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Guide To Boston Area Figure Skating

- By Cristy Maldonado

Boston winters are long and cold, and the urge to stay indoors keeps most inside.  For the adventure seeking Bostonian, ice-skating is one of the best ways to get off of the sofa and out of the house.  Whether indoors or outdoors, this guide to Boston area ice skating will help you decide where to lace up and practice your figure eight.

Before You Skate

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation provides information about indoor and outdoor skating rinks by town.  If you're looking for rinks in our area, be sure to visit The DCR online for more information.

OUTDOOR

Frog Pond
(Photo Credit: Mark Hunt/bostonfrogpond.com)

Frog Pond

Address: Boston Common
Hours: Mondays (10 a.m.- 4p.m.), Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (10 a.m. -9 p.m.), Fridays and Saturdays (10 a.m.-10 p.m.), Sundays (10am-9 p.m.)
Admission: $5 (14 and older); Free (under 13); season passes are also available. Visit the website for more information.
Rentals: $9.00 Adults $5.00 Children
Website

Boston quintessential skating rink is the Frog Pond, and many will tell you that you're not officially a Bostonian if you haven't skated here.  Warm up while enjoying a hot chocolate from the concessions area and relaxing in the warming area.

Travel & Outdoors – A Guide to Boston Area Figure Skating – 12.31.11 - FaneuilHallRink_Tom OKeefe
Photo Credit: @BostonTweet/Tom O'Keefe

Faneuil Hall Rink

Address: 75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Children; $10 Family (2 adults, 2 children)
Rentals: $5 Adults, $3 Children; $10 Family (2 adults, 2 children)
Website

A recent addition to the outdoor skating rink scene, the Faneuil Hall Skating Rink is a great place to skate and people watch.  Complete with shopping, concessions, and restrooms, the skating rink is a great place to skate especially if you're looking for multiple activities in one location.

Kelly Outdoor Skating Rink

Address: 1 Marbury Terrace
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Hours:  Monday through Friday, and Sundays: 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.;
Saturdays: 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Rentals: $2

It's rare to find a skating rink offering free admission, but the Kelly Outdoor Skating Rink in Jamaica Plain has it.  Conveniently located near the Stonybrook T station, the rink is a great option.  A short walk down Boylston Street will take you to Centre Street, the artery of JP, where shopping, restaurants, and other conveniences abound.

T & O – A Guide to Boston Area Figure Skating – 12.31.11 - RinkatTheCharles
Photo Credit: Charles Hotel

Charles Hotel Skating Rink

Address: One Bennett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Hours and Admission: Please call – days and time vary depending on special events
Phone: (617) 864-1200
Website

If you're across the river, there's also a great outdoor skating rink at the Charles Hotel.  With its location in Harvard Square, there's no shortage of spots to warm up afterwards.

INDOOR

skating rink
(Photo Credit: DCR.gov)


Hours and Admission: Skating is free during specified hours.  Call for information.

Free indoor ice skating is even harder to find, but the Steriti Memorial Rink in the North End has it.  Some might say that there's no better place to ice skate given the number of cafes and pastries in this famous Italian neighborhood.

Simone Ice Rink
(Photo Credit: FM Ice Sports.com)


Hours: Call for Hours
Admission: $5
Rentals: $4

Located in East Cambridge near the Lechmere T station, this indoor, public skating facility is a great indoor option for Cambridge and Somerville residents.  Concessions are available onsite, and the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall is less than a mile away offering additional restaurant options and shopping.


Tuesday/Thursday: 1:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.;
Friday: 5 p.m.- 6:50 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday: 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
Admission: Skating is free during specified hours. Call for information.

Conveniently located between three MBTA Green Lines (B,C, and D), the Reilly Skating Rink offers free indoor skating and concessions. Restaurants are also located in the neighborhood.

Cristy is a Boston-based blogger in constant pursuit of fun activities in the city. Read more of her work at http://bostonurbansafari.blogspot.com

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