16 Bay Area Ice Skating Rinks Where You Can Hit The Ice This Winter 2025

Union Square is home to the most popular ice skating rink in San Francisco. To take your experience up a notch, try to plan your visit around one of their themed events like Drag on Ice on Dec. 4, the Silent Skate Party on Dec. 12, or Polar Bear Skate on Jan. 1.

We also love their Learn to Skate option, where beginners can take ice skating lessons on select Saturdays and Sundays (free if you sign up in advance).

The beautiful Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa hosts an absolutely spectacular winter village throughout the holiday season every year. Merry Meritage is a gorgeous sparkling winter escape in wine country, complete with an ice rink, fire pits, and s’mores, VIP igloos, Santa story time, and much more.

A few years ago, Thrive City at Chase Center announced a brand-new synthetic ice rink as part of their popular Winter Wonderland event. The free ice rink is generally only open on select dates and often sells out online, but you might be able to snag a skate time in person.

Skate sessions are typically limited to 20-30 minutes per person, and complimentary skate rentals will be available. Certain dates have a lively DJ Skate Party planned in the afternoon.

This NHL-sized indoor rink in SoMa offers public skating, ice hockey, and lessons. Public skating sessions are available every day of the year, but the schedule changes according to the season. Currently, they’re listed daily around the lunch hour.

This indoor NHL-sized ice rink is operated by the same company as the San Jose Sharks hockey team and offers public skating, figure skating, ice dancing, curling, and other ice sports. Public skating is offered 7 days a week, all year long.

Oakland residents get a 10% discount on general admission with proof of ID, and holiday sessions are “skate one session, get the second session 50% off” for same-day purchases.

This seasonal outdoor rink is named for former Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and is open to the public. In recent years, the rink has grown in size, and they’ve added rink-side fire pits to bring even more coziness to your skating experience.

Look out for fun themes throughout the week, like Grinch Night, Ugly Sweater Night, and even a skating clinic led by Kristi herself.

Walnut Creek on Ice is a seasonal outdoor rink back this year for its 20th season. The rink has skating lessons for kids and adults, and an epic ice slide available on its own or via a combo package.  If you want to settle in for a long day of skating, consider renting a rinkside fire pit for your group.

3Crosses Church presents this annual Christmas village in Castro Valley, and the centerpiece is the largest outdoor ice skating rink in Alameda County. Spend a charming afternoon enjoying delicious food from on-site food trucks, artisan vendors, light displays, and more.

This holiday ice skating rink has a longer season, running all the way through Valentine’s Day. Check their event calendar to see if they bring back fun holiday events, including a makers market on weekends and “Grinch On Ice.”

Winter Lodge has operated in Palo Alto for over 65 years and offers a smaller skating rink that’s focused on family fun and recreation. They also have one of the longest outdoor skating seasons in the region, with a closing date in April.

It’s worth checking out their skating lessons for kids and adults, but make sure to keep an eye on registration dates because they’re prone to selling out.

At 11,000 square feet, this is the Bay Area’s largest outdoor ice rink. Ticketed general skate sessions are available all season long, but the rink also offers free community skate days where hundreds of Bay Area children can skate for free. Big groups will want to check out the party tent option to chill out after a fun skate sesh.

This indoor skating rink offers figure skating, hockey, and public skating sessions all year long. Public sessions are usually listed at least twice a day, but be sure to check their calendar as it is updated throughout the season.

Sharks Ice is the largest rink facility west of the Mississippi, covering nearly 370,000 square feet dedicated to just about every ice-related activity you can think of. As the official practice facility of the NHL San Jose Sharks, the facility is decked out with state-of-the-art rinks and equipment, not to mention several restaurants and sports bars. Public skating with skate rental is available every single day.

Downtown Ice is a San Jose ice skating tradition dating back to 1994 in the Circle of Palms Plaza. Admission includes skate rental, and you’ll want to seek out their special themed nights, which in past years included an evening of Broadway show tunes on Sundays and DJ-led playlists on Mondays.

The Snoopy-themed ice rink was founded in 1969 by Charles Schulz, cartoonist and creator of the brilliant comic strip Peanuts, and you can’t miss his influence throughout the entire skating complex. The rink is notable for having large-scale drawings of Snoopy and other characters on the ice and zamboni machines, as well as various statues throughout the campus. Members of the public can get in on the general skate sessions all year round.

In past years, Santa Rosa’s drought-conscious, synthetic ice rink hosted holiday ice skating after Thanksgiving and through the end of the year. Stay tuned as we wait for news of the 2025 season.