Everyone knows winter in Chicago can feel brutal — the low temperatures and chill coming off Lake Michigan will make you realize that politicians can’t take all the credit for its “ Windy City” nickname. However, besides the justification for pressing “add to cart” on that Canada Goose down jacket you always wanted, the serious upsides to the snowy weather in this Midwest capital inspire residents to head outdoors despite the wind’s icy sting. Once the weather turns, Ice skating rinks, perhaps the best winter benefit of all, open for the holiday season (and beyond) across the city. Whether you seek a classic urban snowscape, or a rink worthy of flexing your hockey game skills, our list presents the best places to lace up and take to the ice throughout Chicago.
Related: What to Know About Moving from Boston to Chicago
Where to Ice Skate in Chicago
McCormick Tribune Ice Rink
Address: 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Neighborhood: New Eastside
Rental Skate Cost: $16 (Monday – Thursday) and $20 (Friday through Sunday and holidays)
Open Skate Fee: Free, but online reservations required
Probably the most famous rink in all of Chi-Town, if not the entire country, you’ll feel nostalgic as soon as you strap on your skates and step onto the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. Located downtown in Millennium Park, right next to the breathtaking city Christmas tree and iconic sculpture, The Bean, every turn of this rink will leave you awestruck with views of the Chicago skyline. Thus, it makes sense that the rink was heavily featured in the 2005 Nicolas Cage film, The Weather Man, not to mention in the various TikTok and Instagram feeds of the over 100,000 skaters it attracts each year. While the scenery may be jaw-dropping, with free admission, the price is most certainly not. Plus, with the rink open through mid-March, you can glide your way across the ice well past the holiday season.
Fifth Third Arena
Address: 1801 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60612
Neighborhood: Illinois Medical District
Rental Skate Cost: $5
Open Skate Fee: $12
Diehard Chicago Blackhawks fans can live their dreams of skating on the same ice as the six-time Stanley Cup-winning NHL team by taking to the rink at the Fifth Third Arena. This 125,000-square-foot arena functions as the pre-season practice space for the Blackhawks and comes complete with a skills studio room — i.e. the hockey equivalent of a batting cage, where the players can practice taking it all the way to the net. But, even for those whose professional hockey knowledge derives from repeated viewings of The Mighty Ducks, there’s still lots to enjoy about this facility. In addition to their offerings of beginner hockey classes, youth and adult hockey leagues, community programming, and family fun skate nights, they offer public skating times almost every day of the week.
The Peninsula Sky Rink
Address: 108 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile
Rental Skate Cost: $20 for adults and $10 for children
Open Skate Fee: Free
Take your ice dreams sky high —- four stories high, that is — by figure-eighting your way over to The Peninsula Sky Rink at the famous Peninsula Hotel. You don’t need to reserve a room at this world-renowned, Magnificent Mile-adjacent spot to lace up your skates on their fourth-floor, rooftop skating rink, which opens in late November. Alongside the views of people performing pirouettes and triple-axels, this rink also allows you to glimpse gorgeous vistas of Michigan Avenue and the bustling city below. After you burn some energy on the ice, you can warm up with hot chocolate, cider, and various snacks available for purchase. The best part? All of the money raised at the hotel’s donation-based, skate-rentals counter goes directly to two great, local charities: the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Hephzibah Children’s Association.
Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon
Address: 337 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Neighborhood: New Eastside
Rental Skate Cost: $17-$19 (Monday through Thursday) and $21-$23 (Friday through Sunday and holidays)
Open Skate Fee: Free on Monday through Thursday and before 11am on weekends/holidays, $5 after that
Considering Chicago’s winter weather, the only option for hitting a lazy river might be to find one that’s frozen, which aptly describes the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon. Twice the length of a normal lap around your typical rink, the skating ribbon will take you and your skates on a winding journey through an interactive and sensory playscape of pines and snow-capped mountains, all of it set amidst the landscape of the stunning Chicago skyline. A prominent design firm thought up the unusual quarter-mile-long format, and its unique features, elevation changes, and 40-foot climbing wall make it evident you’ve never experienced a rink quite like this one before. However non-traditional the rink may be, with mugs of hot chocolate available for purchase on-site, you can still end your skate with the customary winter beverage.
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