Ice Maze Coming to State Fairgrounds
An example of an ice maze in Russia.
Vasiliy Gladilov | Dreamstime.com
There is another reason to head to the Alaska State Fair this winter: the Ice Maze, a brand new wintertime attraction that will debut at the Palmer fairgrounds next month. The maze is expected to open mid-December and through March, weather conditions permitting.
A New Way to Get Lost
Guests to the maze will navigate through a labyrinth of winding pathways, surrounded by solid ice formations created by artist and founder Cory Livingood. At night, the ice will glow from within by lights frozen inside, illuminating the way.
In addition to offering a unique recreational activity for visitors of all ages, the maze will also be an installation art piece. “The way that I build allows the ice to form organically and creates beautiful natural formations. My job as a builder and an artist is to guide the ice to grow into the structure that I want to create, a maze in this case,” says Livingood, who has built ice structures across North America for six years.
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January 2026
The Ice Maze is also competing to break the record for the world’s largest ice maze with the Guinness Book of World Records at the Fair this year.
Tickets to the event go on sale the week of Thanksgiving at alaskastatefair.org, and ticket reservations must be made online in advance. Admission to The Ice Maze is $15 for adults (ages twelve and up), $10 for youth ages three to eleven, and children two and under are free. A 10 percent discount is available to seniors ages sixty-five and up, as well as active duty and veteran members of the military and their families.
A 10 percent discount is offered to guests who also purchase tickets to the Fair’s drive-through holiday light display, Bright Up the Night, or to The Christmas Factory, an interactive theatrical experience hosted at the fairgrounds on select dates in December.
The maze will be open daily from December 16 through January 1. Starting January 2 through mid-March, the maze will be open Thursday through Sunday (weather permitting). Hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. Please note that The Ice Maze opening and closing dates and operating hours are dependent on weather conditions.
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