The 13 Best Indoor Ice Skating Rinks in California

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As the weather gets chilly and the holiday season approaches, we realize we must give up summer at some point and get all wintery. What better way to do that than by visiting one of the awesome indoor ice skating rinks in California? Most of these rinks are open year-round and offer fun in the form of exercise. Whether you’re looking to cool off on a hot summer day, or ready to embrace winter, here are the best indoor ice skating rinks in the Golden State.

Must-Visit Indoor Ice Skating Rinks in Northern California

1. Oakland Ice Center 

Location: 519 18th Street, Oakland

Admission: $13

Oakland never truly runs out of fun things to do, but once in a while, we wonder what new experience we can have in the city we know so well. If you’re new to the activity and live near Oakland, it’s time to give ice skating a chance. One of the best rinks in Northern California is located in Oakland. With one NHL-sized ice surface and another Olympic-sized, this place is no joke. And if you need some tutoring, you can easily join a skating, hockey, or speedskating class, and you’ll be a pro in no time. 

2. Skatetown Ice Arena

Location: 1009 Orlando Avenue, Roseville

Admission: $13

Open year-round, Skatetown Ice Arena in Roseville is the most fantastic escape from the summer heat and everyone’s favorite winter hideaway. So if you’ve been looking for indoor ice skating near Sacramento, you just got your answer. Skatetown is where the child in you comes back to life; dance with your friends, play games on the ice and enjoy light shows during the weekend.

3. Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center 

Location: 750 Folsom Street, San Francisco

Admission: $14

Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center is the leisure spot you will soon refuse to leave. Based in San Francisco, the center is open for public skating every day of the year and even offers beginner, freestyle, and hockey skating classes. And, if you and your coworkers are looking for some lunch break fun on Fridays, right before the weekend starts, head to the center and play a drop-in hockey game (and goalies play for free).

4. Gateway Ice Center 

Location: 2473 North Marks Avenue, Fresno

Admission: $9

One of the most exciting things to do in Fresno year-round is visit the city’s one and only ice skating rink, Gateway Ice Center. The largest city in the Central Valley is home to one of the most popular rinks in the state. Not only is ice skating in Fresno one of the most fun things to do, but it’s also one of the most affordable. So, whether you’re a complete newbie or a reputable ice skater (at least among your friends), you will surely have the time of your life here. 

5. Snoopy’s Home Ice

Location: 1667 West Steele Lane, Santa Rosa

Admission: $14

The Redwood Empire Ice Arena, known as Snoopy’s Home Ice, is one of the many Sonoma County highlights. The ice skating rink has been a community gathering spot for over half a century in Santa Rosa. Families come here for a good time, friends to challenge each other on the ice, and athletes to improve their skills. Whether you live nearby or are on your first Wine Country trip, Snoopy’s Home Ice is a worthwhile stop.  

6. South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena

Location: 1176 Rufus Allen Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe

Admission: $17

Lake Tahoe has long been one of the biggest tourist attractions in California, year-round. How can it not when outdoor recreational activities are galore in the area. Now, if you’re fun-packed family vacation in Lake Tahoe, you must not forget to include a visit to the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena. The indoor ice skating rink promises fun for people of all ages, and it doesn’t even close its doors when it gets warmer outside. Bring your kids for free skating sessions, participate in the adult ice hockey tournament, or just spend an afternoon sliding on the ice. 

Indoor Ice Skating Rinks You Can’t Miss in Southern California

7. UTC Ice 

Location: 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego

Admission: $25

What makes UTC Ice everyone’s go-to spot in San Diego is the fact that it is located within the UTC Shopping Center. That only can mean one thing: fun, followed by more fun. At this indoor ice skating rink in San Diego, you’ll be skating to the beats of the latest hits while colorful lights shine. If you’re thinking what we’re thinking, you’ll start planning your first date in SoCal at this exact spot; ice skating followed by dinner or movie? Yeah, we think so too.

8. Icetown Carlsbad

Location: 2283 Cosmos Court, Carlsbad

Admission: $18

San Diego County is home to at least a dozen indoor ice skating rinks, and Icetown Carlsbad is among the most popular, despite being one of the latest additions. This ice skating rink is usually busy, with figure skating classes, hockey leagues, curling, and broomball, but it still dedicates around 25 hours to public skating. Whether you’re hiding from the extreme summer heat or want to feel all wintery around the holiday season, visiting Icetown will remain one of the top things to do in Carlsbad. 

9. Great Park Ice and Fivepoint Arena 

Location: 888 Ridge Valley, Irvine

Admission: $16

Welcome to Great Park Ice and Fivepoint Arena, the training grounds of the Anaheim Ducks, Orange County’s own ice hockey team. The arena is a four-rink, world-class facility for ice skating in Irvine. Despite being fully dedicated to bettering ice hockey and ice skating in the state, it’s also dedicated to showing its visitors a good time. Grab your ice skating boots and join the Irvine community for unforgettable fun times. 

10. Iceoplex

Location: 131 West Easy Street, Simi Valley

Admission: $17

One of the best ways to beat the heat in the Golden State is by getting active in one of its many ice rinks. If you happen to be in Ventura County, your way out of the heat is Simi Valley’s, Iceoplex. Open all seasons of the year, Iceoplex is where you go to brush up on your ice skating skills. It’s also the place you go to to watch some of the best shows on the ice. In short, Iceoplex is Ventury County’s happy place, and you’ll love it.

11. Pasadena Ice Skating Center 

Location: 300 East Green Street, Pasadena

Admission: $14

As soon as the year nears its end, we all have the habit of getting re-hooked to our favorite holiday movies, the rom-com. What most of these movies have in common are fun dates in an ice rink. If you’ve ever wished to live that dream, the first step would be driving yourself to one of the top ice skating arenas in Los Angeles County, the Pasadena Ice Skating Center. Here you can have random fun on the ice, take serious lessons, and maybe even join a team. With that out of the way, all that is left is finding your boo, and you’ll live in your own love story.

12. Westminster ICE - The Rinks 

Location: 13071 Springdale Street, Westminster

Admission: $15

If you want to go ice skating near Huntington Beach, Westminster ICE is your best bet. Here you can just hang out with your buddies and have fun, get serious by joining a league, participate in a beginners class, and even sign up your kids for a summer ice hockey camp. Either way, this place will be your go-to spot in Orange County. 

13. Peltzer Ice Rink 

Location: 40275 Calle Contento, Temecula

Admission: $18

Unlike every other ice skating rink mentioned in the list, Peltzer Ice Rink is not an indoor rink but an enclosed one. This Temecula ice skating rink opens its doors to locals and visitors alike during the year's colder months. It is, kind of, Temecula’s declaration of the opening of the winter season. The rink, an extension of Peltzer Winery and Peltzer Pumpkin Farm, features 8,400 square feet of skating space, making a trip here one of the super cool things to do in Temecula. They are closed until November 2023, but keep this place in mind and be there for the grand reopening.