Breckenridge Snow Sculptures 2025 in Colorado

Every January, Breckenridge, Colorado, hosts the International Snow Sculpture Championships. Dozens of sculptures carved out of 12-foot (4-m) blocks of snow are put on display for one week. Artists have around 94 hours, some hand tools, as well as their imagination, to create their masterpieces. Visitors can choose their favorite sculpture with a People’s Choice Vote and discover more about the art of snow sculpting.

International Snow Sculpture Championships Program

Riverwalk Center in downtown Breckenridge has served as a natural gallery for snow sculptors for over 20 years. You can see how movers bring in snow blocks that weigh around 20 tons and how they get transformed into works of art. Snow blocks need time to settle under their own weight before being carved. The first half of the event is completely focused on sculpting, with artists coming from all over the world, including Mexico, Mongolia, Germany, China, India, the USA, and many others.

Sculptors can only use manual tools and are given about five days, approximately 94 hours, to complete their creations. From animals to fictional characters coming alive in the midst of snowy landscapes, the sight is truly mesmerizing. At the end of the so-called sculpting week, there is also an awards ceremony, where the best teams are given Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Artists' Choice. People's Choice is announced at the end of the viewing week.

During the second half of the championships, the viewing week, spectators can enter the area and witness the sculptures with their own eyes. Breckenridge's ice sculptures are especially beautiful in the evenings, when colorful LED light displays enhance the scene. However, the snow sculptures can only be seen for about a week and are usually taken down by the end of January.

Schedule & Hours

Sculpting week is scheduled from 11 am on January 20 until 9 am on January 24, while viewing week is from January 25 to January 29. Sculptures are open day and night, but on Saturday, January 25, you can only see the works at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm. Illumination will be on from 4:30 pm until 10 pm, except for January 29th, when it ends at 5 pm. The awards ceremony is set to take place at 4:30 pm on January 24th.

Admission & Tickets

Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships is free for the public to attend. Reservations are required if you'd like to look at the sculptures on Saturday, January 25th, because this is one of the busiest days of the entire event. The spectacle is also pet-friendly. However, dog owners should consider that there are cannons, crowds, and light shows that might scare their pets.

Parking & Transportation

The event takes place around Riverwalk Center in downtown Breckenridge. Parking is available at the Airport Road lot and at Colorado Mountain College. Free shuttles will run from these locations to the Riverwalk Center. Limited ADA parking is also available.