Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon

Wonderful experience. Your visit to Chicago is incomplete in winter if you don't visit Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating rink. Make sure to book in advance as they get sold out pretty quickly. The kids loved it. You can rent the skates and skate for more than an hour. There is paid parking next to the park.

Arguably one of the best ice rinks/ribbons on the planet. This place is for you if you love- • Winter and its ambience✅ • The city and skyscraper backdrop✅ • Add snowfall in there✅ • Know ice skating or want to try✅ The ice rink is pretty unique and non-standard compared to traditional hockey rinks. This is a ribbon that runs and curves across a section of the park giving you a wide view of the skyline. It has some slopes which aren’t any noticeably steep which add to the fun. It costs about $5 or free if you bring your own skates depending on the occasion and rental skates is about $21. You get around 2 hrs and it has a small outdoor cafe in the middle. They have locker services too. If you’re visiting on a busy day try to book in advance especially for rentals because it gets sold out. Waiting times on busy days was about 20 mins in queue to enter.

$21/person for weekends. Don't worry about arriving early. The 2 hour session is too long for most people using rental skates. Come after the rush. No bags are allowed on the ice. Reservations required if you want to skate weekends.

The Maggie Daley Ice Rink is a fantastic spot for skating, offering an unforgettable experience right in the heart of downtown Chicago. The atmosphere, especially at night, is unbeatable with the city skyline as your backdrop. Prices can feel a bit steep on weekends, but bringing your own skates makes it much more affordable—it's either free or just $5 to skate. Be aware that bags aren’t allowed on the ice, and lockers are available for $3 or $5 (card only). I recommend reserving your time slot in advance since they can fill up quickly. If you prefer to avoid the initial rush, arriving later in your time slot can be a good move. Keep in mind, though, that the ice gets pretty chewed up from the rental skates as the session goes on. Overall, it’s a great experience and an amazing way to enjoy downtown Chicago during the winter season!

I was at the ice rink last week, and I really liked the atmosphere. There wasn’t a long line for skates, although it got busier later. The ice was well-maintained, and the skates glided smoothly without any issues. If you’re a beginner, you can get an additional support to help you not fall on the ice. There’s a café nearby where you can buy hot chocolate, and I really liked the mozzarella sticks. I’m not very good at skating, but I enjoyed it and hope to go again soon

Strongly recommend getting tickets in advance, as they were sold out for same day purchase the two days that we went. Also recommend getting there a few minutes early if possible to get your skates and locker. Fair warning- after about half an hour the rink becomes pretty cut up, and an hour in it will be a bit dangerous for novice skaters. Other than that, it was wonderful to skate the loop in downtown Chicago during Christmas time. At night it is especially gorgeous with the city and Christmas lights

The experience is great and very fan. Grab your own skates with you though, their skates are sucks.

What a great time! Definitely recommend nigh time skate so you can enjoy the holiday lights

We came here for a date night activity and would highly recommend it to anyone. We reserved our tickets online in advance, which made planning the rest of our day much easier as there was a time slot for us. When we arrived, the line wasn't too long as we waited for our wristbands and skates. The staff was friendly and quick to assist us, especially when we needed to exchange skate sizes. The ice skating ribbon itself was such a fun experience. I'd argue that it's cooler than a regular oval rink or the Millenium Park ice rink. For those needing extra support, there are railings around the rink, as well as penguin skate aids that you can rent(mostly for kids, but I saw adults using them too!). There's also a concession stand with hot chocolate and other sweet treats to enjoy. Since reservations are required, the rink never felt overcrowded, and there was enough space to skate at your own pace without worrying about being trampled over. It's such a great winter activity in Chicago, whether you're with family, friends, or on a date. I can't wait to go back!

Great date idea before dinner! I'm always around the Park but never tried skating here before. A good experience at night but it does get uncomfortable of when it's busy - I wish they capped entry. The ice was not the best but good enough to get an easy workout in!

