Where to go ice skating in Los Angeles

L.A. doesn’t typically seem like much of a winter wonderland, until, that is, you create an ice skating rink right in the midst of Downtown skyscrapers. Come glide around and pretend there’s snow on the ground at Pershing Square’s outdoor holiday skating rink. Skate rentals are included in admission, though lockers and skating aids costs a few dollars extra.

Located just blocks from the ocean, Ice in downtown Santa Monica brings a bit of winter to the comfortable coastal city. The 8,000-square-foot outdoor rink runs daily from November to mid-January on the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue (less than a 10-minute walk from the E Line). Tickets for an hour-long slot ($22) include skate rentals, and you can book private parties and cabanas if you’re looking for something a bit more premium. Look out for treats for sale, plus themed nights on Wednesdays.

The annual L.A. Kings ice skating rink once again returns to L.A. Live. Skate around the dazzling Christmas tree that stands in the middle of the outdoor rink ($25), and take in an LED holiday light show on the huge screens around the plaza.

It’s always Christmas at this charmingly kitsch amusement park outside of Lake Arrowhead. But it’s extra Christmassy toward the end of the year at Santa’s Village—especially if we’re lucky enough to have had some fresh mountain snowfall. Swing by the park’s Silver Bells Arena, which flips from a summertime roller rink to a seasonal ice skating rink. Though rentals are included, this is, of course, more expensive than your average rink since you’ll need to purchase a ticket to the rest of the theme park ($49–$79).

Bundle up and skate right on the beach—or, at least, a few lanes of PCH and a parking lot away from the sand. Huntington Beach’s Paséa Hotel & Spa turns its event lawn into an outdoor rink with 90-minute-long sessions, plus hotel-caliber amenities (think rentable fire pits and a sweet and savory menu). Look out for themed nights throughout its run.

If you’re in Orange County and dreaming of a white Christmas, the Irvine Spectrum Center is your answer. Located in Giant Wheel Court by Nordstrom, this rink offers an opportune time out from shopping. You can book a 90-minute skating session ($25), and if you swing by on a Thursday night dressed up in the weekly theme, you can score $5 off (6–8:30pm). Look out for skating with Santa on December 9 (10–11:30am), or a ride on the adjacent Ferris wheel any time.

2023 info TBA.

Skate around atop a bluff overlooking the ocean at this Rancho Palos Verdes rink. Available for both reservations and walk-ups (though the former is recommended), this rink at the RPV Civic Center is open for half-hour sessions ($10) for a weekend in mid-December, followed by most afternoons from the day after Christmas to about a week after New Year’s, with a few themed nights tossed into the mix, too. But there’s one caveat: The rink is made of synthetic ice.