Since its 1993 debut, Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has become a beloved holiday classic. Now, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is bringing the iconic stop-motion film to life, creating larger-than-life sculptures of Jack Skellington, Sally and other fan-favorite characters—entirely out of ice.
A team of artisans is hard at work transforming more than two million pounds of ice into a frozen world inspired by the movie. Once they’re all finished, visitors will be able to journey through Halloween Town, explore a whimsical Holiday Forest and enter Christmas Town, all recreated in intricately carved ice.
To bring the frozen world to life, more than 30 master artisans from Harbin, China, have traveled more than 5,700 miles to the Colorado resort. Over roughly five weeks, the team will transform thousands of massive ice blocks into a 17,000-square-foot walk-through attraction, using tools ranging from chainsaws and handsaws to grinders and smaller hand-carving implements like chippers and tongs.
The artisans will spend more than 12,000 hours carving the sculptures, drawing on techniques passed down through generations and following a detailed 300-page design book. Individual pieces will range from details as small as a coin to towering scenes more than 30 feet tall.
“This is one of the most exciting moments of the year at Gaylord Rockies, as the arrival of our ice artisans marks the beginning of the transformation into our Christmas experience,” says Matt Marshall, general manager of the resort. “This year is especially exciting because guests will experience Disney Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ in ice for the very first time.”
The experience begins beneath the mischievous grin of a towering Jack Skellington before leading visitors into Halloween Town, where they will encounter Dr. Finkelstein, the Mayor, Lock, Shock and Barrel, and the Halloween Town Band. The journey continues into Christmas Town, where Jack discovers the sights and sounds of the holiday season and puts his own spooky spin on the festivities.
Along the way, guests can race down two-story-tall ice slides through Oogie Boogie’s lair and encounter Lock, Shock and Barrel as they carry out their plan to kidnap Santa Claus. The attraction also features a snow-filled finale where Halloween and Christmas collide, complete with opportunities to pose atop the iconic Spiral Hill and make snow angels alongside the film’s mischievous trio.
Visitors interested in the craft behind the spectacle can also stop by the Artisan Demonstration Showcase, where they can watch the artists work inside the attraction’s chilly 9-degree-Fahrenheit environment. Signature blue parkas will help guests stay warm as they explore the frozen scenes.
The attraction is part of Christmas at Gaylord Rockies, the resort’s annual holiday celebration. Since launching in 2001, the hotel brand’s ice! experiences have welcomed tens of millions of visitors to walk-through displays inspired by holiday stories and traditions. The program draws on the ice-sculpting expertise associated with Harbin, often called China’s “Ice City” and home to the renowned Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.
Beyond ice!, this year’s celebration will include returning activities such as Candy Cane Mountain Snow Tubing, Build-A-Bear Workshop, the Gumdrop Gliders Ice Puck Challenge and the Yuletide Street Market, a holiday pop-up featuring seasonal merchandise and collectible gifts. The resort will also feature millions of twinkling lights and towering Christmas trees.
Overnight guests will receive access to the Chill Pass, which offers front-of-the-line entry to ice! and Arapahoe Springs Water Park.
Christmas at Gaylord Rockies runs from November 20, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Tickets and overnight packages are available online.