This is the best place in the city to ice skate in my opinion. You have to sign up online for a time slot that regulates how many individuals can be on the ice. The rink is very expansive and surrounded by so many skyscrapers and trees that it feels like you're in the middle of a forest. If you're a novice like my cousins you could rent a penguin to help guide you. Honestly a great investment if you're worried about falling. There was a hot chocolate station and lockers for shoes and bags. If you haven't been here don't waste your time at other venues

LOVE THIS PLACE. I love ice skating and with the skyline of Chicago as your view, it felt like a movie. Check in was incredibly easy, staff were super friendly, and the ice and atmosphere were amazing. Sooooo much better than Millennium Park's rink, I promise!! The ribbon is huge, so crowds weren't really an issue. The Rink Cafe has food and drink options located right off the rink. Food is a little costly. I love this place so much and it deserves a great review. The vibes are immaculate around the holidays.

Ice wasn't the best quality. Kinda pricy for rental but the ice skates rental I had were in good condition. Love the view and the difference of ice skating in the ribbon than just a regular skating rink. Bathrooms and locker rentals are inside the building straight ahead after you pick up your skates and wristband. It can get busy so I recommend making your reservation in advance online.

Came here on a weekend afternoon for the first time. It's $5 if you bring your own skates. I was shocked by the condition of the ice. It made it completely unenjoyable to skate. It was about 40 degrees out and large areas in the sun were melting while others were so worn down and bumpy. It was so hard to get any momentum or glide. I did two laps before calling it quits. I'll definitely have to stick to Chicago's many indoor options. Despite it being crowded there was still enough space to skate and move around. Pro: The online reservation process was easy. Lots of space to hang out and put on your skates.

I wasn't able to even ice skate because they don't take walk in's which they don't say on there website and didn't say they were sold out. My little cousins were very upset and cried :(

Had an unfortunate experience yesterday. Bought a $21 ticket for myself to skate with rentals, and a $5 ticket for my girlfriend to use her own skates. We forgot to bring her skates, and we took an uber to the rink so we couldn't go back and get them. I figured it wouldn't be a problem, and we would be able to just pay the extra $16 to get her rental skates or even buy another ticket altogether. When we got there and I explained our situation to the staff, they claimed there was nothing they could do. They wouldn't even allow us to purchase another ticket. It seemed like there could have been a few reasonable ways to compromise, considering there were plenty of skates available and we had already reserved our spot to be on the ice, but the manager was set on turning us away. I spoke with a few different employees, and no one was able to help us out. Really disappointed with the lack of understanding. Luckily, I am a local and have skated here before so I know that Chicago is better than this, but it would be very unfortunate if someone was visiting the city for the first time and their perception was based off an event like this.

They need to work on their ticketing system. They were sold out of tickets for rental skates but I stopped by both skate rental sheds (my kids both had their own skates) to see if I could rent, and despite there being dozens of skates in the sheds, I was told all the skates were accounted for . Also, we were there for a skate with Santa and Santa was just some teenager dressed up in a fake beard. I'm lucky my 6 yo didn't catch on and have the Santa illusion ruined...

(Went here last December) The holiday lights and decorations create a festive atmosphere, and the ice skating is a fun experience. It's a great place to enjoy the season and take in the city's holiday spirit. A must-see during the holidays!

Such an amazing experience and view of downtown Chicago! The ribbon is placed perfectly to get amazing views of the skyline. I highly recommend getting there early, especially if you're a beginner as the rink does get a bit crowded with "advanced" skaters flying past you on every twist and turn. I didn't like that they didn't brief you on what to expect, how to skate, how to stop etc. it was basically every man for themselves. I do think there should be some sort of briefing for beginners (optional) just to ease the minds of all skaters. They also offer food and hot drinks however, it wasn't that cold while skating surprisingly. Overall, I enjoyed! P.S. I have a video of the view that won't post but pics/videos don't do it any justice.

If you're in Chicago, I recommend this place because it's so fun! The lockers were $5 to rent a big one and it was 2 hour intervals, but we only had an hour and some change because we got there late. The ice rink wasn't too packed, just the right amount of people! It's very organized and there is a restroom available. There were workers around the rink to help people if they needed. The rails along the rink were very helpful and there were also stops along the rink so people could take a break! I recommend this one compared to the main rink they have! They do two hour intervals because the ice needs to smoothed out by that time which I appreciate!

Such a cool rink in the middle of the city! Love how it's a ribbon/trail instead of your traditional rink. You get a full view of the city too. We went on a weekday night which was nice because it's a small width, so having less people was much easier to skate in. I imagine it gets tight on the weekends (noticed those tickets sell out quickly too). They had little penguins for the kids to hold on to and there's a lot of railing available too. The tickets are for a full 2 hours, which is a really nice length of time. There's a cute little shop next to the rink selling hot coco, coffee, and some other snacks/drinks too. Of note, most people just left their shoes by the benches. You can rent lockers if you need to store stuff. We parked in the Millennium parking garage which was waaaay cheaper if you bought the parking pass online.

