Ice skating offers the perfect opportunity for outdoor winter fun! And it’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise. Fortunately, there are lots of public outdoor ice skating rinks in the Des Moines area! Below is a list of the ice skating rinks in and around Des Moines. And don’t miss the section on ice skating lessons at the end!
Public Ice Skating Rinks in the Des Moines Area
If you have your own ice skates, you have more options for ice skating in the Des Moines area. For rinks with skate rentals, head downtown to Brenton Skating Plaza or the new Johnston Town Center rink (see details below)!
Brenton Skating Plaza and the Johnston Town Center rinks don’t rely so much on temps. But many other ice rinks are dependent on the weather. Some area rinks open in November IF temperatures are low enough! But some don’t open until January when we’re in the deep freeze. We recommend checking the linked websites and Facebook pages to get updated information. (Also, please note that most community ice rinks are unsupervised.)
Outdoor Ice Rinks in and around Des Moines
Brenton Skating Plaza
520 Robert D. Ray Dr.
Des Moines, IA 50309
Brenton Skating Plaza is the most popular outdoor rink in the Des Moines area. And for good reasons! Brenton offers skate rentals, Learn to Skate sessions, and the city skyline as a backdrop. It’s the perfect winter destination in Des Moines. It opens in late November and is usually open through March. For more information on hours and pricing, see the website and Facebook page.
Johnston Town Center Ice Rink
6245 Merle Hay Rd
Johnston, IA 50131
The new Johnston Town Center Ice Rink is the first synthetic ice rink in the Des Moines area! And it’s open daily, with skate rentals on Friday evenings and weekend afternoons and evenings. There is a charge for skate rental, but admission is FREE! For details and pricing, see the website.
Des Moines Park Ponds
Below are three Des Moines park ponds that allow ice skating. You must bring your own skates, you skate for free! These ponds are open for skating when the ice reaches 4” deep. The City of Des Moines monitors the ice and posts if they’re open or closed for public ice skating (red flag=unsafe). Ponds are open from sunrise to sunset.
Greenwood Park Pond
100 45th St
Des Moines, IA 50312
MacRae Park Pond*
1021 Davis Ave
Des Moines, IA 50315
*currently under construction
Witmer Park Pond
1610 34th St
Des Moines, IA 50310
Raccoon River Park Community Ice Rink
2500 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, IA 50265
The Raccoon River Park Ice Rink is one of several free community rinks made possible by the Iowa Wild and Wells Fargo! Bring your skates and find the rink near the softball complex parking lot. Note that ice conditions get monitored by the city (red=unsafe). For more information, see the website.
Valley Ice Plaza
Valley Community Center
4444 Fuller Rd
West Des Moines, IA 50265
The Valley Ice Plaza is open seasonally from dawn to dusk. It’s free to use and has a few events (family skate, pick up broomball). Bring your own skates! And if you’re there during Community Center hours (8:30-4, M-F), free coffee and Wifi are available. For more information, see the Valley Ice Plaza website and Facebook page.
Urbandale Community Ice Rink
South of the Urbandale Public Library
3520 86th St
Urbandale, IA 50322
The Urbandale ice rink is a free community rink made possible by the Iowa Wild and Wells Fargo! So, bring your skates and enjoy! For more info, check the Urbandale Parks & Rec Facebook page.
Johnston Community Ice Rinks
The Johnston ice rinks listed below are free to the public, and you must bring your own skates. When the rinks are open, hockey is from 8 am to noon, and open skating is from noon to dusk. See the City of Johnston website for details.
Johnston Commons
6700 Merle Hay Road
Johnston, IA 50131
Crosshaven Park
7909 NW 95th Street
Johnston, IA 50131
Waukee Community Ice Rink (Grant Park)
605 SE Driftwood Lane
Waukee, Iowa 50263
Like other area community ice rinks, the Waukee ice rink is free to the public, and you must bring your own skates. It’s open for hockey in the morning and open skate in the afternoon. For more information, see the City of Waukee website.
Ankeny Community Ice Rink (Sunrise Park)
506 SE Peterson Dr
Ankeny, IA 50021
The Ankeny ice rink is also free to use, and you must bring your own skates. It’s open for hockey in the mornings and open skate in the afternoons. For more information, see the City of Ankeny website.
Grimes Outdoor Ice Skating Rink
Grimes South Sports Complex
750 S James St
Grimes, IA 50111
The Grimes Ice Skating Rink is at the South Sports Complex (south of the elementary school). It’s open from dawn to dusk and is free to use. Bring your own skates! For more information, see the Grimes website and Facebook page.
Norwalk Outdoor Ice Rink
907 North Ave
Norwalk, IA 50211
Thanks to the Norwalk Lions Club, the city of Norwalk also has a public ice skating rink! Skating is open seasonally, and it’s free to the public (bring your own skates). A stoplight indicates if the ice is safe (or not). See the city’s website for hours and other information.
Indianola Community Ice Rink
Indianola Activity Center
2204 W. 2nd Avenue
Indianola, IA 50125
Here’s yet another community rink courtesy of the Iowa Wild and Wells Fargo! It’s a free rink, and you must bring your own skates. And if you’re wondering if it’s open or closed, sign up for text updates on the status of the ice rink. See the Indianola website for more info.
Dallas Center Ice Rink
Heritage Park
1300 Walnut St
Dallas Center, IA 50063
This small town ice rink has free ice skate rentals during specific hours! It’s also free to skate, and the ice gets monitored daily. For more information, see the website and Facebook page.
Adel Ice Rink
Raccoon Valley Bank Community House Lawn
1016 Main St
Adel, IA 50003
Bring your own skates, and check out the free ice rink in Adel! Signs get posted when the ice is closed. For information and closures, see the Adel Parks and Rec Facebook page.
Indoor Rinks in Des Moines
RecPlex
3536 Booneville Rd
West Des Moines, IA 50266
The new RecPlex in West Des Moines offers year-round indoor ice skating! They also have skate rentals and public skate hours weekly. But there’s more! They offer Learn to Skate sessions, hockey, broomball, and curling too! For details and pricing, see the RecPlex website.
Metro Ice Facility
5100 NW 72nd St
Urbandale, IA 50322
Metro Ice offers more than hockey. They have skate rental and public skate times too! For more on public skating, see their website and Facebook page.
Ice Skating Lessons in the Des Moines Area
Whether you want to improve your skills or learn to ice skate, lessons can help. The good news is there are several options for ice skating lessons in the Des Moines area! Below are some helpful links to learn more about local options.
- Central Iowa Figure Skating Club (Buccaneer Arena, Urbandale)
- Iowa Figure Skating Academy (Metro Ice Facility, Urbandale)
- RecPlex Learn to Skate (West Des Moines)
- Brenton Skating Plaza Learn to Skate Sessions (Des Moines
