Ice Skating in San Diego: 2026 Rinks, Prices & Seasons

San Diego has four year-round indoor ice rinks: UTC Ice in University City, San Diego Ice Arena in Mira Mesa, Kroc Center Ice Arena in Rolando and Poway ICE in Poway. From November through early January, seasonal outdoor rinks join them, led by Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado. Indoor public sessions usually cost about the same as a movie ticket. The beachfront holiday rinks cost more and sell out on weekends.

San Diego ice rinks at a glance

Rink	Area	Season	Price (with rentals)
UTC Ice Sports Center	University City / La Jolla	Year-round	Holiday open skate listed at $30
San Diego Ice Arena	Mira Mesa	Year-round	Check sdice.com
Kroc Center Ice Arena	Rolando / College Area	Year-round	$25 ($20 members)
Poway ICE	Poway	Year-round	Check the rink’s site
Skating by the Sea, Hotel del Coronado	Coronado	Nov 20, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027	$35 to $45
Viejas Outlet Center rink	Alpine	Listed Nov 6, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027	$22 to $24 last season
Rady Children’s Ice Rink	Liberty Station, Point Loma	Holiday season (2026 dates pending)	$15 to $25 last season

Year-round indoor rinks

UTC Ice Sports Center (formerly Ice Town)

This is the rink most people mean when they search “UTC ice skating” or “La Jolla ice skating.” It sits inside the open-air Westfield UTC mall at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E23, and has been there since 1977. It used to be called IceTown La Jolla, and some people still use that name. Because it’s in a mall, it’s the easiest rink to pair with lunch or holiday shopping. Parents can grab a hot chocolate while kids skate.

UTC Ice runs public sessions, learn-to-skate and figure skating classes, private lessons, youth and adult hockey, and birthday parties. Westfield’s holiday open skate listing shows all-day public sessions over the Thanksgiving and winter school breaks for $30 with rental skates. Session times change week to week, so check the public schedule on the rink’s site before you drive over. Phone: (858) 452-9110.

San Diego Ice Arena (Mira Mesa)

Search for “San Diego ice arena” or “Mira Mesa ice rink” and you’ll land on this one. It’s a community rink at 11048 Ice Skate Place in Mira Mesa, and it’s home to a lot of local hockey and figure skating. It closed for six months of renovations and reopened in September 2025 with a new vinyl-based system designed to keep the ice smooth. It’s open seven days a week with daily public skate sessions and Family Fun Sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend 1 to 3 p.m. session is the busy one.

Prices and the weekly schedule are posted on sdice.com. You can also call (858) 530-1825.

Kroc Center Ice Arena (Rolando)

The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center at 6845 University Avenue has an indoor rink inside a larger community campus with pools and fitness facilities. It has the clearest pricing of the indoor rinks. According to the Kroc Center public skate page:

• $25 per session, skate rental included
• $20 for Kroc members with a membership card
• $17 per skater for groups of 20 or more
• $5 off when you buy online at least 48 hours ahead
• No checks accepted

The ice arena’s guest services desk keeps shorter hours than the rest of the center. It’s closed Thursdays and opens afternoons on weekdays and late morning on weekends, so check the public skate calendar for session times. Phone: (619) 287-5762.

Poway ICE

For North County inland, Poway ICE at 12455 Kerran Street is the closest rink. It’s part of The Rinks network and offers daily public skating, learn-to-skate and figure skating classes, freestyle ice, and youth and adult hockey. Check the rink’s public skating page for current times and admission.

What happened to the Escondido rink?

Ice-Plex Escondido closed permanently on July 2, 2020. It cited years of losses, aging equipment and the pandemic shutdown. In June 2026 Escondido approved an agreement to explore a three-rink complex at Kit Carson Park with the Rinks Foundation, which is tied to the owners of the San Diego Gulls. As of October 2026 the plan was still at the feasibility stage, residents were pushing back over the loss of softball fields, and city staff were reviewing other sites. Until something is built, Escondido skaters drive to Poway.