Loved this place! Much better than the standard ice rink you usually get. It was much more interesting to go around the ribbon with his slight incline and declines. One star off because the lockers were extortionate (we didn't see we could leave shoes outside)

What a beautiful skating rink!!! For us this was one of those moments to bask in what a beautiful city we live in. The rink is surrounded by towering buildings and at nighttime, during the winter it feels extra magical! Parking was so convenient which is weird to say for a park in the middle of a city. We parked in the Chicago lakeside garage via SpotHero and there is a pedway connecting the garage to the rink so it was very minimal walking! The facilities are nice - they have lockers you can pay 5 dollars for or if you feel comfortable there are places to just leave your shoes inside or around the rink. I will say the rental skates weren't the best. The sizing is all over the place and one of our skates had a bent blade, some broken laces etc. We loved having the hot cocoa/snack shop in the middle of the rink and everything we had from there was surprisingly good! Overall even though I may have learned that skating is not my specialty, this was a fun night out!

ICE ICE BABY.... HOW FUN IS THIS PLACE ?!?! If I could give 10 stars I would. Me and my husband came here on vacation and absolutely fell in love with this rink. Love that it is a skating ribbon and not just a circle rink that you skate in. ((Note: it does have elevation changes so beware of the declines if you are a new skater)) Love that this is in the middle of the park, surrounded by beautiful skyscrapers to look at while you go buy. Perfect volume of music throughout the whole ribbon. You sign up online to reserve a time. Check in was super easy using QR codes and you can choose between hokey or figure skating skates (I always go with the hockey skates because I hate the front of figure skates). Decent amount of lockers inside. Penguins to rent for skaters that need help. I loved this experience and can't wait to visit again!

I had so much fun! I highly recommend the skating ribbon since it's not just a regular rink. They have some parts that are slightly uphill and downhill. I came here on a Saturday afternoon and waited an hour for skates. If you have your own skates, you can skip the line and walk on. They have lockers for $3 to place your bags/items. The rental is $15 and they have both hockey and figure skates. I would recommend going with the hockey skates. I would come here every week to skate if I had my own skates. Before going, check the zamboni schedule so you know when you will need to get off the ice.

The backdrop for this skating ribbon is gorgeous and perfect for the gram likes, but was well overpriced and the ice was very rugged. I believe we got to the end of the hour block we reserved but still it was near impossible to glide over the ice without bumps. Also, the amount of skaters was a bit much, trying to dodge people was difficult. The part that was most disappointing was we were by the food truck and they cut the rink off and made us take out skates and walk barefoot with no shoes on in the cold, when asked to skate back to where we locked up our belongings they simply replied with a "sorry we can't help you and then we had 3 different staff members rush us while we were eating to take out skates off.

This is one of the coolest public skating rink I've ever been too! It's free to skate if you have your own.. otherwise theres rentals and lockers for a fee. (Changes when it's holidays vs normal days) Went here during Thanksgiving weekend and it was BUSY! We had to wait an hour for rentals. So I suggest that you take advantage of their website where you can have Fast Pass for rentals and lockers. Or rent your skates elsewhere and bring them.. so you can just hop on in there.

Being a hockey family and my 15 years of coaching our visit was way overdue. After a visit to the art Institute my son and I brought our skates in case we wanted to skate the ribbon. We had not visited all these years since the couple times we wanted to ... lines were extremely long. We parked in the Millennium Park underground North garage grabbed our hockey bag and walked to Maggie Dailey Park which only took 5 mins. The snow was coming down and we arrived to this winter marvel. Wow! Was my first I impression ... my second was where is everyone on a Friday night at 5pm. Surprised to find maybe only 50 people we went to the main lobby where we laced up and bundled back up. My wife hung out to watch us and walk around the ribbon while we skated. It was so great to skate around with hardly anyone out on the ribbon. Despite the snow the ice was in great shape unlike a some of the feedback I got from other hockey friends visits in the past. We liked the minor rolling hills which was fun to skate around and enjoy the glide down hill and strides up hill. The experience was amazing! Tips: Bring your own skates. It's free to skate here with your own skates $15 rentals are kind of steep Careful entering and exitIng the ribbon as there is a cement curb coming on and off the ice = destroys your edges Week day night was amazing under the skyline for us. Millennium Park North Parking - easy walk to the park

