Every winter, a handful of city squares, parks and palace courtyards freeze over and become the most joyful places in town. This guide rounds up the best ice skating rinks for 2026, from the sunken rink beneath the Rockefeller Christmas tree to a skating ribbon that winds through the pines in Chicago, a courtyard rink in London and ice paths under Vienna’s City Hall.

Every season date below was checked against the rink’s own website or its official operator in late October 2026, and where a rink publishes its prices, we say so and name the source. Most of these rinks now run on timed, book-ahead tickets, so the single best tip is simple: reserve your session before you travel, especially for December weekends.

The 2026-27 season at a glance

New York City: three icons within a few subway stops

The Rink at Rockefeller Center — New York City

The most famous sheet of ice in the world opened its 90th season on October 10, 2026, and skates through March 27, 2027. The small sunken rink sits below Rockefeller Plaza in the glow of the golden Prometheus statue, and from December 2, when the 2026 Christmas tree is lit, every lap comes with a view of it. Sessions are timed at 60 minutes, and Rockefeller Center lists general skate tickets from $22 on its official site, with skate rental extra and prices rising on peak dates. Book the earliest morning slot for the quietest ice, or come in January and February for the same setting with a fraction of the December crowd. Pairing the skate with the tree, the Winter Village and the Dyker Heights lights? Our Christmas in New York 2026 guide pulls the whole trip together.

The Rink at Bryant Park — New York City

The centerpiece of the Bank of America Winter Village is a 17,000-square-foot rink that runs October 28, 2026 to February 28, 2027, open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and until midnight from November 19 to January 3. Bryant Park is New York’s only free-admission rink: bring your own skates and you skate for $0, although a timed reservation is still required. If you need rentals, Bryant Park lists them from $18.72 to $64.48 depending on the date and session, so a weekday morning is the budget move. The Holiday Shops circle the ice until January 3, which makes this the easiest rink to combine with gift shopping and a hot chocolate at The Lodge.

Wollman Rink — New York City

Wollman Rink has been Central Park’s skating home since 1950, and its 2026-27 season runs daily from October 28, 2026 to March 16, 2027, per the rink’s official site. You skate on a big, open sheet in the park’s southeast corner with the Midtown skyline rising over the trees. The official price list sets adult admission by day type, at $16 off-peak, $28 peak and $40 prime, with skate rental at $12, children at $12 and under-3s free. Everyone entering, skaters and spectators alike, signs a waiver, and the rink runs free Community Days through the season, so check the calendar before you pay. Note that Monday and Tuesday sessions end mid-afternoon; weekends run latest.

Chicago: the skating ribbon

Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon — Chicago

Instead of laps around an oval, Chicago’s favorite rink is a quarter-mile ribbon of ice that curves and gently rises and falls through Maggie Daley Park, looping the climbing walls and a stand of pine trees with the downtown skyline as a backdrop. The Chicago Park District opens the ribbon on November 13, 2026, and it runs to March 7, 2027. Reservations are required and are released in blocks on the park district’s site, with the first block opening November 2. Choose Chicago lists skating at $5 when you bring your own skates and $17 to $23 with skate rentals included. Because the ice is resurfaced between sessions, arrive for the start of your booked session to get the full skate.

Philadelphia: City Hall as a backdrop

Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink at Dilworth Park — Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s only downtown seasonal rink returns to Dilworth Park, on the west side of City Hall, from November 13, 2026 through February 21, 2027. The Center City District, which runs the park, has set admission at $10 for adults and $8 for children 10 and younger, with skate rentals at $11, for timed 90-minute sessions that are best reserved in advance. The rink shares the park with the Wintergarden, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market and the heated Rothman Cabin, where skaters thaw out by the fire pits. It is one of the best-value big-city rinks on this list, and the City Hall tower makes every photo look like a postcard.

Detroit: America’s top-voted rink

The Rink at Campus Martius Park — Detroit

Downtown Detroit’s rink was voted the No. 1 Best Ice Skating Rink in the country in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards in both 2024 and 2025, and its 2026-27 season begins November 21, 2026, the morning after the downtown tree lighting. The Downtown Detroit Partnership runs the rink seven days a week, holidays included, with published hours through March 7, 2027. The 7,200-square-foot rink sits on Woodward Avenue under the city’s Christmas tree and skyline, and it regularly hosts performance skating alongside public sessions. Tickets are sold online, by phone and at the rink on a first-come basis, so holiday weekends reward planners.

Washington, DC: skating among the sculptures

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink, National Gallery of Art — Washington, DC

On the National Mall, the National Gallery of Art turns its Sculpture Garden fountain into a rink of more than 9,500 square feet, ringed by monumental works by artists including Alexander Calder and Louise Bourgeois. The 2026-27 season opens November 23, 2026 and runs to March 7, 2027, weather permitting, with hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sessions start every hour on the hour and last 45 minutes, and the Gallery’s posted fee, $15 for skaters 13 and older and $12 for ages 12 and under, over-60s, military and students with ID, covers two back-to-back sessions. Skate rentals are available separately, lessons run through the Washington Elite Skating School, and the rink closes on December 25 and January 1. The Pavilion Café next door handles the hot drinks.

