Discover the 3 Largest Ice Skating Rinks in Alabama this Winter Plus Seasonal Outdoor Holiday Spots

New York’s Famous Rockefeller Center ice rink is about 1,000 miles from Montgomery, Alabama. But the Yellowhammer State still has plenty of rinks where people can carve it up ice skating. For winter fun, a fun workout (ice skating burns about 400 to 700 calories per hour according to livestrong.com), or the thrilling clamor of some ice hockey, these are the three largest ice skating rinks in Alabama.

Plus, we’ll showcase some seasonal holiday ice rinks in the state.

Which Ones Are the Largest Ice Skating Rinks in Alabama?

The biggest ice skating rinks are going to be the arenas. Those that currently or used to host ice hockey teams will accommodate the most people for public skating. But the smaller holiday rinks can be equally fun though they might require a bit more planning.

For the timelessness of the winter night sky, the smaller, seasonal options are your best bet since almost all of them are outdoor rinks, like Ice Skating Under the Stars.

Colder than You Might Think

New Market, AL, saw -27 F cold in January of 1966! That’s cold.

Most people in the US might think Alabama’s climate is sweltering, except for maybe a few winter months. But going off a map, Mobile at the southern tip up to Huntsville at the top of the state is over 200 miles due north. This northerly span allows for a lot of Appalachian seasonality to creep in.

There’s even a ski area near Mentone, AL, in the state’s northeast corner. And that northeast corner, specifically the town of Walnut Grove, saw 32 inches of snow during the Superstorm of 1993!

Plus, Some Alabama Winter Sports

Two former and one current NHL player are listed as coming from Alabama. Plus, in 2002, Alabama native bobsledder Vonetta Flowers became the first black woman to take home a Winter Olympics medal with gold at the Salt Lake City Games!

There are even two minor league hockey teams based out of Alabama: the Birmingham Bulls and the Huntsville Havoc.

Huntsville Iceplex

The Huntsville Havoc ice hockey team plays in – you guessed it – Zanesville, Ohio (haha) – they play, of course, in Huntsville, AL. The arena is also called the Benton H. Wilcoxon Arena.

A database for ice rinks claims it has twin NHL rinks, and its own website confirms that they have two NHL regulation rinks. According to athletica.com, the pro-league rinks are 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.

This is a year-round rink. The Iceplex offers skating lessons, packages for birthday parties, and minor-league hockey games. While there are public skating options, the sessions appear to require registration through a scheduling app. It is an indoor facility.

Pelham Civic Complex Ice Arena

Pelham Civic Center appears to be the second biggest skating rink in the state of Alabama. The city’s own website confirms it is an “NHL-sized arena.” The local Birmingham Bulls minor league hockey team has games scheduled throughout this winter.

According to playedonice.com, the smallest that a playable North American hockey rink gets is 175 x 65 feet. So Pelham is likely at least this big if not full-sized NHL exactly.

Though the timings vary, the schedule has free or public skating most days for about one to three hours up to the middle of December. Affordable skate rental is available. Like the Iceplex it is an indoor facility.

Sand Mountain Park, the Largest Ice Skating Rink in Alabama, Outdoors

While it is a seasonal skating spot, it has the calm but expectant winter sky as its canopy. There are instructors for this 100 x 40-foot outdoor rink. The new facility sits at the Sand Mountain Park and Amphitheater in Albertville, AL. The town is about midway between Huntsville and Birmingham.

There are very affordable skate rentals and discounts for patrons with their own equipment. Parties can be booked as well.

Cozy, Seasonal Rinks

In addition to arena skating, Huntsville has a fun and festive holiday-time skating rink right out in front of their Art Museum. There are old-school bulb-Christmas lights strung about and a lot of holiday cheer. Need more? There is Winter Park at the Orion in Huntsville as well.

Auburn has a smaller holiday rink. And Tuscaloosa, AL, sets out a seasonal rink as part of a non-profit benefit, the Tinsel Trail for One Tuscaloosa Family Center.

Even the Very Little Ones Can Get in On It

There are pedestal-style devices that glide along the ice, allowing any pre-schooler who can stand up to get a feel for skating without clonking down onto the ice. For those kids who want to see it first, there are dolphin-shaped ice scooters/strollers to sit on and have parents scoot them around the ice. It’s a lovely touch.

Ice Skating for All Climates

There it is, ice skating rinks in Alabama. The Yellowhammer State is not afraid of a bit of heat or a little cold!