Nothing beats skating through downtown Chicago in a middle of the pandemic so the rink is pretty much all yours!! I have skated multiple times in Chicago from Rosemont to the one in front of Millennium Park, but Maggie Daley hits different. (Probably also bc we pretty much had the rink to ourselves) We first bought tickets online and you need to choose dates and time slots. There is additional charge for entrance and also to rent skates. Skate rental: $16 Skate with own skates: $5 My bf had his own skates but I didn't, so when you first select your skates online, it asks if you want the options of figure skates or hockey skates. I honestly didn't know the difference but figure skates have longer blades. I chose hockey and it was perfect for me. Google if you need help or call and ask before reserving. They also have season passes, and lockers there to rent. Upon check-in, they made sure to check our reservations and were handed bracelets to show we paid. Then we were in and I had to check in again to rent the skates. They have multiple rest areas to sit and put skates on and etc. You had to have your masks on the whole time. I also recommend bringing extra masks bc our masks got wet during bc it was cold out and from the warm breathing. My bf and I had a blast skating around the ribbon. I enjoyed it more than going around in a circle like other places. This one was nice with a city view :) We will definitely be back and I recommend everyone to experience one of Chicago's gem.

Probably the best outdoor ice skating rink in Chicago. It's a continuous loop which makes it great for beginners since there's no need to turn around plus a rail that lines the loop and awesome for more advanced skaters looking for speed and openness. Skate rentals are $13 weekdays and $15 weekends. If you own your own pair of skates then it's free to jump on the ice and start skating. They also have locker rentals for $2. Check before you go on the Zamboni times I believe it's 2:30 & 5:30 because resurfacing can take up to 45-60 minutes. There's a concessions area right off the ice that has a good number of picnic style tables where you can sit and warm up with a hot chocolate or other menu items. Check it out it's a Fun experience!

DON'T RENT SKATES HERE. We went here last weekend and I rented hockey skates. I have been skating since I was young and know how to wear them properly. I have no clue what was in the skate but it punctured my foot. The picture is of my wound and the blood stain on my sock which is 2 inches in diameter. Additionally the staff were screaming at people for not wearing masks even though they had their mask pulled down over their nose. So much for health and safety in a pandemic. I would assume they are legally liable for maintaining their equipment and I am considering taking legal action. Dear Chicago Park District, thanks for a healthful, wonderful, and enchanting date night.

Came to ice skate, walked up and as seen in the photo saw about 15 people max on the rink and off. They said they DONT do walk-ups, so despite their website saying they do, and the sign outside the skate rentals, they lied and they ONLY take online reservations. Now, keep in mind we only saw a maximum amount of 15 people, the online reservations were on hold, and the people working said that even though it was empty and no one actually showed up with their reservations, they could not let us pay to skate. So they would rather have an empty rink than let people pay to enjoy and use it. Don't come here, look for other places around the area to ice skate, this one is NOT WORTH IT!!!! STAY AWAY

Amazing though not for total beginners, some it has an uphill and downhill slope and somewhat narrow.Great workout , winter atmosphere and views of an amazing skyline, and very nice food stand.

Planning ahead is KEY!!! This place can get so busy! It's SO fun though, and the view can't be beat. It feels like being part of a Christmas movie skating here. We live in CA and still try to make in here annually. One of our absolute favorite holiday traditions.

It's like a winter lazy river! This was a highlight of my visit to see my friend in Chicago. We only had time to go around about 10 times but it was worth it for the view in the heart of Chicago's skyline. We felt like we were in a Christmas movie! You get the annoying speed demon show offs like on any rink but they pass. It's like, we get it, you played hockey in high school. Perhaps they should have some more assertive employees monitoring the course because there were a lot of children just learning to skate. However this is NOT the place for your kids to learn to skate on a weekend night. Too hectic, crowded, and dangerous. Maybe a weekday afternoon would be better. I'm pretty sure there's hot chocolate sold nearby! We could smell the stand, yum. Notes: 1. Should be open later. Realistically, people should be able to skate until midnight on the weekends. 2. Try and time it so that you get on the ice right after the zamboni is done. You get longer to skate and the ice won't be trashed.

