Marvel at Snow Sculptures at the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado

For a true winter experience, family travelers should make for Breckenridge, Colorado. In addition to many ski trails and resorts, this ski town also hosts the annual International Snow Sculpture Championships. This year’s competition runs Jan. 20–29, and visitors are invited to watch teams from around the world create some of the most awe-inspiring snow sculptures.

© Breckenridge Tourism Office

Teams from Argentina, Canada, Finland, Mongolia, the United States, Germany and beyond compete to carve 12-foot-tall, 25-ton blocks of snow by hand. Two teams from Wisconsin and one from Breckenridge represent the United States.

© Breckenridge Tourism Office

This year’s snow sculptures cover a variety of educational and thought-provoking themes, from disappearing ice in the Arctic Ocean to the multifaceted nature of the human mind. After the sculptures are complete, finished pieces stand for about six days, allowing visitors to stroll through the sculpture garden to take in each work of art. At night, each sculpture is illuminated by colorful lights.

Be sure to vote for your favorite sculpture to win the People’s Choice Award! Visiting dates run Jan. 24–29, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. People’s Choice Award voting is open Jan. 24 at 12 p.m. through Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. The Grand Illumination is open Jan. 24–29, 4:30–10 p.m. nightly.