Harry Potter meets Christmas
Everyone's favorite sorcerer hits the ice at Gaylord Texan this holiday season
Christmas is getting a little more magical at Gaylord Texan Resort this year. The Grapevine resort is bringing back its annual Lone Star Christmas celebration November 13 through January 3, and the marquee attraction is getting a spellbinding new twist: ice! featuring Harry Potter™.
For the first time, the wizarding world of Harry Potter will be brought to life in 2 million pounds of brilliantly hand-carved ice, creating a frosty adventure that fans of all ages can explore.
The journey begins with a towering ice sculpture of Hedwig before leading visitors through 10 spectacular rooms inspired by iconic locations from the films. Guests can stroll through Hogsmeade Station, explore the Forbidden Forest, visit The Three Broomsticks, step inside the Great Hall, and venture into Hogwarts Castle-themed spaces.
And this is one holiday attraction where sliding is very much encouraged.
Inside the castle room, six two-story ice slides send visitors racing toward the Quidditch Pitch, where the space comes alive with lights and colors representing the Hogwarts houses.
Of course, experiencing 2 million pounds of ice in Texas requires a serious winter wardrobe. The attraction is maintained at a crisp 9 degrees, with signature blue parkas provided to keep guests cozy while they explore. Visitors can also watch talented ice artisans demonstrate their carving skills throughout the experience.
After warming up, guests can head to the Christmas Village retail store, billed as the largest holiday pop-up in Grapevine, to browse festive gifts and exclusive collectibles.
Christmas takes over the entire resort
The Harry Potter-themed ice! experience may be the star attraction, but it’s just one part of Gaylord Texan’s massive Lone Star Christmas celebration.
The resort transforms into a holiday wonderland with 2 million twinkling lights, a 54-foot Christmas tree, thousands of ornaments, magical miniature trains, and towering 25-foot toy soldiers.
There’s also a sleigh full of activities for visitors to enjoy, including ice tubing, ice skating, snowball throwing, gingerbread decorating, photos with Santa, stories with Mrs. Claus, illusionist shows, and character breakfasts.

That makes Gaylord Texan an easy destination for a full holiday day — or an overnight getaway for families looking to turn seasonal traditions into a vacation.
A frozen tradition comes to Grapevine
The ice! experience has been a Gaylord Hotels holiday tradition since 2001, welcoming tens of millions of visitors nationwide. For this year’s attraction, the master ice artisans will travel more than 6,400 miles from Harbin, China, known as the “Ice City” and home to the world’s largest ice and snow festival.
Together, they’ll transform millions of pounds of ice into elaborate scenes, characters, tunnels, and slides.
Whether the goal is to wander through a frozen version of the wizarding world, race down an ice slide, meet Santa, decorate gingerbread, or simply soak up the holiday spectacle, Lone Star Christmas offers plenty of ways to get into the spirit.
Lone Star Christmas runs November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, at Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine.