Nice change-up from your traditional oval skating rink. Highly recommend booking online in advanced so you don't need to wait in line. Went with a friend on a Friday afternoon and it was surprisingly busy. Overall we had a great time. We had our QR code tickets ready and checking in was quick and easy. Hockey skates were as you'd expect from a rental, pretty work but did the trick. The ice was rough, unsure how often they use the zamboni. Some of the course of the loop is slightly uphill and slightly downhill so it was a bit more of a workout than regular rink skating. There are railings on both sides throughout the track and they have little penguins with handles for kids to push and help them stay up. There were bottleneck areas at peak busy times which was a bit annoying, but to be expected.

It was so nice that we didn't have to wait in line due to online reservations and covid. Hopefully this reservation system continues. We rented ice skates and were given some of the worst skates I've ever seen. You would think that they would replace the skates after they have served their time, but no, the skates were awful. That alone made the experience not so great. We arrived right at our start time and quickly laced up (the parts we could lace) and went to the ice. I was surprised to find that even after the zamboni had smoothed the ice, it was still not that smooth making it hard to skate. The skates wouldn't lace properly and without ankle support, it is hard to go anywhere on the ice. While I would want to come back, I certainly would NOT rent their terrible skates. It's a crime that they are making so much money off of rentals. Regarding face masks, everyone I saw was wearing one. I was a little weary after reading reviews, but found no problem with masks.

This place is magical. Locker rentals are a great deal. I have my own skates so I can't tell you about their skate rentals. I appreciate that this isnt just the run of the mill oval shape. The wide "course" makes sure that you don't collide with others and are able to easily pass others. I'll be back soon. I swear.

Super cool outdoor skating spot. So much more fun because it is like a lazy river on ice. I recommend checking it out. You must make reservations ahead because of Covid. I am only giving 2 stars because their Covid response was so weak. They say that masks are required but once on the ice, there were plenty of folks either not wearing masks at all or it was pulled down around their necks, effectively putting everyone on the ribbon at risk. There was plenty of staff, so there is no reason that this couldn't be enforced, yet nobody was saying anything to them. We are all sick of this situation but......sorry guys, this is completely unacceptable.

This is the crème de la crème of playgrounds and after visiting this playground a few times I must say, I am jealous of you Chicagoans on behave of my children. According to the Chicago Tribune, it cost $60M and took two years to complete what is at Maggie Daley Park as of right now. The park was very well planned and I love that they considered safety a major factor when designing this place. They used concrete for the paths and playground and covered them with different colours of recycled tires throughout the park that makes it easy on the knees and feet for children. If you live here or are visiting, this is the place to take your children. The park is broken up into different sections based appropriate ages, so for example they have an area for ages 2, 5-12, etc... Two of my favourite areas are the nest swings, these swings totally rock, but there are only three, so this area gets packed quickly. Parents should be considerate and limit their kids using these swings to about 10-15 minutes so other kids can swing. The second awesome area is the wood bridge with the slide, the kids love climbing to the top and going down the slide. The view at the top is beautiful; kids as well as those parents who slide down with their young toddlers can get a view of the lake, the city and the majority of the park. The park also has bubblers (drinking fountain), these are cool as they have small, medium and tall to accommodate everyone. I highly recommend this park. Stay healthy and fit. [Review #306] (Sixty Sixth Review of 2015)

Beautiful rink, gorgeous day for a nice date. Garbage rentals. We Went through three pairs of skates and on the third pair, the blade was cracked on a single skate in two places. I returned the third pair and left quietly in frustration.

A bit pricey for a pair of skates taking in consideration that you have to break often for resurfacing and would not want to wait 30 or so mins in skates while it is done. Also, I would've hoped to leave my shoes in the lockers for free but you also have to pay $3 to rent out a locker which is extremely hard to operate and is very small. No instruction posted and you have to go back to the main desk where it seems like people are tired of being asked the same questions about locker operation. On a brighter side, the rink itself is way more entertaining than the regular oval one, so it makes up for a hiccup with the skates rental.

