Top Spots For Ice Skating In Philadelphia

Philadelphia reporters had to cover so many snow storms last year that they are just thawing out now. When city sidewalks are blanketed with white and roads are slick with ice, walking and driving can be hazardous to your health. Instead of taking your life in your hands, don some mittens and put a pair of skates on your feet to enjoy some heart-pumping exercise at one of Philly's ice skating rinks. When you yearn to channel your inner Kristi Yamaguchi or Scott Hamilton, here are the top places in Philadelphia to practice your arabesque and axel.

Blue Cross RiverRink
201 S. Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-7465
www.delawareriverwaterfront.com

The Blue Cross RiverRink is the next best thing to skating on a frozen pond. The outdoor rink sits along the Delaware River at Penn's Landing, offering great views for a romantic date or family outing. This year's Winterfest, a winter garden and forest filled with twinkling holiday trees, rustic furniture and fire pits, will be open through March 1, 2015. The newly revamped Lodge offers great dining options, and concession stands have a menu of hot beverages to warm you up on chilly winter nights. Admission to Winterfest is free to the public. Skating admission is just $3, but skate rentals are $10, so you might want to bring your own.

Flyers Skate Zone
10990 Decatur Rd.
Philadelphia, PA 19154
(215) 618-0050
www.nephilly.flyersskatezone.com

Lace up your skates for an exhilarating afternoon or evening at the Flyers Skate Zone indoor rink in Northeast Philly. Public skating generally takes place every day from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a few night hours thrown in here and there for good measure. Admission is $8, and rental skates are $3 extra. When your legs get wobbly or your belly grumbly, the Snack Zone offers a bunch of options, including cheesesteaks, chicken fingers, pizza and fries.

Rothman Institute Ice Rink
Dilworth Park
1 S. 15th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 440-5500
www.ccdparks.org

If your New Year's resolution is to get more exercise with swizzles and twizzles, then the new Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is the place to go. It's open daily, including all holidays, until February 22, 2015. Its urban Center City setting is the perfect arena to show off your skating skills, hold a party or grab a hot coffee and pastry at Rosa Blanca Cafe. Skating rates are $3 for kids age 10 and younger, $4 for adults and $8 covers the skate rental fee.

Related: Dilworth's Park Ice RInk, Alongside City Hall, Will Open Nov. 14th

Winterland Ice Skating Rink
25 West High St.
Glassboro, NJ 08082
(856) 723-9060
www.winterlandiceskatingrink.com

Bundle up for some outdoor fun across the bridge at Winterland Ice Rink in Glassboro, NJ. Back for its second season, South Jersey's open-air ice rink changes locations this year as the old St. Bridget School parking lot transforms into a winter wonderland. Make your first stop the skate house, where you have your pick of more than 400 figure and hockey skate rentals for $3. Skating is $7 for senior citizens and kids age 12 and younger, and $9 for adults. Winterland is open through February 16, 2015, Mondays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays until midnight and on Saturdays and Sundays, skaters can start practicing pivots and pancake spins two hours earlier at 12 p.m.

Related: Ice Rink At Dilworth Park Kicks Off Season With FREE Skating

Wissahickon Skating Club
550 W. Willow Grove Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19118
(215) 247-1759
www.wissskating.com

Chestnut Hill's family-oriented, indoor skating rink has been around since 1954, offering skaters a lively night out on the weekends. Membership in the club is encouraged, so general admission to the public has been cut from two nights a week to just Friday from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., September through June. Admission is $9, and skate rentals cost $3. The club is also home to a host of skating lessons, youth and adult hockey leagues, pro-skating organizations, and kids can even have birthday blasts here.

Susan DeFeo has been a professional writer since 1997. She served as a community events columnist for New Jersey's "Cape May County Herald" for more than a decade. A writer for numerous online publications, Susan has covered health, fitness, beauty and travel, all subjects that are near and dear to her as a married mother of seven children. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.