NOWOMAHA / LOCAL FIELD NOTES
Where to ice skate in Omaha this winter: free at Heartwood, $10 at Baxter, twilight sessions at Moylan
Three rinks, three price points. Heartwood's outdoor Winterland is free with a reservation, Holland Ice is $10, and Moylan runs Friday and Saturday twilight skates.
You can skate in Omaha this winter for nothing, for about $10, or under party lights on a weekend night. Here is how the three main options compare.
Free, outdoors: Winterland at Heartwood Park. Heartwood’s outdoor rink at 301 S. 145th St. is back, with decorations and holiday music. Skating, rental skates and skating aids are free for everyone, but you have to reserve a time first. On Friday, Nov. 13, it is open 4 to 9:30 p.m. Dress for the weather.
$10, indoors: Holland Ice at Baxter Arena. The community rink at UNO’s Baxter Arena runs open skate for all ages at $10, plus $5 for rental skates. Skate helpers and helmets are free while they last, which helps first-timers. UNO students and staff skate free with a MavCARD. The rink is cashless, and Sunday, Nov. 22 open skate is canceled, so check its calendar before you go.
Twilight skating: Moylan Iceplex in northwest Omaha. Moylan, at 12550 W. Maple Road, says it offers more than 1,500 hours of public skating a year. Afternoon sessions are $11.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids 12 and under, rental included. On Fridays and Saturdays, Twilight Skating runs 6:15 to 10 p.m. with party lights for $13.95 plus tax with rental. No bags are allowed on weekend evenings.
Which one? For a family on a budget, reserve at Heartwood. For a beginner, Baxter’s free skate helpers make the $10 easier. For a date night or a teen group, Moylan’s twilight sessions are the pick.
Prices, hours and rules are from each rink’s own page as of Nov. 12, re-checked Nov. 13.