If you were to visit Boise 25 years ago, there would have been very few options for ice skating (actually, none). If locals wanted to ice skate in Boise, they would have had to take a trip out of town — usually to Sun Valley, Idaho. But now there are plenty of places to ice skate in Boise, as well as in the surrounding area. Here are the places you can go ice skating in Boise:
Click the links below to skip to any of the following sections:
Where to Find Public Skating
Figure Skating
Idaho Ice World
CenturyLink Arena
Regional Ice Skating:
Hailey, Idaho
Sun Valley Ice Arena
Public Ice Skating
Public ice skating takes place at all three venues during the winter, and at Idaho Ice World all year round.
You can find the public skating schedule and pricing for Idaho Ice World here.
Public Skating at CenturyLink Arena is a little more rare. But when it does happen, you can find the schedule here.
The Caldwell Ice Ribbon is outside, and so opens a little later in the season (November 20 this year). However, when it does open, you can find the full schedule here.
Figure Skating
Figure skating in Boise is managed by Idaho Ice World and the Boise Figure Skating Club.
If you are interested in learning how to figure skate, or are a pro and looking for a new home, you can learn more about the Boise Figure Skating Club here.
Idaho Ice World
Idaho Ice World was built in Boise the late 1990s, and has two regulation-sized ice rinks. The facility is owned and operated by the City of Boise and Boise Parks and Recreation. There are numerous programs at Idaho Ice World, including figure skating, ice hockey, curling, and public ice skating.
Idaho Ice World also has a restaurant, sort of. Although the restaurant space was previously a pizza shop, it is now run by the city. The food you can get there now is along the lines of soft pretzels and popcorn — so don’t expect dinner. The restaurant does serve beer and soda as well.
Where to play hockey in Boise: Youth and adult hockey leagues
The restaurant overlooks the main rink, so if you are watching your child or another loved one, you can do so in a much warmer way.
Idaho Ice World is a great facility and such a great addition to Boise. There are hockey leagues, skating clinics, and plenty of other activities happening all year. From sunrise to late night, you will see people going in and out of Idaho Ice World.
Learn more about Idaho Ice World.
Idaho Central Arena
Idaho Central Arena is quite different from Idaho Ice World. There are fewer opportunities to ice skate at Idaho Central Arena Boise, although there are some opportunities while the ice is in (about half the year, during the Idaho Steelheads’ season). If you watch their website, they will tell you when they have open skating days.
Camel’s Back Park in Boise: Things to see and do
The Idaho Central (ICCU) Arena is cool because it’s the home of an ECHL hockey team (the Idaho Steelheads) and is also attached to the Grove Hotel and the Boise Centre on the Grove. It is located right in the middle of downtown Boise.
Learn more about the CenturyLink Arena in Boise.
Caldwell Ice Ribbon
Caldwell is a town located about 25 miles from downtown Boise, and they have become a great destination to visit for a day. In 2018, they installed a “skating ribbon” at Indian Creek Plaza, which became an instant hit in the area. A skating ribbon is exactly what it sounds like — it’s not a rink, but rather a path of ice that you skate around.
Just beware, the Caldwell skating ribbon became so popular that there was generally a wait to be allowed on, pretty much all of winter 2018 and 2019.
You can read a cool history of building the Indian Creek skating ribbon here.
Indian Creek Plaza’s ice skating will open Nov. 20, 2019.
Learn more about the Caldwell Ice Ribbon.
Regional Ice Skating:
Hailey, Idaho
There are two ice rinks in Hailey, Idaho, less than three hours from Boise. Hailey Ice is a one-sheet arena in Hailey that hosts ice skating (including figure skating and open skate) and plenty of hockey.
Across the parking lot from Hailey Ice is also an outdoor rink unlike anything I have ever seen before. The rink is located on the grounds of the Hailey Rodeo, and is a beautiful rink that is well-taken care of. There is a warming hut that has skates available as well as hockey sticks.
Learn more about ice skating in Hailey, Idaho.
Sun Valley, Idaho
Just up the road from Hailey is Sun Valley, Idaho. The ice rink is world famous, because it’s located on the ground of the Sun Valley Lodge, former home to celebrities like Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and Ernest Hemingway.
The rink also hosts exhibitions from world-famous skaters, and has hosted stars like Kristi Yamaguchi, Ashley Cain, and Timothy LeDuc.
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