The Most Beautiful Ice Rinks In New York
New York is a city that can be visited at any time of the year, but which is completely transformed with the approach of Christmas and the end of the year. New York’s skating rinks are among the city’s most popular attractions during this period.
If you are planning a trip to New York between October and March, you will undoubtedly have the opportunity to visit one of the large skating rinks open to the public. If you don’t know when to go to New York yet and you want to enjoy winter and the atmosphere of the end of the year celebrations, now is the perfect time!
Rockefeller Center Ice Rink
Rockefeller Center is an iconic place in Manhattan, and even more so during the holiday season, since it is here that one of the most famous Christmas trees in the world (and the tallest in New York) is located. : the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
It is on Rockefeller Plaza, at the foot of the Comcast Building, the largest building in the complex, that thousands of people come every year to skate under an absolutely enchanting Christmas decor. Since 1936, this rink has been set up every year, and today it has truly become a symbol of Manhattan.
It’s not the biggest New York rink you’ll find, nor the cheapest, but this is where you need to ice skate if you want to have a lasting memory of your time in New York. York. And there’s no need to wait for winter to enjoy the ice, since this rink opens most of the time from the first half of October.
You can also take advantage of your visit to visit one of New York’s other major attractions: the Top of the Rock observatory. This panoramic observatory is located at the top of the Comcast Building, and you can admire a breathtaking view of Manhattan and the city, which is even more beautiful when its streets are decorated for Christmas.
Practical Information On The Rockefeller Center Ice Rink
To be able to use the Rockefeller Center ice rink, you will have to go to the Skate House, a tent located in front of the entrance to the ice rink and which you will have no trouble finding. It is not necessary to book, although you will sometimes have to wait up to an hour because the ice rink is of course very popular, especially between November and until the first days of the new year.
The entrance is accessible from 8:30 a.m. to midnight. By buying a ticket, you will get the right to skate for 90 minutes, and your turn will come the next session.
The price of this ticket is not fixed: it varies according to the crowd. The base price is $25, but you will have to pay $28 during school holidays, for example. During peak times, the price can soar as high as $33. For children 10 and under, however, the price is set at $15. Note that in addition to the ticket price, you will need to add $13 for skate rental.
Finally, you will even have the possibility of taking a skating lesson with a teacher for $50 per hour. These courses are accessible every day between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Rockefeller Center ice rink is one of the best known New York ice rinks, along with the one in Central Park.
Central Park Ice Rink (Wollman Rink)
This is the second most famous skating rink in New York, and arguably the most beautiful. In the southeast ofCentral Park, from October or November, the Wollman ice rink will allow you to skate in a magnificent setting while enjoying a very nice view of the city’s tall buildings.
Every year since 1949, New Yorkers have had the chance to enjoy this skating rink, which you’ve surely seen in a romantic comedy or in a Christmas movie. Unlike the Rockefeller Center ice rink, this one is very large; it will therefore be more suitable for beginners, who will have more space to evolve on the ice.
Practical Information On The Central Park Skating Rink
To reach Wollman Rink, you can enter Central Park from the intersection between 5th Avenue and 64th Street. The rink is open:
- Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
- Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
- Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.,
- Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Prices vary depending on the day of the week:
- Monday through Thursday, admission is $12 for adults, $6 for children under 11, and $5 for people over 65.
- From Friday to Sunday, as well as holidays, the ticket costs $19 for adults, $6 for children and $9 for seniors.
Only cash payments are accepted, and you will also have to pay $15 for skate rental and for the coat check.
For me, it’s my favorite among New York ice rinks. The scenery around will be simply amazing when you are skating. You will truly be in the heart of New York!
Bryant Park Skating Rink
In Bryant Park, during the late fall and holiday season, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Bank of America Winter Village. In addition to its shops, the main attraction of this winter village is its superb and very large ice rink. You will be able to skate in a superb setting that has little to envy that of Central Park, and you will not even have to pay an entrance ticket.
Regular ice shows are also held on the Bryant Park ice rink. A few steps away, you can discover the Bryant Park Christmas Market, one of the most popular and charming markets in New York, with its small glass chalets. You can find there many shops of merchants and craftsmen from all over the world.
Practical Information On The Bryant Park Ice Rink
The ice rink is open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. You won’t need to buy a ticket to skate, however skate rentals are more expensive than at other rinks in town. This is not a backdoor way to charge admission (or at least not completely), since the skates provided are genuinely of a higher quality and better maintained than those you will be provided with elsewhere. Depending on the period, the price for ice skate rental varies between $18 and $33.
Chelsea Piers Ice Rink
Chelsea Piers is a sports complex located, as its name suggests, in Manhattan, in the Chelsea district, on the shore of the Hudson River. You can go to this complex all year round, to practice a large number of sports activities. The place includes a fitness center, a bowling alley, basketball courts, football pitches, and “ batting cages ” where you can try your hand at baseball.
Between October and February, an ice rink is also installed at Chelsea Piers. It’s not the most beautiful rink in town, but it’s the ideal place if you want to learn how to hold on to your skates to fully enjoy your sessions on the other rinks. On the Sky Rink, you can take skating lessons, try your hand at ice hockey and even take freestyle lessons to learn how to do artistic tricks.
Practical Information On The Chelsea Piers Ice Rink
Open sessions on the rink cost $28.50 for 50 minutes, and $35 for 80 minutes. These prices include equipment rental. On public holidays, it is even possible to benefit from a reduced rate, and to skate 50 minutes for $22 and 80 minutes for $25.
Between October and February, free sessions are organised:
- Monday from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
- Tuesday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
- Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.,
- Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Brookfield Place Ice Rink
If you want to be able to enjoy a great view of New York Bay and the Statue of Liberty, the Brookfield Place skating rink is what you need. It is open every year from the beginning of November to the beginning of March.
This relatively small open-air rink is far from the busiest in town. You will therefore be able to fully enjoy your skating session while admiring the Manhattan Skyline, without having to wait for your turn. The rates are also more affordable than those of Manhattan’s most popular skating rinks.
Practical Information About The Brookfield Place Ice Rink
The rink is in lower Manhattan, right next to the World Trade Center. It is open Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and on weekends from 10:15 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The 90-minute session will only cost you $15, to which you will still have to add $5 for skate rental.