Winter means hot chocolate, festive markets and ice skating. But what are some of the best places to strap on skates around the country?
A new study by Online-Casinos.com analyzes dozens of ice skating rinks in the U.S. to find the best and most festive ones to visit this season. To come up with the ranking, the outlet looked at online reviews, Instagram buzz, Google searches and monetary value.
It's no surprise that New York reigns supreme when it comes to this winter tradition. Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park takes the top spot as the best rink in the country (and the world). Visitors love it for its long season, its holiday market and its midtown backdrop. It also racked up more than 700,000 combined Instagram posts and searches and holds a strong 4.7 average review. If you want a classic New York winter moment, this is the spot.
Wollman Rink in Central Park, also a New York fixture, follows close behind. It pulls the highest number of searches of any rink with more than 94,000 monthly. The ticket price is less than that at most other major city rinks and the experience feels straight out of a movie, especially after dark when the skyline lights up.
Chicago earns the number three spot with the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon. It's the only non-New York rink in the top three and the most playful pick of the bunch. Instead of a traditional oval, skaters loop through a winding ribbon with views of the city skyline at every turn. A 4.6 review score and a modest ticket price contribute to its popularity.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center ranks number four and also claims the global title for most photographed rink with more than one million posts and searches. It's also the most expensive option, with tickets offered for as much as $71. But you're paying for an iconic New York experience that involves skating under a towering tree and a million twinkling lights.
The report also highlights popular skating rinks around the world. London’s Somerset House and Winter Wonderland place among the world’s top ten along with Budapest’s City Park Ice Rink and Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. But the U.S. still claims half of the global top ten.
10 best ice skating rinks in the U.S.
- Bank of America Winter Village—New York
- Wollman Rink—New York
- Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon—Chicago, Illinois
- The Rink at Rockefeller Center—New York
- Sun Valley Ice Rink—Valley, Idaho
- Mount Shasta Ice Rink—Mount Shasta, California
- Rosa Parks Circle Ice Rink—Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Halcyon on Ice—Denver, Colorado
- The Ice at Canalside—Buffalo, New York
- Snowmass Ice Rink—Snowmass, Colorado
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