Seasonal outdoor rinks

Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado

“Coronado ice skating” and “Hotel del ice skating” both point here: a rink on the hotel’s beachfront Windsor Lawn at 1500 Orange Avenue, with the Pacific on one side and the hotel’s red turrets on the other. Details for the 2026-27 season, from the Hotel del Coronado’s Skating by the Sea page:

• Dates: November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Schedule subject to change.
• Hours: generally 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holiday weeks, with weekday sessions starting in the afternoon from December 1 to 17. November 30 opens at 6 p.m. because of a private event.
• Tickets: $40 to $45 from November 20 to December 17, depending on date and time. $45 from December 18 to January 3. Value Skate sessions are $35 before noon on select dates and all day on December 1 and 8.
• Discounts: $5 off for resort guests, members, military and first responders with ID. The discount doesn’t apply to Value Skate sessions.
• What’s included: 90 minutes of skating from check-in, with rental skates from toddler size 8 to adult 15 and double-runner skates for little kids. There’s no skate sharpening, and bringing your own skates costs the same.
• Kids: under 12 must be with a skating adult.
• Parking: not included. Day visitors who shop or dine at the resort get $10 off self-parking.

Tickets are timed, non-transferable and sold online through the hotel’s booking link. Same-day tickets by phone are limited, so book ahead for weekends and the week after Christmas. Sign the waiver before you get to the check-in window.

Viejas Outlet Center ice rink (Alpine)

The East County option sits at the outlets beside Viejas Casino & Resort, 5003 Willows Road in Alpine. The San Diego Tourism Authority lists the 2026-27 season as November 6, 2026 through January 10, 2027, 3 to 10 p.m. daily. Last season, tickets were $22 for kids 12 and under and $24 for teens and adults, including rentals and 90 minutes on the ice. Confirm 2026 pricing with Viejas at (619) 659-2070.

Rady Children’s Ice Rink at Liberty Station

This rink sets up each holiday season at Liberty Station, 2875 Dewey Road in Point Loma, as a Rady Children’s fundraiser. Last season ran November 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026, with tickets from $15 to $25 including rentals and separate open-skate and evening sessions. The Rady Foundation’s ice rink page hadn’t posted 2026 dates when this guide was updated. Liberty Station’s shops and restaurants are on the same campus.

Synthetic “glice” rinks

Some holiday pop-ups use synthetic panels instead of real ice. Past seasons have included rinks at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Julian Farm and Orchard, and the Del Mar Fairgrounds holiday light show. You skate a little slower on them, but they work fine for kids. None had confirmed 2026 dates at publishing time.

Tips for skating in San Diego

• Dress for a cold rink, not a beach day. Indoor rinks are chilly even when it’s 75°F outside. Wear long pants and thick socks, and bring light gloves for kids, who fall a lot at first.
• Go on weekday afternoons at the indoor rinks to avoid birthday-party crowds. At Coronado, Value Skate sessions before noon are cheaper and less crowded.
• Book outdoor rinks in advance. The Hotel del and Liberty Station sell timed tickets, and December weekends go fast.
• Check for closures before you leave. Hockey games, figure skating events and private rentals regularly bump public sessions at the indoor rinks.
• First-timers who want to improve fast should look at learn-to-skate classes. UTC Ice, Kroc Center, San Diego Ice Arena and Poway ICE all offer them.

Who each rink suits

• Holiday atmosphere: Skating by the Sea is the splurge, with the ocean right next to the ice.
• Shopping and dining: UTC Ice, right in the mall.
• Budget and clear pricing: Kroc Center, especially if you buy online.
• Serious skaters and hockey families: San Diego Ice Arena and Poway ICE.
• East County and the outlets: Viejas.

Pair it with other holiday plans

If you’re skating in early December, the same weekend is December Nights in Balboa Park (December 4 and 5, 2026), the city’s big free holiday festival. Light shows like Holiday of Lights make an easy evening add-on. If the Julian Farm glice rink returns, combine it with a slice from the Julian Pie Company.