Two million pounds of hand-carved ice transform into Hogsmeade Station, the Great Hall, and a towering sculpture of Hedwig herself as Grapevine’s beloved winter tradition gets its most magical makeover yet.
Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, TX — November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027
Christmas at Gaylord Texan is about to feel a little more magical. The resort’s signature ICE! attraction, a Grapevine holiday tradition since 2001, is trading its usual winter themes for something entirely new this year: a full Harry Potter transformation, marking the first time the wizarding world has ever been recreated inside the resort’s famous frozen walkthrough.
Running November 13 through January 3, ICE! Harry Potter arrives as part of Gaylord Texan’s 22nd annual Lone Star Christmas celebration, located at 1501 Gaylord Trail on Lake Grapevine. The attraction uses roughly two million pounds of hand-carved ice to bring the films to life, greeting visitors with a towering sculpture of Hedwig, Harry’s beloved pet owl, before leading them through 10 themed rooms recreating some of the series’ most iconic locations. Guests can expect to wander through Hogsmeade Station, the Forbidden Forest, The Three Broomsticks, The Great Hall, and Hogwarts Castle itself, all rendered entirely in ice.
This year’s theme is part of the biggest ICE! rollout in the attraction’s history. Gaylord Hotels is expanding the experience to eight resorts nationwide for 2026, debuting brand-new locations in Chula Vista, California, and Phoenix, Arizona, alongside fresh themes like Home Alone in Nashville and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Colorado. Texas actually gets a second helping of holiday magic too, with the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort bringing back its Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer edition the same season.
Tickets are already on sale, with general admission starting around $33 to $50 depending on the date and package selected. Families looking to make a full weekend of it can book the resort’s Harry Potter ICE! Experience Package, which bundles a hotel stay, a $50 resort credit, two ICE! tickets, two Elf Training Academy tickets, scavenger hunt booklets, and unlimited rides on the resort’s Christmas Carousel.
Of course, ICE! is just one piece of the larger Lone Star Christmas celebration taking over the resort this winter. Guests visiting during the season can also expect two million Christmas lights strung throughout the property, a towering 54-foot Christmas tree, and thousands of ornaments decorating every corner of the resort.
Whether your family counts down the days until the next Harry Potter marathon or you’re simply looking for a festive Texas outing that feels a little different this year, ICE! featuring Harry Potter gives Grapevine a genuinely new reason to bundle up and step into a world of pure holiday magic.
