Nighttime ice rink with people skating in front of Park Grill and a lit roller coaster.

Every Year in Chicagoland

When do the Millennium Park ice rink and McCormick Tribune Rink open

No 2026–27 opening date yet for the Millennium Park rink. Last season it opened Nov. 21, and Maggie Daley's Skating Ribbon reservations open Nov. 2.

By HellginOctober 21, 20266 min read

Halloween decorations are still up, and your group chat is already planning the first skate under the Bean. The short answer: the Millennium Park ice rink and the McCormick Tribune Rink are the same rink, and the city hasn't announced its 2026–27 opening date yet. It usually opens in the second half of November, and last year that was Nov. 21. If you're thinking of the winding ice path a few blocks east, that's Maggie Daley Park's Skating Ribbon, and its dates are already out. Reservations open Nov. 2.

The short answer

The two names cause a lot of confusion. The City of Chicago runs one rink in Millennium Park, and its official page calls it the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. People call it the Millennium Park rink, the McCormick Tribune Rink, or "the rink by the Bean." It's all one sheet of ice.

As of mid-October, there is no official opening date for the 2026–27 season. One events listing gives the season as "November 2026 to early February 2027, weather permitting," but the city hasn't confirmed it. The pattern is a better guide. Last season the rink opened Nov. 21, 2025, and it generally opens in the back half of November. That puts it around Thanksgiving week (Nov. 26 this year), but that's an estimate, not an announcement.

The rink people often mix it up with is the Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon, and that one has a calendar posted. Reservations open Nov. 2 at noon. The first block of bookable skate dates starts Nov. 13. Closing Day is March 7, 2027.

McCormick Tribune Rink: what to expect

The rink sits at 1 N. Michigan Ave., along Michigan Avenue at the edge of Millennium Park, with the skyline all around it. The phone number is 312-285-2361.

Here's how last season went:

Opened: Nov. 21, 2025
Closed: Feb. 1, 2026, depending on weather

That's a fairly short season, and the outdoor ice is the reason. The rink runs "weather permitting," so a warm spell can close it for the day. One listing says the rink can stay open into early March in some years. Last season it was done by the start of February.

Admission is free, but you still need a reservation. That catches a lot of people. According to the city, reservations open two weeks before each session. Some walk-up spots may be available if the rink isn't full, but don't plan a downtown trip around that, especially on a holiday weekend.

Last season the rink also offered free lessons for beginner and intermediate skaters, 9–10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. You had to reserve those too. Whether lessons come back this year, and when, should be announced with the rest of the season.

Cost and reservations

"Free" at the McCormick Tribune Rink comes with some fine print. Last season's prices, according to the Sun-Times:

Admission with your own skates: free, or $5 during peak periods
Skate rental: $17 on weekdays, $21 on weekends and holidays

For a family of four renting skates on a Saturday in December, that adds up quickly. Bringing your own skates is the biggest way to save money.

One events site lists entry for 2026–27 as free with advance online tickets but gives no rental rates. The city hasn't posted this season's prices, so treat last year's numbers as a rough guide and expect possible changes.

Reservations are required whatever you pay. Sessions open two weeks out, which matters around the holidays. If you want a skate the Friday after Thanksgiving or during winter break, set a reminder for the day that window opens. Weekend and holiday slots go first, like everything else downtown in December.

Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon

If you'd rather plan now, the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St., has posted its whole season. It's a quarter-mile path of ice that loops through the park instead of a flat rink. Last season it opened Nov. 14, 2025, and closed March 8, 2026, which is about a month longer than the Millennium Park rink.

Reservation release dates for 2026–27 (the first one is Nov. 2 at noon CST):

Nov. 2: skating Nov. 13–29
Nov. 16: skating Nov. 30–Dec. 10
Nov. 30: skating Dec. 11–Jan. 3
Dec. 21: skating Jan. 4–17
Jan. 4: skating Jan. 18–31
Jan. 18: skating Feb. 1–14
Feb. 1: skating Feb. 15–28
Feb. 15: skating Mar. 1–7 (Closing Day is March 7)

Sessions last two hours. Weekday sessions start at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. On weekends and during the holiday stretch (Dec. 11–Jan. 3), there's also an 8 a.m. session.

Prices:

Rental, Mon–Thu (non-holiday): $17 online, $19 walk-up
Rental, Fri–Sun and holidays: $21 online, $23 walk-up
Your own skates: free for the first session of the day, $5 for later sessions
Skate aids: $11
Lockers: $3 small, $5 large

The rental prices match last season exactly, so these may be carried over. Still, they're the ones on the park's site now. Booking online saves $2 a person compared with walking up.

Before you go

Check before you leave the house, especially on mild or rainy days. Millennium Park posts weather closures for the McCormick Tribune Rink on its social media accounts, not on the city's rink page. Reservations and the season announcement go on the city's rink page at chicago.gov. For the Skating Ribbon, everything is on maggiedaleypark.com.

The park itself is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. For general park questions, the Millennium Park Foundation's number is 312-605-8585, or email info@mpfdn.org.

What to bring:

Your reservation confirmation on your phone
Your own skates, if you have them, to save on rental
Gloves, a hat and warm socks, since the lakefront wind is coldest on the ice
A few dollars for a locker at Maggie Daley if you're carrying bags

When the city posts the McCormick Tribune Rink's opening date, it should arrive with only a few weeks' notice. Until then, the Ribbon's Nov. 2 reservation release is the first date to put on your calendar.

Sources (7)

Photo: Millennium Park ice rink by brandonzeman, BY-SA 2.0.