You can skate for free almost anywhere in Ottawa in winter, as long as you know which ice is open, which rinks rent skates and which ones need a booking.
The main options are the Rideau Canal Skateway, which is free and open around the clock when the National Capital Commission declares it safe, and the City of Ottawa's four refrigerated outdoor rinks: the Rink of Dreams at City Hall, Lansdowne Park, the Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink in Canterbury and Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe. Add hundreds of neighbourhood rinks, the newly refrigerated rink at Rideau Hall, City arena public skates, and two paid forest trails, RiverOak and Icelynd, and there is ice for every level from December to March.
Key Highlights
TL;DR: The Rideau Canal Skateway is free and open 24 hours a day when the NCC opens it, usually January to early March. For reliable ice, use the City's refrigerated rinks; the Rink of Dreams and Lansdowne both have a private skate rental shop on site. Rideau Hall's rink is now refrigerated. RiverOak and Icelynd charge admission, and Icelynd sells tickets online only.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| ❄️ Rideau Canal Skateway | 7.8 km, free, weather-dependent |
| 📍 City refrigerated rinks | Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne, Jim Tubman (Canterbury), Ben Franklin Place |
| 🎟️ Arena public skating (2026) | Adult $5.19, child $3.11, plus HST |
| 🌲 Forest trails | RiverOak and Icelynd, adult admission $19 |
| ⏰ Season | December to March; 2026–27 dates not yet announced |
| ⛸️ Rentals | Canal (two NCC sites), Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne, RiverOak |
The Rideau Canal Skateway
The Skateway is the reason many visitors come to Ottawa in winter. The NCC maintains 7.8 kilometres of the Rideau Canal through the city, and when it is open, it is free and accessible seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The season typically runs from January to early March, but every opening depends on the weather, so the NCC's ice conditions page is the only reliable way to know whether you can skate today.
Skates can be rented at two NCC locations, Rideau and Fifth, run by Capital Skates, with online reservation and payment and a deposit. Rest areas with change rooms and washrooms, and food vendors, sit along the route. Pets (other than service dogs), hockey sticks and pucks are not allowed on the ice.
Everything you need for a canal day, from the 11 access points and ramps to rental hours, ice ratings and safety rules, is in our Rideau Canal skating guide. If you are visiting during Winterlude, expect the busiest ice of the year on festival weekends.
The City's Four Refrigerated Rinks
The City of Ottawa runs four refrigerated outdoor ice surfaces, which stay skateable through mild spells that soften natural ice. Hours can change for holidays and extreme weather, so check the rink's City page before you go. As of October 12, 2026, the City had not published 2026–27 opening dates; the notes below use the 2025–26 season as a guide.
Rink of Dreams (City Hall)
The Rink of Dreams fills Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall at 110 Laurier Avenue West with a 12,500-square-foot refrigerated surface that the City runs from December through to the end of March. In 2025–26 it opened on December 6 and closed on March 29, and Ottawa Tourism listed free skating seven days a week from 9 am to 11 pm. Go after sundown to see the ice lit up in several colours.
Skate rentals and sharpening come from Final Pass, a private pro shop on site, so prices are set by the shop, not the City. A BeaverTails kiosk also operates there. Our Rink of Dreams guide covers the rink in more detail.
Lansdowne Park Skating Court
The skating court at Lansdowne, 1525 Princess Patricia Way, was open daily from 7 am to 11 pm in 2025–26, weather permitting, and Ottawa Tourism notes that it is free. Despite older guides saying otherwise, the City listing confirms skate rental and sharpening on site through Final Pass, which kept Friday 5 to 9 pm, Saturday 11 am to 9 pm and Sunday 10 am to 8 pm hours that season.
Washrooms are inside the Aberdeen Pavilion (east entrance) from 8 am to 8 pm. Hockey sticks, pucks and balls are not permitted, E-Z gliders are the only skating aid allowed, and children 10 and under must be actively supervised by someone 16 or older. A commercial parking lot on site is reached from Bank Street and Queen Elizabeth Drive.
Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink (Canterbury)
This covered outdoor rink slab is at the Canterbury Recreation Complex, 2185 Arch Street, not at Lansdowne as some guides claim. It works more like an arena than a drop-in plaza: in 2025–26 it ran from December 1 to March 31 with scheduled public skating, drop-in hockey and ringette sessions that you reserve online. A CSA-approved hockey helmet is mandatory for skaters 10 and under, and bicycle, ski and snowsport helmets are not allowed. Parking is free on site. Check the City's drop-in fees before you go, since the facility page does not describe sessions as free.
