Christmas Festivities At The Gaylord, National Harbor
Updated February 10, 2025
I love Christmas more than any other time of the year and so much of it is attributed to the increasing number of festive activities available in the D.C. area, which includes Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center’s ICE! Exhibit and Christmas Village. What started out as merely an ice exhibit, breakfast with Santa, and a Gingerbread house decorating room is now a half-day experience, complete with overnight stay packages. It is definitely worth the cost!
ICE! EXHIBIT
Each year, the Gaylord chooses a different, well-known Christmas story to display at ICE! and there isn’t a single one that disappoints.
From taking pictures with the ice sculptures, to going down the ice slides, or to even just wandering the rooms in awe, it is such an incredible experience to see what these ice Artesians have created. But, it’s cold… like 9-degrees Fahrenheit cold, which means two things:
It doesn’t matter how “uncool” you look, wear the provided parka and dress in layers! Bring a knit hat, heavy gloves (bonus if you have the cellphone touch tips), and a winter coat. Make sure to wear heavy socks as well.
Your cell phone battery will drain in a matter of minutes, as will any other device not rated for that type of cold. I wrapped mine in an extra glove until I was ready to use it so it wouldn’t drain, and it worked!
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
The Christmas Village is a kid’s dream, filled with all sorts of fun activities, from Build-a-Bear, to gingerbread decorating, to snow ball cannons, to pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus and more!
CIRQUE DREAMS ATRIUM SHOW
One of the best additions the Gaylord added in 2018 was a 25-minute, Christmas-themed Cirque du Soleil show. It provided all of the acrobatics, magic, and wonder that any of the other Cirque shows provide, but in a much tinier space.
A couple of things to know before you go:
Buy guaranteed seating if you’re going any time after Thanksgiving. If you go on opening day, you will be fine with standing room-only, which won’t require a ticket.
If you do have tickets, do NOT go through the main entrance. Instead, follow the path to the right of that entrance and cross over the small wooden bridge. There’s an entry point to far better seating, there.
CHRISTMAS SQUARE
The Gaylord expanded the experience in 2019 by moving the ice rink OVER the outdoor pool and using the pool house bar as a festive Christmas bar, complete with fire pits and other heated areas. It provides incredible views of the Gaylord and National Harbor. NOTE: They only do this through to a few days before Christmas and it’s not guaranteed every year.
WALKING AROUND NATIONAL HARBOR
If you’re staying at The Gaylord or are looking to expand your time at National Harbor, don’t miss the National Harbor Christmas tree! Each year, the designers do an incredible job of creating an awe-inspiring, towering tree that changes colors, producing different effects.
FINAL NOTES
All National Harbor festivities continue on through January 1st each year. Make sure that when you purchase an ICE! ticket, you pre-pay the self-parking as well, as it saves you roughly $10-15. You can also pre-pay at one of the stations outside of the Christmas village (they are marked with signs).
