Where to Go Skating in Toronto: Rinks and Trails

Toronto skating rinks are free. All of them, if you mean the ones the City runs, and that is more than 50 outdoor rink locations in a typical season plus every indoor arena. Drop-in leisure skating, figure skating and shinny all cost nothing to join.

The only money involved is skates. If you own a pair, a full winter of skating here costs you transit fare. If you do not, there are three or four places to rent and one way to borrow for free, and we have the current prices below.

Toronto skating rinks: what the City runs and what it costs

The City operates more than 50 outdoor artificial ice rinks and skating trails. Outdoor rinks typically open in late November and close in March. Indoor arenas open for the fall and winter season and run later, closing between late March and late April, which makes them the backup when the outdoor ice goes soft.

Opening is staggered, not a single date. Last season the first rink, Greenwood Park at 150 Greenwood Ave., opened on November 29, and the City said most rinks were scheduled to be open by December 6. Plan on early December for a reliable choice of ice, and check before you go.

Rink	What it is	Cost	Season
City outdoor rinks, 50 plus	Artificial ice, drop-in	Free	Typically late November to March
Nathan Phillips Square	Downtown rink under the Toronto sign	Free, rentals extra	November to March
Colonel Samuel Smith Park	The city’s longest skating trail	Free	Typically late November to March
The Bentway	Skate trail under the Gardiner	Free	2026 to 2027 dates not posted yet
Harbourfront Centre	Skate by the Lake, on the waterfront	Free admission, rentals extra	2026 to 2027 dates not posted yet
Evergreen Brick Works	Outdoor rink at Koerner Gardens	Free, $5 suggested skate rental	Typically December to early March

The four rinks worth crossing town for

Nathan Phillips Square. The downtown reflecting pool becomes a rink from November to March, and it is the one with the Toronto sign lit up behind you. The pavilion west of the rink has washrooms, a change area, food and the only skate rental at any City rink. It is run by a private operator, nathanphillipssquareskaterentals.com, not by the City, so rental prices and hours are theirs and worth checking the morning you go. Go on a weeknight after dinner if you want the photo without the crowd.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park. The City lists this Etobicoke waterfront park as having the city’s longest ice skating trail. A trail is a different thing than a rink: you are moving through a loop in a park rather than circling a pad, which suits anyone who finds rinks claustrophobic. It is at 65 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr., and the park’s walking paths make it a half day rather than an hour.

The Bentway. The skate trail under the Gardiner at 250 Fort York Blvd. runs from just east of the Fort York Visitors Centre to Bastion St. It is free and genuinely strange in a good way, skating under an elevated highway with concrete pillars on both sides. The 2026 to 2027 dates were not posted when we checked in October 2026, so look at thebentway.ca in early December. The 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcars both stop close by.

Greenwood Park. East end, 150 Greenwood Ave., and the rink the mayor opened the season at last year. It is a neighbourhood rink rather than a destination, which is the point: there is room, there is shinny, and nobody is queuing for a photo.

Two rinks that are not run by the City

Harbourfront Centre, Skate by the Lake. The waterfront rink at 235 Queens Quay W. is free to skate, and it got an expansion and a longer season through a Canadian Tire Jumpstart partnership announced in November 2025. Last season it opened November 28 and ran 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with free skate rentals every Saturday. The posted rental rates when we checked were $15 for a two hour adult rental and $10 for ages 12 and under, with helmets, sharpening and skating aids extra. The 2026 to 2027 dates were not up in October 2026, so confirm on harbourfrontcentre.com.

Evergreen Brick Works. The outdoor rink at Koerner Gardens typically runs December to early March, weather permitting. Skate rentals are a $5 suggested fee per pair and helmet rentals are free for all ages. This is the one to pair with a ravine walk, since the Don Valley trails start at the door.

If you are building a whole winter day around one of these, our guide to things to do in Toronto in winter has the tobogganing hills, the ski hill prices and the festival dates to slot in around it.

Skates, helmets and the rules people skip

The City’s Skate Lending Library, run with Desjardins Financial Group, is the detail most visitors never hear about. A van carries skates, helmets and skating aids to rinks across the city and lends them free, to all ages, with no reservation. Last season it carried 130 pairs of skates and helmets plus 250 skate aids. The van starts visiting rinks on November 20, 2026, and the full 2026 to 2027 schedule was still listed as coming soon in October, so check the City’s page for the dates and locations before you count on it.

Two rules that matter on the ice:

Helmets. Children six and under must wear a CSA approved helmet that covers the back and sides of the head for leisure skating. For older children it is recommended, not required.
Shinny. Bring your own skates, stick and puck. No goalies, no body contact, keep the puck on the ice, no slap shots, and one puck on the ice at a time.

When to go and how to get there

Check the City’s ice rink closures and service alerts page the day you go, or call 311. Outdoor rinks shut for resurfacing, repairs and warm spells, and Toronto spends a lot of the season hovering near freezing.

Timing, in order of how well it works:

Weeknight, after 7 p.m. Emptiest ice, and the downtown rinks look their best lit.
Weekday afternoon. Good if you are visiting and not working. Rinks get busy with school groups at some sites, so a trail is the safer pick.
Weekend afternoon. The most crowded, especially Nathan Phillips Square and Harbourfront. Go further out instead.

Almost every rink here is better reached by transit than by car, because rink parking is small and the downtown ones have none worth using. Fares and transfers are in our TTC beginner’s guide, and if you are driving anyway, the flat evening rates are in the downtown parking guide.

What to skip

Buying skates for one trip. Borrow from the Skate Lending Library or rent for $5 at Brick Works first.
Showing up at an outdoor rink in late November without checking. The season opens rink by rink, and the ice may not be in.
Paying for a rink. There is no reason to, with more than 50 free ones. More no-cost plans are in our free things to do in Toronto guide.
Thin gloves and no second pair of socks. You will be outdoors, standing still part of the time, next to a lake.

Visiting in the holiday stretch instead? Our Toronto in December guide lines up the rinks with the markets and the light displays. How we check prices and dates is on our about page.

Prices, dates and hours were checked in October 2026. Rink seasons shift with the weather, so confirm on the official site before you go.

Quick answers

Are Toronto skating rinks free?

Yes. All drop-in skating at City of Toronto rinks is free, indoors and out, and the City runs more than 50 outdoor rink locations in a typical season. You only pay if you need to rent skates or you book a permit for private ice time.

When do Toronto outdoor rinks open?

Outdoor artificial ice rinks typically open in late November and close for the season in March. Last season the first rink opened on November 29 and most were scheduled to be open by December 6, so expect a staggered start rather than one opening day.

Where can you rent skates in Toronto?

At City rinks, rentals are available only at Nathan Phillips Square, November to March, through a private operator. Harbourfront Centre and Evergreen Brick Works also rent skates, and the City's free Skate Lending Library brings skates, helmets and skating aids to rinks across the city.

What is the longest skating trail in Toronto?

Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke has the city's longest ice skating trail, according to the City of Toronto. It is free, like every other City rink, and it sits in a waterfront park with its own network of walking paths.

Do you need a helmet to skate at a Toronto rink?

Children six and under must wear a CSA approved helmet that covers the back and sides of the head during leisure skating. Helmets are recommended for older children and available free through the Skate Lending Library.

How do I know if a Toronto rink is open today?

Check the City's ice rink closures and service alerts page before you leave, or call 311. Outdoor rinks close for resurfacing, repairs and warm weather, and a rink that was fine yesterday can be shut this afternoon.

Sources

Prices, hours and schedules change. Check the official site before you go. Spot something out of date? Email info@truecitytourism.com. Some links may be affiliate links. Disclosure.