Best Places To Go Ice Skating In The Detroit Area
(credit: Thinkstock)
Now that summer is long gone and fall is drawing to a close, we Michiganders can look forward to our other favorite time of the year just around the bend: winter! Well, it's not exactly everyone's favorite season, but winter in Detroit can actually be a lot of fun if you know what to look for. Motown is home to the greatest hockey team in the world, the Red Wings, and if ice skating seems like something you'd like to try, give one of these local indoor or outdoor rinks a shot.
(Facebook Photo/Campus Martius Park)
The Rink at Campus Martius Park
800 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 963-9393
campusmartiuspark.org
If it's being close to the downtown atmosphere and the Wings' home at the Joe Louis Arena that you desire, head down to Campus Martius. Located on Woodward Avenue in the heart of Detroit's thriving business district, The Rink at Campus Martius offers locals a chance to skate among some of the Motor City's most identifiable skyscrapers. The rink will open after the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 16th. Hours are the same as the City of Detroit's, with open skating running until midnight.
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Yost Ice Arena (Wikimedia Commons)
Yost Ice Arena
1000 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(734) 764-4600
www.yost.ath.umich.edu
If college sports are more your style and you live near the Ann Arbor area, what could be better than skating on the ice that is also home to the Michigan Wolverines men's hockey team? Yost Ice Arena, located on the University of Michigan's central campus, welcomes everyone who is looking to experience what it's like to be on the ice of a real NCAA hockey team. Long-storied as one of the most cherished college arenas in the country, Yost is home to a number of other events in addition to its public skate offerings.
(credit: michigan.gov)
Arctic Edge Ice Arena
46615 Michigan Ave.
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 487-7777
www.arcticarenas.com
Interested in ice skating where Olympic gold medalists like to ice skate? Artic Edge Ice Arena is home to the 2010 Olympic gold medalists in ice dancing Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Want to skate but don't know how? Artic Edge offers eight-week "Learn to Skate" classes for just $105 per skater held November 10th through January 19th. Best of all, the program also comes with an unlimited public skate pass for the duration of the classes.
(credit: Thinkstock)
Oak Park Ice Arena
13950 Oak Park Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48237
(248) 542-9669
www.rinktime.com
One of Detroit's older and more historic indoor ice arenas is located on Oak Park Boulevard within the city limits. Built in 1971, it was the temporary home of the Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League back in 1996. So while it isn't quite the former home of the Red Wings in the Detroit Olympia, it certainly has its own subtle charm and characteristics.
Related: Best Places For Cold Weather Activities With Your Kids In Detroit
(istock)
Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena
2751 Packard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 794-6234
www.a2gov.org
Many Ann Arbor-area folks know what a blast the Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena can be on a cold night when looking for some weekend fun. Starting Friday, December 7th, the venue will begin hosting its Funky Frosty Fridays on the first Friday of every month with a "Disco Skate." Other upcoming themes include a "Super Hero Night," "Sci-Fi Skate" and a "Rock the 80s Skate." Check the website for more details.
Head to CBS Detroit's Best Of page for more local tips on family fun, shopping, nightlife, food,culture and more!
Michael Ferro is freelance writer and a graduate of Michigan State University where he majored in Creative Writing and received the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award. Born and bred in Detroit, he currently resides in Ypsilanti Township. Additional writing can be found at Examiner.com.
