Ice Arena (Adelaide) facts for kids
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| Former names | Ice Arena Mt Thebarton Snow and Ice Snowdome Adelaide |
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| Location | Thebarton, South Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°55′11″S 138°34′41″E / 34.91972°S 138.57806°E |
| Operator | SAISF |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Surface | 56 metres × 26 metres (Second rink 30m x 15m) |
| Scoreboard | LED |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1980 |
| Built | 1980-1981 |
| Opened | 17 September 1981 |
| Renovated | 1987 (Mt Thebarton) |
| Tenants | |
| Ice Factor Foundation Inc (lessee from April 2020). Adelaide Adrenaline (AIHL) (2008–present) Adelaide Rush (AWIHL) (2006–present) Adelaide Avalanche (AIHL) (2000-2008) |
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The IceArenA is a super cool place in Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia. It's a fun centre where you can enjoy all sorts of ice sports and public skating. It has had a few names over the years, like Snowdome and Mt Thebarton Snow and Ice. Many ice sports teams call it home, including the Adelaide Adrenaline and Adelaide Rush ice hockey teams.
Contents
The IceArenA's Story
How It All Started
The Ice Arena first opened its doors in 1981. Back then, it had one big skating rink. This rink was surrounded by a special track for speed skating.
Adding a Ski Slope
In late 1987, the centre closed for a big change. It was getting ready to build the world's first indoor ski slope! It reopened in 1988 as Mt Thebarton Snow and Ice. This new feature let people ski indoors on artificial snow. To make space for the ski slope, the original rink changed. Instead of one big rink, there were now two ice skating rinks. One was large (56 by 26 metres) and one was smaller (30 by 15 metres). The centre later changed its name again to Snowdome Adelaide.
Back to Just Ice
The facility closed for a short time in June 2005. This was because it cost a lot to run everything. When it reopened, the indoor ski slope was gone. It was then given its current name, IceArenA.
Fixing the Ice
On March 4, 2016, the main ice rink had to close. There were problems with the pipes under the ice. The Ice Arena worked with the government to fix it. On May 7, 2016, the large ice rink reopened. This happened after the government helped buy a new cooling system.
Recent Updates
On September 15, 2021, the Ice Arena helped start the National Hockey Super League (NHSL). This was Australia's first professional ice hockey league. The arena reopened in November 2023 after new people took over its management.
Fun Activities at IceArenA
The IceArenA offers lots of exciting things to do! You can take lessons to learn ice hockey or ice skating. They also have special snow play sessions, which are great for younger kids. During school holidays, there are extra skating times. You can even have your birthday party there! Of course, there are also regular public skating sessions for everyone to enjoy.
See also
- List of ice rinks in Australia
- Sport in South Australia
