Holidays

Ice rink at National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden opens this weekend

Glide past eye-catching art displays in the Sculpture Garden along the National Mall

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Grab your mittens, and make sure they're waterproof — the ice rink outside the National Gallery of Art on the National Mall reopens this weekend for the holiday season.

Whether you're an Olympian or a first-time skater, you can take a twirl on the ice rink that pops up in the gallery's outdoor Sculpture Garden each winter.

To celebrate opening day on Saturday, the rink will feature pop-up performances figure skaters from Team USA starting at 11 a.m.

You'll find the rink outside the National Gallery of Art at Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. However, here's a heads-up for evening skaters: The ice rink stays open later than the National Gallery, which closes at 5 p.m. After that time, skaters will need to use the entrances at Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive near 9th Street to access the ice rink.

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink hours, cost and essential info

You can hit the rink any day of the week this winter.

It'll be open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (with café hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (with café hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

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Admission is $12 for skaters age 13 and older, and $10 for kids age 12 and younger, seniors age 60+, military service members with ID and students with school ID. Fees cover two back-to-back, 45-minute skating sessions that each begin on the hour (with ice maintenance during the last 15 minutes of each hour). The day's last full session begins two hours before closing.

Skate rental is $6. Lockers are free and are available first come, first served.

Season passes and skating lessons are available for purchase online.

The rink will be open for the 2024-25 season from Nov. 23 through March 2, weather-permitting. The rink will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

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