Rockefeller Center ice rink opens as NYC starts holiday season
Gabriel Cooper
Updated on March 07, 2026
It certainly doesn’t feel like Christmastime, with temperatures soaring into the 70s, but one of the first signs the holidays are approaching slipped in Saturday anyway as the Rockefeller Plaza skating rink opened.
It’s the 86th season for the Rink at Rockefeller Center, which traditionally marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in New York.
The 122-foot long and 59-foot wide frozen attraction was supposed to be a temporary feature between 50th and 49th Streets when it debuted on Christmas Day in 1936. Legend has it that the idea for the rink was born when a fountain in the plaza froze over. It was made permanent in 1939.
Skating prices range from $11 for kids under 5 years old to $21 for adults. Skate rentals are also available, as are season passes that start at $500. Details and reservations are available at .
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A quarter of a million skaters test their skills each year on the rink overlooked by a golden statue of Prometheus, ironically the Greek god of fire.
The scene will soon be topped by the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. This year’s 82- foot tall evergreen is slated to arrive on Nov. 12 and will be lit in a star-studded ceremony on Nov. 30.
