Maggie Daley Park ice skating ribbon facts for kids
The Maggie Daley Park ice skating ribbon with the Chicago skyline in the background |
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Location | 337 East Randolph Street Chicago, Illinois 60601 |
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Coordinates | 41°53′01″N 87°37′09″W / 41.883530°N 87.619104°W |
Owner | City of Chicago |
Opened | December 13, 2014 |
The Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon is a super fun place to skate in Chicago. It's located in the Maggie Daley Park part of Grant Park. This special ice rink opened on December 13, 2014.
Unlike a regular oval rink, this one is shaped like a long ribbon! In the summer, it changes into a path for walking or roller skating.
Skating Fun at Maggie Daley Park
The Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon is a unique outdoor rink. It's about a quarter of a mile long. Up to 700 skaters can enjoy the ice at one time. What makes it extra cool are the changes in height. This means you'll skate up and down gentle slopes!
Getting Ready to Skate
When the ribbon first opened, admission to skate was free. You could rent skates for $12. Lockers are also available to rent for a small fee. One important rule for skaters is to keep your phone put away. No using smartphones while you're on the ice! In its first month, the rink was very popular. Over 28,000 skate rentals brought in more than $300,000 for the city.
Keeping the Ice Smooth
The ice ribbon needs to be kept smooth for everyone to enjoy. So, the rink closes for about an hour at a time. During these breaks, a special machine called a Zamboni cleans and resurfaces the ice. To help skaters plan their visit, the park shares the daily skating and resurfacing schedule. They even have a special Twitter account, @MDPZamboni, just for these updates!