A New Ice Palace
John Wheelmaker, The Herald Democrat
January 17, 1996

Leadville residents were shocked to hear about an art group called Knowthing building a replica of part of the historic Crystal Palace earlier this month. Last night, the Ice Palace opened for its first reception.

The recreation is modeled after the original Crystal Palace, which opened on January 1st, 1896. The original structure was designed as a way to combat the depression happening in Leadville at the turn of the century.

Despite members of the group being almost unavailable for comment, I was able to meet with Carol Klein, one of the leaders of the project, at Wild Bill's Restaurant at 200 Harrison.

During our conversation, Klein stated, "Leadville is the perfect place to go if you're looking for a milieu which fosters creativity. It's been my sanctom sanctorom [sic] for the last few years.

Klein continued, "There's something about the air that is incredibly refreshing to the creative spirit, and the town lets you obtain some solace from the overstimulation and consumption of typical American life.

The replica opened last night in what Jeanette Fischer called "a hellish party." Leadville police along with the Lake County Sheriff's Department were said to have broken up the party at approximately 4:30 AM.

"This always happens when people that don't belong in this town come in," said Fischer. "We're always trying to attract tourists, but when we do, everything falls in shambles."

Regardless of the controversy, the palace is an exceptional recreation and a beautiful structure. Tourists last night came from as far as Montana to see the recreation. The Ice Palace is open for visitors until March, and the suggested donation is $5. The replica is located near Soda Springs, approximately 5 miles from downtown.