4 of the World's Largest Winter Mazes

I wanted to feature 4 wonderful Winter mazes that are here for the Holidays ! Each of them is the largest of it’s type (with an asterix), and are made as destination attractions to celebrate the holidays. It includes a set of 3 from around the USA, a festival in Minnesota, a festival in Washington and the other takes us to Poland.

The first mazes are the Largest Christmas Light Maze(s) in the world, created by Enchant. This year Enchant has 3 locations: San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; and Las Vegas, NV. Each location features winter fun, including the featured light maze, an ice skating rink and a Christmas market along with other activities (Santa?) and days with special events. You can check the calendar and buy tickets on the Enchant website. This experience moves around the country each year, so you may have seen it near you in the past (or have it coming to a large city near you in the future). Here is a video from the Enchant YouTube channel showing the event ! It looks like a fun night out with an immersive Christmas experience.

And the second Winter maze I wanted to bring to your attention comes from Poland, the World’s Largest Ice Maze (for now) located in Snowlandia in Zakopane. I had written about it previously as one of the 5 ice and snow mazes I found around the world: You Won't Believe these Ice and Snow Mazes ! The maze is outstanding, and seeing all of the intricate carvings in the snow is also well worth a visit with views of the beautiful Tatra Mountains ! The maze is listed as over 3000 square meters, or the size of about 7 basketball courts.

And you may have noticed the “for now” I added onto the Ice Maze at Snowlandia. That is because on January 10th, the record might be broken at the Minnesota Ice Festival in Eagan, MN. They will be attempting to make the break the current record and will have Guinness on hand (the company/book not the drink) to check it. Since it is not yet built and you never know about the weather, we will have to wait to see who holds the ice maze crown. Tickets for the event are on sale now and it includes the maze, skating, slides, food trucks, ice bars and plenty of ice sculptures. Here is a video showing the previous years maze:

But wait, we have another, coming to us from Shelton, Washington ! Let’s take a look at Christmastown and their Winter maze !

The world record for most Christmas Trees in one location (set in 2019) keeps getting bigger each year. And, it just so happens those Christmas trees are made into a maze ! This year a total of 900 trees became a maze. The great thing about the maze is the dead ends might lead you to Santa, places to play or selfie spots. But let’s be honest a dead end with Santa is not really a dead end ! Here is a link to the website and the maze page specifically. Check out this wonderful video of the event and maze !

So did these mazes make your bucket list ? Wishing you Happy and Healthy Holidays and hoping you can enjoy an a-maze-ing adventure like these!

More posts you may like:

The 10 Most Famous Labyrinths from Around the World

Discovering 7 of the World's Most Interesting Mazes

Free Holiday Mazes for Kids and Adults: Download and Enjoy!

18 Labyrinths to Visit in Northern California

California is the king of labyrinths featuring almost 500 around the state. SO many that I had to break my initial list of 35 public labyrinths to visit into 2 parts:

18 Labyrinths to Visit in Northern California

17 Labyrinths to Visit in Southern/Central California

If you want a full list of labyrinths in the state check out the Worldwide Labyrinth Finder.

Why visit a Labyrinth ?

Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious symbols that have been used for centuries for meditation, contemplation, and spiritual renewal. They are also a lot of fun to explore! If you're looking for a unique and challenging experience, walk a labyrinth with intention - it often leads to self-discovery. Personally, I like to walk labyrinths between dawn and sunrise or at sunset until dusk, but any time of day works. You may not realize it, but there is probably a labyrinth near where you live. Today we explore…


18 Labyrinths to Visit in northern California

1/2. Grace Cathedral Labyrinths

Any list of labyrinths in California needs to start here, at the home of the modern labyrinth walking movement and Lauren Artress. Facing the front of the church the outdoor Chartres replica labyrinth is on the right. There is also a permanent indoor Chartres labyrinth made from limestone in the church. Read about the labyrinths and plan your trip (including finding events and hours) on the church website !

