Pettit National Ice Center facts for kids
North entrance in March 2006
|
|
 Milwaukee
Location in the United States
Milwaukee
Location in Wisconsin
|
|
| Full name | The Pettit National Ice Center |
|---|---|
| Former names | Wisconsin Olympic Ice Rink (outdoors, 1967–1991) |
| Address | 500 South 84th Street |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 43°01′32″N 88°00′58″W / 43.0256°N 88.016°W |
| Public transit |  MCTS |
| Capacity | 2,500 – major events on oval |
| Acreage | 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) – building 155,000 sq ft (14,400 m2) – arena 97,000 sq ft (9,000 m2) – ice |
| Surface | Ice – 400 m oval, two hockey rinks |
| Construction | |
| Opened | January 1, 1993 |
| Construction cost | $13 million ($27.1 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Website | |
| thepettit.com | |
The Pettit National Ice Center is a super cool indoor place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's where people go for all kinds of ice skating fun! The center has two big ice rinks and a special 400-meter oval for speed skating.
It opened on January 1, 1993, and was named after two generous people from Milwaukee, Jane and Lloyd Pettit. A non-profit group called Pettit National Ice Center Inc. has been running the place ever since.
Before the Pettit Center, there was an outdoor rink called the Wisconsin Olympic Ice Rink. It was open from 1967 to 1991. The new indoor center was a huge upgrade because it's climate-controlled. This means skaters can practice and compete comfortably all year round. Many amazing skaters from all over the world come here to train.
Lots of different skating clubs use the Pettit Center. Speed skating clubs like Wisconsin Speedskating, Pinnacle Speedskating, and DASH train here. The Wisconsin Figure Skating Club and the Wisconsin Edge synchronized skating team also practice on the rinks. Plus, youth ice hockey teams, like the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals, use the facility for their games and practices.
Contents
The Amazing Ice Rink
.jpg)
The Pettit Center is really special because it's one of only about 30 indoor 400-meter speed skating ovals in the entire world! It's also the sixth oldest. This makes it an official training spot for US Speedskating.
Many big skating events have happened here. These include the National Short and Long Track Speed Skating Championships. The center also hosted the World Allround Championships in 2000 and the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships. It was even the place where athletes tried out for the U.S. Olympic Team for Long Track Speed Skating in 2018 and 2022. The building is about 720 feet above sea level.
The Pettit Center also has a skating school. Kids and adults can take classes to learn figure skating, ice hockey, and speed skating. Imagine learning to glide like a pro!
Did you know that Olympic speed skating gold medalists Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen were the very first skaters on this rink? That's pretty cool!
Cool Facts About the Center
The Pettit Center cost about $13 million to build. It's a really big place!
- The entire building is about 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).
- The main arena area is about 155,000 square feet (14,400 m2).
- There's a total of 97,000 square feet (9,000 m2) of ice!
- The 400-meter oval is perfect for long track speed skating.
- There are two Olympic-sized rinks (30 m × 61 m (98 ft × 200 ft)) for ice hockey, figure skating, and short track speed skating.
- You can even run or walk on a 443-meter track that goes around the ice oval.
- There's a Hall of Fame lounge that can hold 140 people. It has great views of the ice.
- If you don't have your own skates, no problem! They have skates you can rent for figure skating, hockey, and speed skating.
- You can usually go public skating every day from October to March.
Fastest Times on the Ice
Skaters at the Pettit Center have set some amazing records! Here are some of the fastest times achieved by men and women on this ice.
Men's Track Records
| Event | Name | Country | Time | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | Tucker Fredricks |  United States |
9.66 | October 21, 2009 | |
| 500 m | Jordan Stolz | United States |
33.91 | February 1, 2025 | |
| 1,000 m | Jordan Stolz | United States |
1:06.16 | January 31, 2025 | |
| 1,500 m | Jordan Stolz | United States |
1:41.46 | February 1, 2025 | |
| 3,000 m | Ethan Cepuran | United States |
3:40.78 | October 21, 2023 | |
| 5,000 m | Sander Eitrem |  Norway |
6:04.76 | January 31, 2025 | |
| 10,000 m | Ethan Cepuran | United States |
13:09.04 | January 7, 2023 |
Women's Track Records
| Event | Name | Country | Time | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | Heather Richardson-Bergsma | United States |
10.33 | January 9, 2015 | |
| 500 m | Femke Kok |  Netherlands |
37.02 | February 2, 2025 | |
| 1,000 m | Miho Takagi | United States |
1:13.56 | January 31, 2025 | |
| 1,500 m | Joy Beune | Netherlands |
1:52.11 | February 1, 2025 | |
| 3,000 m | Francesca Lollobrigida |  Italy |
3:54.73 | January 31, 2025 | |
| 5,000 m | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann |  Germany |
7:02.11 | February 6, 2000 | |
| 10,000 m | Melissa Dahlmann | United States |
15:49.11 | January 26, 2013 |
How the Center Works
The Pettit National Ice Center opened on December 31, 1992. Its construction was paid for by both private donations and public money. In 2007, some financial changes helped the center manage its costs better.
Today, the Pettit National Ice Center, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization. This means it doesn't aim to make money for owners. Instead, it uses its earnings to keep the center running and improve it. About 90% of its money comes from things like:
- Public skating sessions
- Skating lessons
- Programs for youth and adults in figure skating and hockey
- The running track
- Group and business meetings
- Training for Olympic athletes
The rest of the money comes from sponsorships and donations. The center works hard to balance its budget each year. It also keeps raising money to make the center even better for everyone who loves to skate!
