Outdoor ice rinks are a fun and festive way to celebrate the season with friends and family. They’re perfect for dialing up the winter vibes and offer skating fun for all ages, plus the sort of extras that elevate ice-skating from pure exercise to a properly fun day out. Think decadent hot chocolate served rink side, bumper car action, and even ice-skating at the beach.
You don’t have to be in a cold-weather climate to find them, either. Advances in technology have allowed some of the best outdoor ice rinks in the U.S. to be constructed in destinations as warm and sunny as San Diego. Reservations are often required, but tickets and skate rentals can usually be purchased ahead of time, leaving more time to get out on the ice. Whether you’re looking for something close to home or want to add a trip around the rink to your winter vacation plans, here are the top outdoor ice-skating rinks to consider this holiday season.Â
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1. The Meritage Ice Rink
Napa, California
A session of skating at the Meritage Ice Rink (open this year from November 25, 2025, through January 4, 2026) at Napa Valley’s Meritage Resort and Spa might just convince you that wine isn’t the only drink Napa should be known for. Deliciously decadent hot chocolate from the lawn bar is the perfect way to kick back after skating to your heart’s content. Want to dial up the fun? Reserve a private firepit for roasting s’mores or a rink-side igloo to warm up and refuel after a skating session.Â
2. McCormick Tribune Ice Rink
Chicago, Illinois
Operating every winter for more than two decades, Chicago’s McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park (open this year from November 21, 2025, through early February, weather permitting) doubles its fun with the reflection of the rink in the famed Cloud Gate (a.k.a. “The Bean”) sculpture. Offering one of the best deals in town, skating is free if you bring your own skates (a reservation is still required). Or, for a nominal fee, you can rent skates.
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On Saturday and Sunday mornings, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) hosts free skating lessons (reservations required). Skaters can warm up after skating with hot drinks and snacks from Momentum Coffee, located right next to the outdoor rink.
3. Skating by the Sea at The Hotel del Coronado
San Diego, California
The Hotel del Coronado isn’t just one of the country’s best hotels for families. It’s also home to the Skating by the Sea ice rink (open November 21, 2025, through January 4, 2026), which lets you experience the best of the beach and winter.
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Head out for a festive day on the ice with a sandy beach backdrop complete with swaying palm trees. Upgrade the experience by booking a private rink-side lounge with a roaring firepit and full food and drink service. A portion of the tickets sales for Hotel del Coronado’s Skating By the Sea support Make-A-Wish San Diego.
4. The Providence Rink
Providence, Rhode Island
There is truly something for everyone at The Providence Rink. In addition to ice-skating, you can buckle up and take to the ice in bumper cars, which you can reserve for partial-rink use during select public skate periods or full-rink use during non-public skate time. The Providence Rink is the first outdoor rink to host these cars, which move in all directions and have a 360-degree turn radius. The rink will be open for the winter 2025-26 season in late November, weather permitting.
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Novice skaters can enlist the help of instructors with the Learn-to-Skate program. And for both little and big kids, there are skate aids in the form of penguins or snowmen. The outdoor ice rink also offers a season pass for individuals and families who want to ice-skate all winter long.
5. Frog Pond on the Boston Common
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Common is America’s oldest public park, and ice-skating at the frozen Frog Pond (which usually opens around Thanksgiving) is a time-honored tradition for Bostonians and visitors to enjoy this charming open space. It’s hard to imagine a more picturesque spot to twirl and glide for an afternoon or evening.
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And the outdoor rink’s central location makes it easy to squeeze in a few laps around the sparkling ice as you take a break from Boston’s many charms. Skate rentals and skating aids are available for daily public skates, and warm drinks like hot cocoa are served rink-side to help you stay warm.
6. The Rink at Rockefeller Center
New York, New York
Sure, it’s overcrowded and over-touristy, but there’s still no better way to enjoy the winter holidays in New York City than gliding around the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. Skating under the lights of the glittering Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a holiday tradition. Add to the experience with a 40-minute reservation in an après skate chalet complete with food and beverage service and commemorative photos.