San Francisco: holiday ice under the palms

Safeway Holiday Ice Rink at Union Square — San Francisco

San Francisco’s downtown holiday rink returns for its 19th season from November 4, 2026 to January 18, 2027, at 333 Post Street in Union Square. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with hour-long sessions starting every 90 minutes, and tickets are sold in advance through the rink’s official site. The setting is pure San Francisco: a big Christmas tree, the square’s palm trees and department-store windows all around the ice. The season calendar leans into themed skating, with the long-running Drag on Ice and Silent Skate nights, Flashback Fridays, and the Polar Bear Skate on New Year’s Day, when showing up in a swimsuit over your warmest layers is the whole point.

London: a courtyard classic

Skate at Somerset House — London

London’s most beautiful rink fills the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Courtyard at Somerset House, where an 18th-century facade and a 40-foot Christmas tree frame the ice. The 2026 season runs November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027, closed on Christmas Day, with 45-minute sessions through the day and DJ-led Skate Lates on selected evenings. Somerset House lists tickets from £11 to £28.50 on its official site, and the cheapest sessions are the early off-peak ones in November and January. Entry to the courtyard itself is free, so non-skaters can still enjoy the tree, the rinkside bar and the festive food. December evenings sell out, so book well ahead, and build the day around the rest of the capital’s markets and light trails with our London Christmas markets and lights guide. One local note: the Canary Wharf rink is not operating in 2026-27, so do not plan a Docklands skate this winter.

Vienna: ice paths through the park

Vienna Ice World (Eistraum) at Rathausplatz — Vienna

Vienna does not build one rink; it builds an ice landscape. From November 13, 2026 to January 6, 2027, the Ice Dream at the Christmas Market lays roughly 3,000 square meters of ice paths through Rathauspark in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall, open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closing at 6:30 p.m. on December 24 and closed on December 31. After a short January pause, the full Viennese Ice Dream returns from January 22 to March 7, 2027, with more than 10,000 square meters across four linked rinks and romantic paths between the Rathaus and the Burgtheater, including the raised Sky Rink terrace. The official site notes rentals of some 2,000 pairs of pre-warmed skates, free helmets while stocks last, and a 10% discount on tickets booked online. For the markets that surround the ice, see our Vienna Christmas markets guide.

Beginner tips for your first skate

Start with the booking. Almost every rink on this list sells timed sessions, and the popular ones, Bryant Park, Maggie Daley and Somerset House among them, release or sell out their best slots early. Choose the first session of the day for the smoothest, freshly resurfaced ice and the smallest crowds, and arrive 30 minutes ahead to sign waivers, pick up rentals and lace up without rushing.

On the ice, bend your knees slightly, keep your weight over the middle of the blade, and take small marching steps rather than long strides at first. Stay near the rail for your first laps and let faster skaters have the middle. Most big rinks rent skate aids for children, and several, including the National Gallery rink and Wollman, offer lessons if you want a proper start. Finally, check the rink’s own site or social feed on the morning of your visit: outdoor ice closes for heavy rain, warm spells and storms, and every operator on this list posts same-day changes.

What to wear ice skating

Dress for movement and for falling over at least once. Wear layers you can adjust, because you will warm up fast: a base layer, a fleece or sweater, and a windproof jacket beats one heavy coat. Choose pants with some stretch, like soft-shell trousers or thick leggings, rather than stiff jeans, which get cold and soggy after a fall. Gloves are the most important item on the list, since your hands will meet the ice; waterproof ones are ideal. One pair of tall, snug socks is better than two pairs, which bunch up and cause blisters. Add a hat or headband, keep scarves short or tucked in so they cannot catch, zip your phone into an inside pocket, and use the rink’s lockers for everything else. If you are bringing children, a helmet is a sensible extra; Vienna’s Ice World hands them out free while stocks last.

FAQs

What is the most famous ice skating rink in the world?

The Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City is the one most people picture first: a small rink in a sunken plaza under the Rockefeller Christmas tree and the Prometheus statue. It opened in 1936 and began its 90th season on October 10, 2026, running through March 27, 2027, with timed 60-minute sessions and tickets listed from $22 on the official site.

Which of these ice rinks is free?

Bryant Park in New York is free to skate if you bring your own skates, though you still need to reserve a timed session in advance. Elsewhere, the cheapest options on this list are Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, at $5 with your own skates according to Choose Chicago, and Wollman Rink’s free Community Days, which appear on its official calendar through the season.

Do I need to book ice skating tickets in advance for winter 2026-27?

For most of these rinks, yes. Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Wollman Rink, Maggie Daley, Somerset House, Union Square and Dilworth Park all sell timed sessions online, and December weekends and evenings routinely sell out. Maggie Daley releases its reservations in blocks about two weeks ahead, so set a reminder rather than hoping for walk-up space.

When does the 2026 ice skating season start and end?

Rockefeller Center opens first, on October 10, 2026, followed by Bryant Park and Wollman Rink on October 28. Most rinks open through November. The longest seasons run into March 2027: Rockefeller skates to March 27, Wollman to March 16, and Maggie Daley, Campus Martius and the National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden rink all close on March 7, weather permitting.

Can beginners and children skate at these rinks?

Yes. Every rink here offers skate rentals, and most rent skate aids for children and run learn-to-skate lessons, including the National Gallery rink’s skating school in Washington, DC, and Skate School sessions at Somerset House. Pick an early, quiet session, dress in layers with gloves, and stay near the rail for the first laps.