Skate on State, is just the tip of the iceberg for winter sports in the city. There are rinks all over town at city parks and Navy Pier.
Shoppers swamping stores the day after Thanksgiving mark the official start of Chicago’s winter. Trees bundled in tiny white lights glow, store windows spring to life with animatronic toys, and along State Street in the Loop’s barren Block 37, the day also marks the official opening of Skate on State.
But for weeks after the holiday shoppers put their charge cards on ice, the tiny lights are doused and the window displays are packed away, Skate on State continues to draw crowds to its huge rink.
Besides Skate on State, there are 11 city rinks, another at Navy Pier and countless flooded play-fields and ponds. Anyone can find a smooth surface for playing pickup hockey, practicing figure 8s or enjoying a few romantic circuits around the rink arm-in-arm.
Skate on State
For eight years, Skate on State at State and Randolph Streets has proved to be an ideal destination for family outings. It also provides a great shopping break and is a popular spot for lunchtime exercise among Loop workers (seeing someone in business attire with a pair of blades slung over the shoulder is not uncommon at mid-day).
Those without skates can rent a pair here for $3; the fee is $2 for children under 12. Admission to the regulation Olympic-sized rink (100 x 200 feet) is free, and it’s open 9 a.m.-7:15 p.m. daily through Feb. 27. On Thursdays, Skate on State’s “Late Skate” keeps the rink open until 9:45 p.m.
More than 350,000 folks visit Skate on State throughout the typical season, but the 20,000-square-foot expanse provides room for stumblers and show-offs alike. There are also frequent exhibitions by professional skaters, and free skating lessons for children ages 4-14 from 9-11 a.m. every Saturday. Call 312-744-3315 for details.
Around the rink, visitors can enjoy a display of decorations, and the refreshment stand keeps them going with hot chocolate, coffee and snacks.
Navy Pier
Just in front of the big Ferris wheel at Navy Pier is an 80- x 108-foot rink in a festive setting that allows great views of the city and Lake Michigan. It’s especially stunning in the evening. The big wheel lights up in all its grandeur as the sun fades behind the skyline (rides are $3). Officially open Nov. 21, the ice is available to skaters through mid-March.
Skate rental is $3.50 for adults, $3 for children under 12. The rink is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. On Christmas Eve, the rink is open until 5 p.m.; New Year’s Eve, until midnight.
If the chill gets to be too much, fast-food restaurants and refreshment stands are just inside. Booths sell hot chocolate, tea or coffee, plus hot pretzels, roasted nuts and churros. Full-service restaurants are also at the ready, but the blades have to be off.
Chicago Park District
The following neighborhood locations have ice rinks:
Caldwell Woods, 6358 W. Devon Ave. (Forest Glen/Sauganash)
McFetridge Sports Center, 3843 N. California Ave. (Irving Park/North Center)
Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave. (Montclare/Belmont Cragin/Brickyard)
Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.
Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 E. Randolph St. (Grant Park)
McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St.
Midway Plaisance, Woodlawn Avenue and 59th Street (Hyde Park/U of C/Kenwood)
Mount Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th St.
Avalon Park, 1215 E. 83rd St.
Rowan Park, 11546 S. Avenue L (Hegewisch/East Side)
Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave. (Rogers Park/Loyola)
Each rink is an Olympic-sized, refrigerated facility, so the skating is solid regardless of the weather. The McFetridge rink is indoors, so the ice is nice year-round.
Chicago Park District rinks offer public skating sessions in two-hour increments every afternoon and evening. General hours are 3-5 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 12:30-3:30 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Park District does encourage skaters to contact their local rink of choice to confirm hours and program scheduling, as they can vary from park to park. Throughout the day, they are used for park programs, reserved group skating parties, rat (open pickup) hockey and private events. There are also many skating and hockey-skills programs, as well as speed-skating competitions.
Contact the Chicago Park District at 312-742-7529 or 312-747-5283 for details.
Admission is free at most locations at most times, although some rinks charge a $2 admission fee during evening public sessions. Skate rental is also available for $3, but bring your own if possible because the rentals go quickly when the rinks get busy.
Many rinks also have snack stands with coffee and cocoa.
“These ice rinks give Chicagoans of all ages the opportunity to enjoy a popular sport as close as their own backyards,” Mayor Daley says. “By providing more access, we can encourage families to enjoy hours of fun and exercise in some of our most beautiful parks.”
