If you are planning a winter trip to Minneapolis, ice skating is probably on the list. The short answer: the city’s Park Board runs outdoor rinks in neighborhoods across town, and there are indoor options too. The longer answer is that outdoor rinks are natural ice, so the opening date is up to the weather. We are a mansion bed and breakfast in Loring Park, and this is the guide we would hand a guest.
When does Minneapolis skating season start?
Not yet, and nobody has posted a date. As of this writing, the Park Board’s ice rinks page still shows last season: the rinks closed on February 15, 2026, and no 2026-27 opening date is listed. The page does explain how the system works. All of the outdoor rinks are natural ice, not refrigerated, so after warm weather or heavy precipitation you should check the Park Board’s rink locations and status map before you go. It is updated daily during winter.
What are the rink hours?
Last season the Park Board’s page said that all rinks are lit daily from 4:30 to 9 pm, and that the rinks with broomball, at Logan, Longfellow, McRae and Van Cleve parks, are often lit until 10:15 pm. Treat that as last year’s schedule until the Park Board updates it for the new season. The same page has a warming room hours tab.
Which outdoor rinks are closest to Loring Park?
The Park Board’s list of outdoor rinks includes 21 neighborhood parks. The one we point guests toward first is Lake of the Isles Park, which the list shows with hockey and skating. We are not going to quote a walking time, because it depends on your route; plug the park into a trip planner for your date.
A note on Loring Park itself. The Loring Park page lists an ice rink among its amenities and says the park is open 6 am to midnight. But Loring does not appear in the Park Board’s current list of outdoor rink locations, so do not assume there is a rink there. Check the status map. What Loring Park does have in winter is Winterfest, which the park’s page says is held each February.
Is there indoor skating?
Yes. The Park Board lists two indoor ice arenas. Parade Ice Garden at 600 Kenwood Parkway is listed for open hockey and public skating, and its phone number is 612-370-4904 if you want to confirm public skate times. Northeast Ice Arena is listed for group hockey and skating rentals.
How do you stay safe on lake ice?
Rinks are one thing and lakes are another. The Park Board’s list flags Lake of the Isles with an ice safety note and points to the Minnesota DNR’s ice thickness guidelines. Those guidelines say you need at least 4 inches of new, clear ice to walk on, and that white ice (refrozen snow) is about half as strong, so you should double the numbers on it. When in doubt, stay on a maintained rink.
Where do you warm up afterward?
This is where a mansion helps. Our guests can finish a skating day in the four-season garden hot tub, under the stars if the sky cooperates, then settle into the haunted video lounge with heated reclining seats. If you are building a whole cold-weather weekend, our winter page is a good starting point, and our guide to the mansion’s gardens shows what Loring Park looks like when it is not under snow.
Planning a December visit? We also wrote about seeing the holiday lights from a heated trolley. When you are ready to book, start at 300clifton.com.
Keep reading: Can You Still Visit the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis? Tours Are Paused Until About April 2027