Ice Artisans Arrived at Gaylord Opryland Resort
More than 40 sculptors have begun building the annual holiday ICE! attraction in Nashville.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Ice Shows
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Over 40 ice artisans traveled from Harbin, China, to Nashville to begin constructing the annual ICE! attraction at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The team is tasked with carving two million pounds of ice over 40 days to prepare for the upcoming holiday season.
Why it matters
The massive project transforms 17,000 square feet into a walk-through experience inspired by the movie Home Alone. It serves as a central feature of the annual A Country Christmas event, which attracts thousands of visitors to the region each winter.
The attraction features 11 walk-through scenes and five ice slides contained within a 17,000-square-foot space maintained at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Artisans utilize chainsaws and chisels to shape two million pounds of ice.
The players
Gaylord Opryland Resort
This large hotel and convention center in Nashville is known for hosting massive seasonal attractions and entertainment events.
The details
The creative team spent 6,400 miles traveling to Tennessee to spend 40 days crafting the elaborate holiday displays. In addition to the slides, the attraction includes crawl-through tunnels and a Nativity scene, with blue parkas provided to guests to handle the extreme temperatures.
Timeline
Nov. 6, 2026: The A Country Christmas event begins.
Jan. 2, 2027: The A Country Christmas event concludes.
Industry Dynamics
This project follows a pattern set by the A Country Christmas event to draw visitors through large-scale, temporary interactive displays. Such seasonal attractions represent a major shift in how resorts leverage intellectual property and immersive installations to compete for holiday travel dollars.
Visitors should prepare for temperatures of 9 degrees Fahrenheit inside the attraction, where blue parkas will be provided for comfort. Those planning to attend can now secure entry through the resort's official ticketing channels.
The takeaway
The creation of this 17,000-square-foot ice display requires immense logistical coordination and thousands of labor hours from international artisans. Guests visiting the site should arrive prepared for sub-freezing conditions to fully experience the walkthrough displays.
Further reading
For more seasonal entertainment updates, visit the Ice Shows section.
More information
Purchase tickets or view event details on the Gaylord Opryland holiday attraction tickets page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Williamson Source.
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