Written by Evelyn Reid - The Montreal Snow Village, the first attraction of its kind to be built in North America, offers visitors a rare opportunity to spend the day (or night) surrounded by ice, from discovering the carved innards of the Montreal Ice Hotel and wedding chapel, to dining in the Ice Restaurant's subzero seats to sliding around on kid-friendly inflatable games.
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In other words, admission fees grant access to*:
- Montreal Ice Hotel rooms, suites and , igloos, for viewing purposes only before guests claim their rooms at 9 p.m.
- various ice sculptures scattered throughout the grounds
- the Amarula Ice Bar
- the ice wedding chapel (unless a service is in progress)
- inflatable games and other kid-friendly surprises (schedule varies)
In 2013, the Snow Village pre-opens January 4 with its official season opening on January 18, 2013. Expecting its 2013 season to run until March 24, 2013, it's difficult to predict the exact season dates since weather is a determining factor. For example, the Montreal Snow Village was supposed to be open from January 19 to March 31, 2012 during its inaugural year. But due to the winter season's unusually warm temperatures, the Montreal Snow Village cut its debut season short, officially ending its freshman run on March 11, 2012.
Montreal Snow Village 2013 Schedule: Hours of Operation
Monday: 11 a.m. to midnight
Tuesday and Wednesday:CLOSED
Thursday and Friday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to midnight
Admission Fees: 2013 Season Rates (Before 8 p.m.)*:
Adults ages 18 to 54: $18.50
Ages 55 and up: $16.50
Students ages 13 to 30: $16.50
Kids ages 6 to 12: $9.50
Kids ages 5 and under: free
Family rate (2 adults and 3 kids): $43.75
Special spring break rates: FREE ADMISSION for ages 12 and under from March 2 to March 17, 2013.
Admission Fees: 2013 Season Rates (After 8 p.m.)*:
Adults ages 18 to 54: $13.50
Ages 55 and up: $12
Students ages 13 to 30: $12
Kids ages 6 to 12: $7.50
Kids ages 5 and under: free
Family rate (2 adults and 3 kids): no family rate after 8 p.m.
Special spring break rates: FREE ADMISSION for ages 12 and under from March 2 to March 17, 2013.
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Special Family Activities: 2013 Season Weekends
- presence of mascot SNORO
- Snow Village legend told by a storyteller
- inflatable toys for kids
- big slide made of ice and snow
- Norwegian sleds
- fireworks every Saturday night from January 19, 2013 at 8 p.m.
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Quick Tips
- Count on spending at least one hour exploring the rooms, sculptures and grounds.
- Guided tours are available in English and French at no extra charge. Contact the snow village for an up-to-date schedule.
- It's not clear if inflatable games and other kid-friendly attractions are consistently on-site during weekends. Contact the snow village for details. Note that even in the absence of the latter, young children are nonetheless likely to be entertained by the overall beauty of the grounds and its maze-like qualities, which is what I noticed observing children ages 3 to 10 when I attended the village's season debut in 2012.
- Consider dropping by near sundown to see how the snow village morphs from day to night, as the installation's lighting scheme takes center stage.
- Want to eat at the ice restaurant? Dropping in unannounced for lunch is not a problem but reservations are required for dinner. Details here.
- Dress the part. Details on how to dress in Montreal in the winter are available in the January, February and March weather guides.
130 chemin Tour-de-l'Isle, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal H3C 4G8 (map)
Toll-Free Phone: 1 (855) 788-2181
*Note that guests staying at the ice hotel and visitors with ice restaurant evening reservations are not required to pay admission for access to the grounds. Also note that winter activities, from dog sledding to ice skating, are offered near snow village grounds. These activities are not included in snow village admission. Details here.