Ben Franklin Place Skating Rink (Centrepointe)
The fourth refrigerated rink sits outside Ben Franklin Place at 101 Centrepointe Drive in Nepean. In 2025–26 it was open daily from 9 am to 11 pm (closing at 6 pm on December 24). It has no boards, which makes it a relaxed spot for a lap or two, plus skate-changing huts and washrooms inside Ben Franklin Place from 8 am to 8 pm. There are no rentals, so bring your own skates.
Rideau Hall Rink
The rink on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence, dates back to 1872, and the first known image of women playing hockey was taken there in the early 1890s. Since November 22, 2025 it has been refrigerated, so its ice no longer depends entirely on the cold. In 2025–26 public skating ran from November 23 to March 29, weekdays 5 to 8:30 pm and weekends 1 to 8:30 pm, with a holiday closure from December 22 to January 2.
Walk in through Princess Gate at 101 Princess Avenue; there is no on-site parking, but free street parking is nearby. Lace up in the Winter Pavilion, a restored heritage building. Helmets are recommended, and hockey, pucks, figure skating and roughhousing are not allowed. Rideau Hall's page does not mention skate rentals, so bring your own. Dates for 2026–27 were listed as "TBC" in October 2026. The rink's backstory is in our Rideau Hall rink history.
Neighbourhood Outdoor Rinks
Beyond the big names, most Ottawa skating happens on park rinks a short walk from home. The City's outdoor rink inventory lists 270 locations, from rinks with boards to simple flooded "puddles", and 216 of them are maintained by community volunteers rather than City crews. Natural ice means these rinks open and close with the weather, usually later than the refrigerated ones.
To find the nearest one, use the City's "Outdoor rink locations" page, which has an interactive map and table; click a rink to see its details. The same data is published in the City's Open Data catalogue as "Outdoor Rinks". If you see volunteers flooding the ice, stay off until it has set; the City also runs a program for residents who want to help maintain a rink.
Indoor Arena Public Skating
On the coldest days, or when you want boards and a freshly resurfaced pad, City arenas offer drop-in public skating at about 30 venues, including Bob MacQuarrie, Ray Friel, Brewer, Jim Durrell, Sandy Hill, Minto in Barrhaven, the Nepean Sportsplex, Pinecrest and Walter Baker. Sessions are 50 minutes long.
The 2026 drop-in fee for a basic public skate is $5.19 for adults, $3.89 for seniors, and $3.11 for children, youth, students and family members per person, plus HST; children under 3 skate free. At stand-alone arenas the attendant takes only memberships or exact change (adult $5.85 including HST), with no cards. Where a reservation is required, booking opens at 6 pm two days before the session, and walk-ins are accepted when space allows. A CSA-approved hockey helmet is mandatory for skaters 10 and under, and bicycle, ski and snowsport helmets are not permitted. Fees for 2027 had not been published as of October 2026.
Forest Skating Trails Near Ottawa
Two privately run trails on the rural edge of the city trade the downtown bustle for ice that winds through trees. Both charge admission, both depend on natural ice, and neither had posted 2026–27 opening dates by mid-October 2026.
RiverOak Skating Trails
RiverOak, at 2900 York's Corners Road south of the city, describes 3.5 km of trails through orchards, sugarbush and evergreens, with more than four acres of ice in total, about 30 minutes from downtown. Its online store listed day passes in October 2026 at $19 for adults (16 to 64), $15 for youth and seniors, free for children 5 and under, and $63 for a family of two adults and three youth; the listing does not say whether HST is added.
No reservation is needed. Dogs are welcome on all trails if kept under control, and hockey sticks and pucks are encouraged on the outdoor rinks. Skate rentals include a helmet. Winter hours have been Thursday 4 to 8 pm, Friday 1 to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 8 pm and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm, with torchlit skating on Friday nights. Opening usually falls in late December or early January; call the conditions line at 613-212-0077 before driving out.
Icelynd Skating Trails (Stittsville)
Icelynd, at 6865 Fernbank Road in Stittsville, has more than 2 kilometres of natural-ice trails winding through almost 100 acres of woods. Its posted admission is $19 for adults (18 to 59), $14 for seniors and children 5 to 17, free for 4 and under, and $60 for a family of two adults and two children.
