We checked three places to ice skate with little kids in and around Baltimore: two holiday or outdoor rinks and one indoor rink with public skating. Inner Harbor Ice Rink opens Fri, Nov 6 and runs to Jan 18. One posts skate aids for beginners, like Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena. They’re spread over three areas, from Inner Harbor to Northeast Baltimore.
Season at a glance
Every rink on one timeline, so you can see what’s open the weekend you want to go. Tap a rink for prices and hours.
Holiday season
Seasonal and pop-up rinks, soonest first. The four boxes are what parents ask first: season, price, skate rental and skate aids.
Light St. and Pratt St. · Inner Harbor
First come, first served. Buying ahead online is encouraged.
Color Burst Park, Merriweather District · Columbia
Outdoor rinks close for warm or wet weather. Check the rink’s page the morning you go.
Any season
Public skate sessions open to families. Session times change week to week, so each card links to the rink’s own page.
Northeast Baltimore
City-run rink. Public sessions run about two hours, sometimes with a short break mid-session for an ice cut.
Before you go
SafetyBring a helmetFalls are part of learning. A bike or hockey helmet protects little heads, and some rinks ask for one.Skate aidsAsk about skate aidsA walker-style aid lets new skaters push and glide on their own. Each card says whether the rink posts them.
FitThin socks, warm mittensOne pair of thin socks fits rental skates best. Waterproof mittens keep hands dry after a tumble.Keep planning
November: things to do in BaltimoreEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in BaltimoreEvery dated listing for the month, by week
Free things to do in BaltimoreFree days, free events and places that never charge
Indoor play in BaltimoreIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with prices
Library storytimes in BaltimoreBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Thanksgiving weekend in BaltimoreParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Noon Year’s Eve in BaltimoreKid-friendly countdowns, home by nap
Christmas parades in BaltimoreParades and tree lightings with dates and start times
Christmas trains in BaltimorePolar Express, Santa and lights trains with datesThe Nutcracker in BaltimoreBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flagged
Christmas markets in BaltimoreChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hours
Christmas break in BaltimoreWhat’s open on Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1
This week in BaltimoreDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every ThursdayGood questions
Inner Harbor Ice Rink (Inner Harbor); Color Burst Ice Rink (Columbia); Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena (Northeast Baltimore). Two are holiday or outdoor rinks, listed first; indoor rinks with public skating follow.
Inner Harbor Ice Rink: Nov 6 – Jan 18. Color Burst Ice Rink: Nov 20 – Jan 31. Dates come from each rink’s own page, and warm or wet weather can close outdoor rinks for the day.
Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena: Skate helpers $5 for the session (limited, first come, first served). Rinks that don’t mention aids say Not listed on their card.
Inner Harbor Ice Rink: General admission. Color Burst Ice Rink: $12 per person plus tax, booked online; skate rental $3. Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena: $5; skate rental $3. Prices are the rink’s own and can change on holidays.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 29, 2026, and we recheck them every week from October through February. How we choose and check.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in Baltimore that weekend, rinks included.
