World’s Wildest Snow and Ice Houses

The SnowKing Castle of Yellowknife, Canada, began with a few neighborhood families that built annual snow forts for the local kids. The tradition has blossomed into an event featuring a castle over 20 feet tall that requires a planning committee, funding, and a seasoned group of builders (first-year workers are called "snowprentices").

Construction begins on January 1st each year, with the building debuting in March. The team works by pouring snow into wooden molds, like concrete, and making the castle's windows out of sheets of ice.