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Ice Castle Under Construction At Mall Of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (WCCO) – It's been years since the Twin Cities has had a big ice castle for people to admire. The St. Paul Winter Carnival used to have one ever year, but now the Mall of America is bringing that tradition back.

Builders of the ice castle say when people come out to look at it, they'd like them to think they're in some kind of place of their imagination. They want people to feel like they're in Antarctica or some place other than Minnesota.

Officials said the ice castle starts with up to two miles of irrigation, and then they wait for it to get cold and form icicles. Then they arch the ice together, create tunnels and add more water where it's needed.

Officials said they've been growing ice for 10 to 12 days and for the most part weather conditions have allowed the ice to form properly. The ice castle will be open for viewers on New Year's Eve. It's all about being completely immersed in a world of ice.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids or you can buy a family package of two adults and two children for $25.

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