Michigan Ski Resort Opens Ice Bar Built by Austrian Craftsmen at Mountain Peak
Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls opened an igloo-shaped bar carved from snow and ice at the top of one of its runs this month. The structure sits at Disciples…
Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls opened an igloo-shaped bar carved from snow and ice at the top of one of its runs this month. The structure sits at Disciples Overlook between the Disciples 8 chairlift and SkyBridge Michigan.
Master igloo builders from Austria constructed the dome-shaped bar using centuries-old European alpine methods. Large ice blocks compose the bar and seating areas, with liquor bottles lining the back wall. It's Michigan's first mountaintop ice bar, according to resort officials.
The venue opened Jan. 3. Visitors have arrived from across the state and beyond.
Two British social media influencers visited Iglu this week while filming content across Michigan. Jason Riley, part of the Josh & Jace duo, marveled at what he saw.
"This place is massive. How'd they build this?" Riley said per The Detroit News.
The venue has two 28-foot domes connected together. Total space spans 1,400 square feet. Walls measure 3 to 5 feet thick and have no framing.
The resort's snowmaking team laid the foundation before using specialty balloons and industrial snowblowers to construct the domes. Workers placed each ice block by hand. Master carvers then transformed the walls into art, said Boyne's communications director Erin Ernst.
Hours run from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The facility is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Skiers can reach the location from the Disciples 8 and Alpine chairlifts. Non-skiers can ride the Hemlock chairlift and walk from SkyBridge Michigan, a 1,200-foot suspension bridge connecting two peaks.
SkyBridge tickets cost $10 for guests staying at the resort. General admission is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 70 and older, $15 for juniors ages 3-10, and $1 for children 2 and under.
Ernst said the goal is to keep Iglu open through the heart of winter, as long as conditions allow. Workers refresh the exterior with fresh snow to keep the structure intact as temperatures fluctuate.
