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The List
10
OUTDOOR ICE RINKS
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GETTY IMAGES The perfect antidote for cabin fever, ice skating is fun for kids of all ages. Here’s where you can bundle up and go for a glide.
Worcester Common Oval - Worcester
The City’s 12,000-square-foot rink (4,000 square feet larger than the rink at New York City’s Rockefeller Center!) is located on the common directly behind Worcester City Hall and is professionally managed by the DCU Center’s team. It boasts piped-in music, skate rentals, concessions, holiday lights and more. Open Friday 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday, school vacation and holidays 1-6 p.m. General admission $5, kids under 5 free. Skate rentals $5. worcesterma.gov.
Sturbridge Town Common - Sturbridge
An open-air rink on the town’s picturesque common is open for free each winter from dawn to dusk, weather permitting. Bring your own skates. After skating, head across the street to warm up with a hot drink and goodie from the historic Publick House bakery. sturbridge.gov.
Stoneham Town Common
Skating is a Stoneham tradition, with the town sending locals to 5 Winter Olympics for hockey and figure-skating, most recently medalist Nancy Kerrigan. In winter, there is a free public skating rink on the Stoneham Common on Main Street, open from 9 to 9 daily. Bring your own skates. explorestoneham.com.
CHRISTINE PETERSON
The Rink at 401 Park
This 6,000-square-foot rink in Boston’s bustling Fenway neighborhood is the ultimate winter playground, featuring themed nights, skating lessons and more. Open weekdays 3-9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Adults $10, children $6, skate rentals $6. 401park.com/icerink.
Boston Common Frog Pond
Named USA Today’s Best Outdoor Ice Rink in the U.S., the Frog Pond is situated in the heart of the nation’s oldest public park and features unbeatable skyline views. Skate rentals and sharpening, “skating seals” for unsteady kiddos, lockers and hot cocoa are available. Public ice skating is offered seven days a week, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (closes at 3:45 p.m. on Mondays). Admission is based on the skater’s height: 58+ inches $6, and free for skaters under 58 inches. Rentals are $12 for adults and $6 for kids. bostonfrogpond.com.
Skating on the Square
This community ice skating rink is located at Monument Square in Downtown Leominster and run by the city. Bring your skates and enjoy skating downtown under the lights. Hours and rental information TBA. leominster-ma.gov.
LEOMINSTER ICE RINK BOSTON COMMON FROG POND
Winter Skate at Patriot Place
The 60-by-140-foot rink in the shadow of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough is large enough to accommodate beginners and experts alike, and its professional, refrigerated surface provides ideal skating conditions at all times. There’s an observation deck for nonskaters, on-site skate rentals, concessions and bathrooms. Patriot Place is just a short walk away, offering 19 restaurants, a variety of shopping options, a 14-screen movie theatre and more. The rink is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 4-9 p.m.; Fridays 4-10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed for Patriots home games. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for kids, and skate rentals are $5. patriot-place.com. This public rink at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline has a heated pavilion to warm up in, and offers both figure and hockey skate rentals. Skaters must pre-register for open skate ahead of time online through Brookline Recreation. Public skate is open Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 10:45-11:45 a.m.; Friday 12-1 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.; and weekends 1:15-2:15 p.m., 2:30-3:30 p.m. and 3:45-4:45 p.m. Admission is $6, rentals are $7. brooklinerec.com.
MarketStreet Rink
The North Shore’s largest open air shopping center, MarketStreet in Lynnfield offers everything from retail shopping to dining and entertainment -- and outdoor ice skating. The rink is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 3-8 p.m.; Wednesday 1-8 p.m.; Friday 3-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Admission is $10, kids under 3 skate free. Rentals are $5. marketstreetlynnfield.com .
BROOKLINE RECREATION GETTY IMAGES
Skate at Canal District Kendall
This seasonal outdoor rink in the heart of Canal District Kendall (formerly known as Kendall Square) in Cambridge is located in a beautifully landscaped plaza with plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. There is a heated pavilion for warming up, lockers and skate rentals and sharpening available. Open Monday and Tuesday 12-5 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 12-8 p.m.; Friday 12-9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $6 adults, $1 for children 13 and under. Rentals are $10/$6. skatekendall.com.
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