5 Best Ice-Skating Rinks in Texas
We don’t have to wait for our ponds to freeze over to go ice skating in Texas. We have some of the best — and, of course, biggest — ice-skating rinks around. Funnily enough for a state most famous for its boiling hot summers, Texas has helped nurture many star winter athletes, such as figure skater Amber Glenn, who hopes to compete at this year’s Winter Olympics, and professional hockey star Seth Jones.
Practice to become the next Glenn or Jones at some of our favorite spots for ice skating in Texas, some of which are outdoors and some of which operate all year long.
Chaparral Ice, Austin
Chaparral Ice is a one-stop spot for all sorts of chilly sports. The rink hosts youth and adult hockey leagues, figure-skating clubs, broom ball, camps, and skating lessons. With open sessions all year long, this is your place for hitting the ice in the Austin area.
Eisbahn Outdoor Ice Skating Rink, Fredericksburg
Ice skating may not be the first sport that comes to mind when you think of the Texas Hill Country, but the German community of Fredericksburg keeps their winter traditions alive by transforming the town’s open-air Kinderhalle Pavilion into an outdoor skating rink each winter. Organizers keep the rink frozen with special coils that are pumped with refrigerant and run under the ice. The rink is typically open between the end of November and early January.
Galleria Dallas, Dallas
It’s easy to get on the ice in the Dallas area thanks to the Dallas Stars, who constructed rinks throughout the region after the franchise moved to Texas in the 1990s. (Both Glenn and Jones grew up skating on Stars rinks.) But the classic Dallas skating spot remains Galleria Dallas, where skaters can swirl around the oval rink that sits at the center of a massive glass-roofed atrium. The rink is open all year, but if you go in November or December, you can skate around one of the tallest Christmas trees in Texas.
Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green, Houston
The ponds and lakes around Houston rarely freeze, but every year between November and January, water from downtown’s Kinder Lake is pumped into Discovery Green to create the largest outdoor skating arena in the Southwest. With 7,716 square feet of ice, there is plenty of room for skaters of all skill levels. The rink even has a special section reserved for tykes under 4 called (adorably) the “Ice Box.”
Panther Island Ice, Fort Worth
This seasonal outdoor rink (open between November and January) is located within the Coyote Drive-In complex on Panther Island, the centerpiece of Fort Worth’s Trinity River recreational area. When you need a break, cozy refreshment areas surround the rink where you can order from a full menu while warming up around outdoor space heaters.
When you get home from ice skating and need to warm up, hit up your very own hot chocolate bar.
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