The best places to go ice-skating in NYC

The Rink is open every day from 9am until midnight through April. To have your moment with the bronze gilded statue of the Greek legend Prometheus, a ticket costs you $20-$54 to skate during the holiday season. One thing's for sure, whether the weather is frigid or balmy, nothing stands in the way of New Yorkers and their time on the ice. Fun fact: The attraction, which first opened on Christmas Day in 1936, was meant to be temporary, but it has stood the test of time to become one of the most coveted things to do in New York, especially during the holidays. 

If you want to eat, shop and go ice-skating all in one-go, The Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park is the spot. The 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink is still free and open late, however, you’ll still have to shell out $15 to rent skates (or BYO). Reservations and skate rentals must be made in advance online (rental prices change depending the day and time) this year, and fewer skaters will be on the ice at one time, which is good for skaters looking for a less hectic time on the ice. It’s a veritable winter wonderland: After your time on the ice, warm up with hot chocolate at the new The Lodge Deck rinkside.

Ahh, is there anything more picturesque than Prospect Park during the fall and winter? We have a feeling you’ll be spending a lot of time there this season, particularly for the park’s massive arena, which transforms from roller rink to ice haven come wintertime. From outdoor and indoor ice-skating and figure skating to hockey, curling and broomball, there’s plenty of sports to try. And the walk through the park’s foliage is worth the price in admission. Ice skating starts at $12 per person with skate rentals for $8.71. You can reserve your 90-minute session ahead of time online.

Go ice skating at the Brooklyn Children's Museum on the museum's rooftop ice rink ArtRink that spans 3,200 square feet! Operating from 10 am-5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 2pm-5pm on Thursdays and Fridays, the eco-friendly skating rink by Glice, is specially designed for skaters of all ages and skills. While on-site, young guests can also enjoy festive music while exploring a mini-village of winter playhouses, a magical blue Ice Cave climbing structure and stroll through the Winter Woodland Walk with their families under forested archways, lit up and decorated with festive greenery and garlands of evergreen and red berries. The large arch in the center offers a picture-perfect place for a family photo. The Rainbow Lounge provides another cool spot to snap a pick or chill out. Have a seat on one of the light-up chairs or ice cube benches, which can be used to build or play. Leave a message to your future along the large chalkboard wall (with a swanky branded neon sign) for all to see.  Visitors can book Skate & Play tickets, which include one hour of skate time and full access to BCM exhibits. Adults and children over the age of one year are $23 per person, which includes 50 minutes of ice skating and full access to the Museum before/after your skate time.

There’s no need to wait until winter to glide across the two NHL-size rinks at this megacomplex—they’re open year-round for general skating as well as hockey and figure skating. Unlike most indoor ice arenas, this one doesn’t feel like a cave; ample windows afford sweeping views of the Hudson River to the west. You can book a freestyle skate session, which you can book here. Skate rentals and its rink locker rooms are not available this year.

This sizable outdoor rink is open to the public Friday through Sunday and has a roof to prevent December snows and April showers alike from raining on your Ice Capades. And since Riverbank State Park overlooks the Hudson, you’ll have nice views of the river and the George Washington Bridge as a backdrop. You could even stop by Sofrito, which is on the premises, after a brisk day of skating. It costs just $5 ($3 for kids) to skate unless you need to rent skates, which costs $6. 

New Yorkers looking forward to ice-skating should expect a different experience than what they're accustomed to at Wollman Rink. For one thing, the rink will no longer be operated by the Trump Organization but the Wollman Park Partners LLC. This means there have been updates to the rink including a side-rink cafe that will be serving, among other offerings, hot dogs (even vegan ones!), burgers, tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches and more. It all starts on Sunday, November 14, for the season. Braving the crowds is worth it for the priceless Central Park scenery—it's $14 to skate during the week, $23 to skate on the weekends, and $11 to rent skates.

This seaside rink keeps people flocking to the area even after Coney Island's theme parks have closed. The 40-year-old venue began its life as the Ravenhall Baths, a saltwater swimming pool that was quite the Coney Island hotspot in its day. It was destroyed by fire in 1963, after which the space was converted into a destination for the heavily sweatered and uncoordinated. It's $10 to skate and $5 per skate rental.

Need some skating tips before you attempt to navigate Manhattan’s obstacle-ridden ice? Head to this Queens arena, where dozens of weekly classes are available in addition to daily open sessions. If you need to refuel after all that gliding, the World Ice Cafe serves rinkside grub during most public skating hours. Admission is $7 for weekdays and $10 for weekends (starting at 7pm on Fridays) and holidays and skate rental is $6. You must register online before you arrive to skate.

World Ice’s sister arena has the added benefit of a second, smaller skating area for spillover. The five boroughs’ only rooftop rink, it stretches to NHL size under a weatherproof air dome. (If it’s good enough to withstand Canadian temperatures, it can handle the wussy NYC winter.) The additional rink—made of synthetic material—gives smelly adult-leaguers a place to practice their hockey stops while you enjoy your leisurely laps. Right now, public skate sessions are on Sundays between 11:40am and 2:20pm. It's $12 $7 to skate and skate rental is $8. You must register online before showing up to skate.

Located on the plaza in front of the erstwhile World Financial Center Winter Garden (it's now called Brookfield Place Winter Garden), this rink brings a much-needed cold-weather option to the seasonally popular outdoor spot overlooking the North Cove Marina. At 7,350 square feet, it's even bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. A single session (for 60 minutes) is $15 and renting skates is just $5. Just register online to book your session when it opens later in November.