Snowking opens visitor centre, offers construction tours

Yellowknife’s unique snow castle has received an early upgrade for the 2019 tourist season.

This year, visitors to Snowking’s Winter Festival can already stop in at a new, heated visitor centre – and tour construction of the 2019 castle.

Opening the centre is the latest in a series of developments designed to expand the festival, offer new revenue streams, and secure its longer-term future.

The changes follow a review of the festival’s operations, which also led to the appointment of an executive director to coordinate the many volunteers needed in the castle’s construction and operation.

Snowking’s castle is traditionally open throughout March.

Tours of the construction site – which cost $5 – are available now, at 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm, from February 2 to 24.

The visitor centre is open from 1-5pm, Wednesday through Sunday each week.

After February 24, “we lock the doors until the final reveal on Saturday, March 2,” a news release from the festival stated.