Ice skating in Madison: free city rinks, indoor arenas and where to rent skates

Free outdoor rinks and lagoons

Madison Parks offers free skating at 20 rinks and designated lagoons in 14 parks. The city lists these parks:

• Door Creek, Elver, Goodman, Heritage Heights, Hillington Green, Nakoma, Olbrich, Rennebohm, Sunset, Westmorland and Wexford, with rinks.
• Tenney and Warner, with frozen lagoons.
• Vilas (Henry) Park, with a lagoon and a rink.

See the parks directory for Tenney Park, Henry Vilas Park, Elver Park, Olbrich Park, Warner Park and Door Creek Park. Rinks open only once the ice is safe, so check the city's rink status page before you go.

When they open

The city doesn't publish opening dates, because a rink or lagoon opens only after a careful assessment of the ice. Rinks and lagoons close when meltwater is visible, to prevent longer closures from damaged ice. The city's advice is to check the status online or call before you skate. The Parks Division line, 608-266-4711, is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On weekends, holidays and after hours, the number for Park Rangers is 608-235-0448.

The city also thanks volunteers and its Adopt Ice Partnership for helping keep rinks in shape.

Warming pavilions, rentals and loaner skates

Warming pavilions at Door Creek, Elver, Tenney and Vilas are staffed only when the rink is open. The city lists these usual hours, which may change with the weather:

• Wednesday through Friday, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Warming shelters typically stay open through early to mid-February, and rinks may stay open longer if the ice holds. The city rents skates by the hour, and hockey sticks at Elver, Tenney and Vilas. Rates are on its ice skating page.

If you don't own skates, the city has free loaner skates at Olbrich, Rennebohm, Warner and Westmorland parks. Sizes and quantities are limited, you borrow them from inside the warming shelter, and you return them before leaving the park.

Hockey and house rules

Groomed hockey rinks with boards are at Elver, Tenney, Westmorland and Vilas. On other rinks, the city says hockey may be played only when no other skaters are present, since those rinks are meant for general skating.

Bikes and pets, including well-behaved dogs, are never allowed on the rinks or lagoons. Heading out on a lake instead is a different matter. Our ice fishing guide covers ice safety on area lakes.

Indoor public skating

Indoor arenas keep a schedule that doesn't depend on the weather. Session times and admission change by season, so use each arena's own schedule.

• Sub-Zero Ice Center at UW-Madison's Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center (1976 Observatory Dr.) lists public skate, freestyle skate, stick and puck, open hockey and ice dance. Skate, locker and helmet rentals are available, and a skate pass covers unlimited open sessions. Stick and puck and open hockey are for ages 18 and older. The rink's page links to daily schedules.
• Madison Ice Arena (725 Forward Dr.) posts its ice schedule through its website, madisoniceinc.com, and runs learn-to-skate programs. Its site doesn't list public skate times on its main page, so check the schedule link.
• Verona Ice Arena (451 E. Verona Ave.) lists public skating, freestyle and open hockey sessions, as well as learn-to-skate lessons, with a calendar of events on its site.
• McFarland Community Ice Arena has two sheets of ice and lists public open skates and learn-to-skate programs. Its ice schedule is on its website.

Verona says its rental skate supply is limited, so call ahead if you need them.

The Edgewater ice rink

The Edgewater hotel turns its Grand Plaza on the lakefront into an ice rink in winter. The hotel says The Icehouse, a rinkside pub and eatery, serves hot cocoa and food. Hours and rental rates are posted on the hotel's website, and they change, so look there before you go. Our date night guide mentions the rink too.

Learning to skate and gear

Learn-to-skate classes for kids and adults are offered at Madison Ice Arena, Verona Ice Arena and McFarland Community Ice Arena. Check each arena's site for registration windows. If you need your own skates, helmets or other gear, browse local sporting goods stores, or look for used gear at a thrift or vintage shop. Browse nearby ice rinks in our directory.