Winter just isn’t winter without ice-skating in New York City. And most of the City’s rinks will be operating this season, meaning there is plenty of opportunity to be outdoors in the crisp air and circling the ice under the stars. You can do so at some of the City’s top landmarks: Rockefeller Center and Prospect Park, for a start.
Read on for details of the ice-skating rinks open near you. At press time, some details were still to be confirmed; check back for late-breaking updates and additions, and contact the venues ahead of any plans you make to confirm requirements and specifics and to reserve your time on the ice.
Manhattan
Where: Colonels Row, Governors Island
When: December 17–TBD
Price: $11 (free admission on Fridays), skate rental $8
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this winter, Governors Island will be home to an ice-skating rink as well as other cold-weather attractions (fire pits, sled rentals, hot chocolate and the like). It’s all a reminder that the harbor getaway has become a year-round destination—a first since it opened for public use back in 2005.
Where: 250 Vesey St., at North End Ave.
When: Mid-November 2021–TBD
Price: $15 per single session (60 minutes); skate rental $5
This is your best downtown bet for open-air ice-skating, scenically located right by the Hudson River in Battery Park City and not far from Lower Manhattan’s Oculus and World Trade Center. You can book public sessions and private or semi-private lessons (with an Olympian, if you like). Brookfield Place also offers ample dining and shopping options, so you can grab a bite and buy some holiday gifts too.
Where: 385 Ninth Ave., Manhattan
When: November 29–March 27
Price: $20 (60-minute session), skate rental $5
Debuting in 2021, this rink is part of the new Manhattan West development, sandwiched between retail-heavy Hudson Yards and sports-oriented Madison Square Garden. That’s fitting, because at one of the rink is the NHL Store, so you can take home hockey paraphernalia after some loops around the ice. Like at its sister Brookfield Properties spot downtown, the rink offers private lessons and the chance to skate with Olympians—plus a few holiday “Skate with Santa” sessions.
Rink at Rockefeller Center. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Where: Between Fifth and Sixth Aves. and 49th and 50th Sts., Manhattan
When: November 6–TBD
Price: Adults $20–$54 depending on date and time; children under 5 $8–$22 depending on date and time
The Rink at Rockefeller Center is the world’s most famous ice-skating rink and a can’t-miss New York City experience, conveniently located steps from Times Square and the Theatre District. The rink is open beginning the first week of November, and some dates are already sold out.
Where: Between Fifth and Sixth Aves. and 40th and 42nd Sts., Midtown Manhattan
When: October 29–March 6
Price: Free; skate rental $15–45, depending on time and day
The rink is the centerpiece of Bryant Park’s winter season, which also includes the annual Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. The rink offers free admission for ice-skating; high-quality rental skates; and ice shows, special events and other activities daily from late October to early March. Note that the rink may be closed for special events; check the calendar at
Where: 679 Riverside Dr., enter at West 145th Street
When: Late October 2021–March 2022 (dates tentative and weather permitting)
Price: Adults $5, kids 12 and under $3; skate rental $6
Riverbank, in Hamilton Heights, is the only state park in Manhattan; it offers incredible river views across to New Jersey, gorgeous vistas of the George Washington Bridge and a nicely tucked away place to glide on the ice. The season starts once it’s cold enough to make ice; contact the rink for details on public sessions.
Where: East side of Central Park, at 63rd Street
When: November 15—TBD
Price: Adults $14–23, kids 11 and under $6; skate rental $11
This popular longtime skating rink, located in Central Park, is under new management and is reopening with a number of enhancements, including food and drink from Melba Wilson, owner of
Brooklyn
Where: Courtyard 5/6, Industry City, 35th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, Brooklyn
When: Thursdays–Sundays, November 19–TBD (early 2022)
Price: $12, skate rental $10
Sunset Park’s redeveloped warehouse district has an open-air ice rink right outside a game room and an outdoor bar, making it a good destination for families and (early evening) date nights. It’s a smallish surface, but you might find it less crowded than some of the big-name Manhattan alternatives.
Lakeside, Prospect Park. Photo: Michael Moran
Where: Prospect Park, near Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Road entrance
When: November 2021–early April 2022
Price: Weekdays $8; weekends and holidays $12; skate rental $8
Prospect Park’s Lefrak Center at Lakeside has a pair of rinks for skating (one open air, one covered); and even if you don’t want to get out on the ice, you might still enjoy the views.
Courtesy, William Vale
Where: 111 N. 12th St., Williamsburg
When: November 2021–early 2022 (exact dates TBD)
Price: Adults $20, kids 12 and under $12
The William Vale, a hotel in Williamsburg, has an open-air rooftop rink 23 floors high, with a synthetic-ice surface and great views. Skating here requires reservations; drinks and snacks will be available in a chalet-inspired setting surrounding the rink.
Queens
Where: 47-32 32nd Pl., Long Island City, Queens
When: Year-round
Price: Set by coaches
Locals and visitors have a new place to skate—and it’s on a rooftop in Long Island City. City Ice Pavilion is a massive, world-class skating facility with an NHL-size ice rink that's open year-round for open skating sessions. The Queens facility offers public and private learn-to-skate classes, as well as hockey for tots, youths and adults. Birthday parties and special-events-planning opportunities are also available.
Courtesy, World Ice Arena
Where: 131-04 Meridian Rd., Flushing, Queens
When: Year-round
Price: Weekdays $7; holidays and weekends $10 (starting at 7pm Friday); skate rental $6
This architecturally breathtaking arena hosts it all, from hockey games to private skating lessons and events such as Halloween parties, where locals show up in costume and take turns whirling around the rink.
Staten Island
Where: 3080 Arthur Kill Rd., Tottenville
When: Year-round
Price: Adults $14, kids $12; skate rental $7
Staten Island’s only year-round ice-skating rink offers open ice hockey games and private skating lessons, though public skating hours are somewhat limited; those sessions take place Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons and evenings and Sunday afternoons, as well as most holidays.