Location: San Francisco, California

Address:
1100 California Street
San Francisco, California 94108


3. Albany Bulb Labyrinth

The Albany Bulb is the site of a former landfill that now consists of a series of trails on the SF bay. The landfill was mostly construction debris, so the classical labyrinth built there is made from that. The Bulb also features a variety of artwork an sculptures along the pathways. This pin will help you find the labyrinth.

Location: Albany, California

Address:
Buchanan Street
Albany, California 94710

4. Hap Magee Ranch Park Labyrinth

An 11 circuit Chartres style labyrinth made from bricks/pavers is open during daylight hours. The labyrinth is clearly marked on Google Maps for easy locating. For information on the park check out the city website.

Location: Danville, California

Address:
1027 La Gonda Way
Danville, California 94526


5. Quarry Park Labyrinth

This labyrinth was originally a 7 circuit but has evolved over time to be contemporary with new and interesting twists and turns. To reach the labyrinth park at the end of Santa Maria Ave and follow the trail at the end down into the quarry for 5 minutes. Here’s a pin to locate the labyrinth. Plan a trip to the park on the county website.

Location: El Granada, California

Address:

1195 Columbus St.
El Granada, California 94018



6. Stephenson Park Labyrinth

An 8 circuit Chartres style labyrinth made from bricks/pavers. The labyrinth is located in the NE corner of the park near the cul-de-sac of Bolo Ct. Check out the park website to plan a trip. Here is a great view of the labyrinth.

Location: Elk Grove, California

Address:
5511 Dorcey Drive
Elk Grove, California 95757

7. Shell Beach Labyrinth

A 7 circuit labyrinth located off the Kortum Trail near Shell Beach. The labyrinth is made with grass rocks and shells and can be located with it’s entry on Google Maps ! The labyrinth overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Location: Jenner, California

Address:
Shell Beach
Jenner, California 95450


8. Briones Regional Park - Martinez Labyrinth

 

To find this medieval labyrinth go to the Alhambra Creek Staging Area and take the Alhambra Creek Trail for 1/4 mile until you see the horse trough which you take a left at. Look for the large branch circle that surrounds the labyrinth. And, thank you to the person who added it to Google Maps !

Location: Martinez, California

Address:

Reliez Valley Road
Martinez, California 94553



9. Monaco Family Public Labyrinth

An 11 circuit medieval labyrinth made from bricks/pavers located in front of Titan Sports Academy. Has an entry on Google Maps.

Location: Morgan Hill, California

Address:

195 Mast St.
Morgan Hill, California 95037


10. Mountain Stream Meditation Labyrinth

A 9 circuit medieval style labyrinth is located behind the building and is made from bricks and rocks. The center features an Archimedean spiral, which I learned on the MSM webpage dedicated to the labyrinth.

Location: Nevada City, California

Address:

710 Zion Street
Nevada City, California 95959


11. Wilma Chan Park Labyrinth

Originally an 11 circuit labyrinth made from painted concrete, 5 extra circuits were painted on the outside to increase the size. Here is a 360 view from the center of the labyrinth.

Location: Oakland, California

Address:
8th & Madison
Oakland, California 94607


12. Antioch Kaiser Hospital Labyrinth

A 5 circuit labyrinth made from painted concrete. Located off the parking lot in the NE section of the hospital off of Wellness Way. This pin will help you find it on the map.

Location: Antioch, California

Address:

5601 Deer Valley Rd
Antioch, California 94531


13. Chico Community Labyrinth

This 8 circuit Chartres style labyrinth made from bricks/pavers is located in the Children’s Park on Esplanade. You can see a 360 view of the labyrinth in this photo. The labyrinth is surrounded by 5 circular seats with engraved bricks featuring quotes on the outside of the labyrinth.

Location: Chico, California

Address:

206 W. 1st Street
Chico, California 95926


14. Land's End Labyrinth

An 11 circuit labyrinth made from stones on the Pacific Ocean. Here is one of many 360 views you can find on Google Maps while locating the labyrinth. Reach the labyrinth from the El Camino del Mar Parking Lot, by walking the coastal trail for about 20 minutes.

Location: San Francisco, California

Address:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
San Francisco, California 94121

15. Grateful Gardens Labyrinth

A 7 circuit concentric labyrinth made from rocks that is open from 7AM til dusk. The gardens have their own website that features a labyrinth webpage for more information.

