slide are open through Jan. 1. Tickets start at $19.99, but cost more on weekends.
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