New Interactive Winter Attraction May Be Coming to Upstate New York

Move over Ice Castles. There may be a new interactive winter experience coming to Upstate New York.

A major new cold weather attraction is being considered in Warren County that is expected to bring in tens of thousands of visitors during the winter season. The event, which is called 'The Winter Experience,' would be at Fort William Henry in Lake George.

Organizers are hoping to expand the popularity of the Lake George region during the winter months with a winter-themed park that would take over the Fort with lights, sound, video projection, interactive games, and shows. It would run from December through March and is predicted to bring in $8 million in tourist revenue every year.

"We are looking to provide an immersive interactive guest experience with audio, video, lighting, and special effects."

Largest Occupancy Tax Request

The Winter Experience doesn't come cheap. Organizers have asked the Warren County Board of Supervisors for $3 million to get it off the ground, making it the largest single use of occupancy tax money in county history.

The Occupancy Tax Committee approved the request which now heads to the Finance Committee for approval.

Lake George Ice Castles

Mother Nature cut the Ice Castle season short in Lake George. The mild temperatures delayed the opening until February.

It takes several weeks and 25 million pounds of ice to build the hundreds of thousands of icicles that turn Festival Commons from an open field into a winter wonderland of LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, caverns, slides, fountains, and ice bar.

Bigger Castles

Ice Castles will be going bigger next year. Warren County Tourism Director Al Snow said more water will be pulled for Lake George to create larger castles that will be less likely to melt if there's a stretch of warm winter weather.

If the Winter Experience is approved, visitors can experience not one but two unique events in Lake George next season.