Plan ahead: every ticket must be bought online in advance and every skater must sign an online waiver. Icelynd has no skate or helmet rentals, requires helmets for children under 16, bans pets and keeps hockey sticks and pucks off the trails (its rentable outdoor rinks are the place for hockey). There are no indoor facilities on the trails. The 2025–26 hours were Thursday 4 to 9 pm, Friday 2 to 9 pm, Saturday 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday 10 am to 7 pm.
Skating With Kids and First-Timers
For a first skate, a refrigerated rink with boards is kinder than a long natural surface. The Rink of Dreams and Lansdowne both rent skates on site, so you can test the sport before buying, and an indoor arena public skate adds a freshly resurfaced pad and a set time limit. Lansdowne allows E-Z gliders as a skating aid, and RiverOak lends skating aids free of charge.
Helmet rules differ by rink, which catches many parents out. City indoor arenas and the Jim Tubman rink require a CSA-approved hockey helmet for children 10 and under and ban bicycle and ski helmets. Icelynd requires helmets for everyone under 16, while Lansdowne and Rideau Hall strongly recommend them. On the canal, follow the NCC's daily ice ratings, and never step onto a river, pond or lake that has not been checked; our ice safety guide explains why.
Dress in layers you can open as you warm up, keep a dry pair of socks in your bag, and plan a warm-up stop. Our list of hot chocolate spots in Ottawa helps with the last part.
Comparing Ottawa's Skating Options
| Place | Ice | Rentals on site | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rideau Canal Skateway | Natural, 7.8 km | Yes, two NCC locations | Free |
| Rink of Dreams | Refrigerated | Yes (Final Pass) | Free |
| Lansdowne skating court | Refrigerated | Yes (Final Pass, Fri to Sun) | Free |
| Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink | Refrigerated, covered | None listed | Check City drop-in fees |
| Ben Franklin Place | Refrigerated, no boards | None | Not stated; bring own skates |
| Rideau Hall | Refrigerated | None mentioned | Free |
| Neighbourhood rinks | Natural | No | No fee listed |
| City arenas | Indoor | No | Adult $5.19 plus HST (2026) |
| RiverOak | Natural trails | Yes, helmet included | Adult $19 |
| Icelynd | Natural trails | No | Adult $19, online only |
FAQ
Q: Is skating free in Ottawa?
Much of it is. The Rideau Canal Skateway is free when open, and Ottawa Tourism describes the Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne and Rideau Hall as free. Skate rentals cost extra. City indoor arena public skates charge a drop-in fee (adult $5.19 plus HST in 2026), and RiverOak and Icelynd charge admission.
Q: Where can I rent skates in Ottawa?
On the canal, Capital Skates rents at the Rideau and Fifth locations, booked and paid online with a deposit. Final Pass, a private shop, rents and sharpens skates at the Rink of Dreams and Lansdowne. RiverOak rents skates with a helmet included. Icelynd, Ben Franklin Place and Rideau Hall list no rentals.
Q: When do Ottawa's outdoor rinks open for 2026–27?
No dates had been announced by October 12, 2026. As a guide, in 2025–26 the Rink of Dreams ran December 6 to March 29, Jim Tubman ran December 1 to March 31, and Rideau Hall opened November 23. The canal usually opens in January, and the forest trails in late December or early January.
Q: Can I bring my dog skating?
Only at some places. Pets other than service dogs are not allowed on the Rideau Canal Skateway, and Rideau Hall admits service animals only. Icelynd bans pets on its property. RiverOak is the exception: its FAQ says dogs are welcome on all of its trails, provided they are kept under control.
Q: Do I need to book ahead?
For some rinks, yes. Icelynd sells tickets online only and needs a signed waiver. City arena public skates that require reservations open bookings at 6 pm two days before, and Jim Tubman sessions are reserved online. The canal, Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne and RiverOak need no booking.
Final Thoughts
Ottawa's skating season rewards a little planning. Check the NCC's ice report before heading to the canal, pick a refrigerated City rink when the weather turns mild, and book ahead for arena sessions and Icelynd. The 2026–27 dates were still to be announced in mid-October, so confirm hours on each rink's own page in early December. For more ways to spend a cold day, see our toboggan hills guide and our winter activities in Ottawa guide.
Source: National Capital Commission – Rideau Canal Skateway
Source: City of Ottawa – Skating
Source: Governor General of Canada – Rideau Hall rink
Source: Ottawa Tourism – Rink of Dreams