Location: San Jose, California

Address:

990 Meridian Ave.
San Jose, California 95126


16. Rosicrucian Park Labyrinth

A 5 circuit medieval labyrinth located on the grounds of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. Plan a trip of to the museum on the museum website and learn about the labyrinth on the park’s labyrinth webpage. Here is a 360 view from the center.

Location: San Jose, California

Address:
1660 Park Avenue
San Jose, California 95191


17. Charles M. Schulz Museum - Snoopy Labyrinth

A meandering labyrinth in the shape of Snoopy’s head ! The museum features the works of Charles M. Schulz which of course features The Peanuts. Here is a 360 view of the labyrinth from the center.

Location: Santa Rosa, California

Address:
2301 Hardies Lane
Santa Rosa, California 95403

18. Stanford University Labyrinth

Located just off of Santa Teresa Street near Roble Drive, this 11 circuit Chartres style labyrinth is made from granite and is accessible from the sidewalk.

Location: Stanford, California

Address:
374 Santa Teresa Street
Stanford, California 94305

5 TIPS FOR VISITING A LABYRINTH

  1. Set an intention for your walk so you can walk with purpose. It could be prayer, reflection, meditation, contemplation, or openness.

  2. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing a lot of walking.

  3. Bring water with you, especially if you are visiting on a hot day.

  4. Take your time and enjoy the experience. There is no need to rush through a labyrinth.

  5. Be respectful of other visitors. This includes not making noise and being respectful if walking with other people.


5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING

I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.

  1. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

  2. Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

  3. Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

  4. Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

  5. Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN

If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:

  1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

  2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

  3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation


I am a maze artist and I have made some California maze art. If you have any suggestions - drop me a note. 2 already on my future maze list are the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Broad Museum.

Hollywood Sign Maze

Fresno Van Ness Ave Sign Maze

Here are some mazes of famous buildings from around the world:

Taj Mahal Maze

The Louvre Maze

Templo de Sangre de Cristo Maze

Photo credit for blog post title image: Thomas, Flickr, Grace Cathedral Labyrinth

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pouchin/2229...

My 10 biggest blog posts of the year

At the end of the year I analyze how the website did, what worked, and what didn’t and I plan for the upcoming year. Here is my series on the year (links will be added as they are posted):

My top 5 YouTube Videos from 2024

My 10 biggest blog posts of the year

Website Year in Review

My Favorite mazes from 2024 - VOTE

Mazes of the Week 105 - 158 - A Review of 2024's mazes

2025 Maze Outlook

Today I want to highlight my best performing blog posts that were published in 2024. Here they are in random order:

Each week I picked a state in the US and researched the labyrinths that are free to visit for the public. These 2 states got the most traffic and you can find all my suggestions in the US Labyrinth visit section of the site. These 2 states were written early in the year and had the advantage of more time on the site !

I have a large section of the site that I have dedicated to reviewing movies that deal with mazes and labyrinths. You may be surprised that there are over 100 maze movies ! Some of the best movies ever made are maze movies (I submit my proof : The Top 12 Best Maze / Labyrinth Movies of all time).

I did a search to see what people wanted to know about mazes, then I answered each question in one blog post.

I had never made many circle mazes before and wanted to explore them and practice making them. This long post is a result of that project. Includes a bit of a case study and some templates so you can make your own circle maze.

I pulled together 6 different maze types into a booklet that is available for download for free. Each of the mazes is difficult and a challenge to solve.

I am not the only website that features free printable mazes. This updated list includes this site, and many other similar sites if you like mazes like I do !

This post pulls together all of my maze case studies, and is continually updated with new content as I write new posts. If you are a fan of maze design or graphic design concepts this is the maze post for you.

Despite the longer time to design and create them I am a big fan of pipe mazes. Why ? Well, most of the ones I design have no dead ends, instead relying on loops to confuse and frustrate the solver. I hope this maze does just that ! Can be found in it’s own largest pipe section also. Was a follow-up to the much larger Largest Arrow Maze in the World (probably).