Qualla: Aurora Ice Museum

Aurora Ice Museum: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit hikinghillman, CC BY 2.0. Sixty miles from Fairbanks, Alaska, inside a building kept at -7°F year-round, visitors don parkas to explore 1,000 tons of sculpted ice. The Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs Resort is a permanent ice gallery carved by world champion ice sculptor Steve Brice - chandeliers, a bed, a bar, jousting knights, and northern lights scenes, all carved from ice harvested from Chena's ponds. The experience is surreal: you enter the warmth of an Alaskan resort, pull on a provided parka, and step into a frozen gallery where everything - walls, furniture, decorations, and drinking glasses - is made of ice. The museum stays frozen even in summer, maintained by a system powered partly by geothermal energy from the same hot springs that warm visitors before and after their visit.

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: hikinghillman | CC BY 2.0

Aurora Ice Museum: The Ice

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit James Brooks, CC BY 2.0. The Aurora Ice Museum contains approximately 1,000 tons of ice, harvested from ponds at Chena Hot Springs and carved into elaborate sculptures. The ice is crystal clear - achieved through a controlled freezing process that prevents air bubbles. World champion ice sculptor Steve B...

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: James Brooks | CC BY 2.0

Aurora Ice Museum: The Experience

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. Visitors to the Aurora Ice Museum receive insulated parkas and boots before entering - the sustained cold is real and significant. Inside, guides explain the ice-carving process and point out details in the sculptures. The centerpiece experience is the ice bar, where drinks are s...

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

Aurora Ice Museum: The Resort

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit James Brooks, CC BY 2.0. Chena Hot Springs Resort provides the context for the ice museum. The resort has operated since 1905, its naturally heated hot springs drawing visitors to soak in outdoor pools even when air temperatures drop to -40°F. The resort is a destination for aurora viewing - clear, dark ...

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: James Brooks | CC BY 2.0

Aurora Ice Museum: The Sculptor

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit hikinghillman, CC BY 2.0. Steve Brice, the ice museum's primary sculptor, is a multiple world champion in ice carving. He has competed internationally and won titles including the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks (held annually in March). Brice's work at Chena is permanent, unlike competition piec...

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: hikinghillman | CC BY 2.0

Aurora Ice Museum: Visiting the Aurora Ice Museum

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown, Public domain. The Aurora Ice Museum is located at Chena Hot Springs Resort, 60 miles east of Fairbanks, Alaska, on Chena Hot Springs Road. Tours are offered throughout the day; reservations recommended. Admission includes parka and boots. The appletini experience costs extra. Ice hotel overnig...

Read more: Aurora Ice Museum on Qualla

Image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown | Public domain