Still in love with the Skating Ribbon! The winding ice ribbon is fun and unique - no more boring skating in a circle. The $12 rental line can be super long, especially around the holidays, but if you have your own skates you can pop right on! Lockers are available for $2. You get the card at the skate rental desk to the left of the line and have to turn over your driver's license. As I mentioned in my earlier review: The ribbon itself is about 20 feet wide and winds around, taking an averagely bad skater about 3 minutes. There are turns and little hills making it a fun little journey, and the inclines aren't too steep, but fun to skate down. About half way through is a little "rest stop" you can pull off and sit at a picnic table and buy a cup of hot cocoa from the little stand. (You can enter from this area as well if you have your own skates.) Definitely worth a visit!!!! Pro Tip: Mind the zamboni times. It takes them an hour to clean the ice a couple times a day, but they'll tweet out the times at https://twitter.com/MaggieDaleyPark

The Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon was a very cool public skating area. It's not just an open space, but it's designed more like a race track. The skating ribbon was busy. We had to wait a good 15 minutes before we were let in to building to get rentals. They automatically give hockey skates to the guys and figure skates to the girls, so request the other type if you want a specific type. They also have a limited supply of sizes, but people are constantly coming in and out, so the sizes get restocked pretty quickly if one wants to change skates. The ribbon itself is pretty wide and busy. At certain parts of the ribbon, there were a bit of uneven patches with tiny holes, so be aware as they can throw off your skating (though this was right before they used the zamboni). It's definitely a fun experience and it's free if you bring your own skates! The ribbon itself is definitely 5* for ice skating in my book, but the customer service was not ideal, so it loses a star.

So imaginative! The winding shape with little ups & downs, wrapped around towering rock climbing walls and underneath the Chicago skyline, makes this no ordinary ice skating rink! Why in the world have we just been skating in circles all these years?? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that everyone has caught on. On the weekend I'd recommend getting there early and double checking the Zamboni times because you can really get burned. I'm talking 45-60 minutes for them to clean the ice. You'd think they could get a second zamboni for how much money they're probably raking in. 14 bucks for skate rental on the wknd, $12 M-Th. If you have your own skates, you can jump on for free. The even bigger benefit to this is skipping the skate rental line - I've seen it get up to 2 hours long in the afternoon and I don't think that's unusual! There are benches to sit on all along the outside of the rink, plus a whole area of picnic tables on one side if you want to take a break and warm up with some hot chocolate. Definitely a perfect winter activity for friends and families of all ages!

Can I just say that this place has the absolute best music EVER???? Whitney, Mariah, Toni Braxton & more! I have no idea which 90s infomercial CD they bought, but I want a copy! I was probably annoying/embarrassing the shit out of my gf singing them all out loud, lol. Sorry NOT sorry ;) As for the ribbon itself... they need to ride that zamboni over it a few more times per day. They only run it *twice*, 2:30 and 5:30. Come on!! There's hella people on this thing and the ice gets all torn up. Maybe I should've carved "ZAMBONI ME" in the ice like people do on dirty windshields... Staff are super nice, even the very sweet security guard who convinced us to actually skate on the ice instead of just walking around the path... I can blame him for the subsequent pain that followed. Hot chocolate and etc. are available round the back for a pick me up. And as for my skating skills... let's just say I'm glad there's a railing that goes all the way around the rink!! I clung to that sucker for dear life! A fun place to come with your boothang, try to come early or after the zamboni times for the best ice. And make sure your skating skills are en pointe, unlike mine!

I had been meaning to skate here for literal years when my fiancé and I finally decided to check it out on a weeknight. I have a pair of skates, so I was able to bring them and hop right on to the ice. My fiancé rented a pair, which cost $12 (pretty steep). We also paid $2 for a locker. However, the ribbon is super neat, it wasn't that crowded, and I loved that they play music. I will certainly be back!

The ice was super bad like the zamboni hadn't gone through in weeks. Also my mom fell, broke her wrist and NO ONE stopped to ask if she was okay. So thanks

It should come as no surprise that my rare 1-star review comes at the mercy of the City of Chicago, who of course, are tasked with running this establishment. Like anything run by the City of Chicago, incompetence and disorder are commonplace. Let's start with the fact that I WAITED FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF AND DID NOT GET TO SKATE. If you own skates, you're good. You can just jump in and skate for free without worry. Well good for you, Mr. I Planned Ahead! (slow clap) Now for those of us who require rentals, there is a huge line that stretches around the ribbon. The lady friend wanted to ice skate, so I obliged, and we waited. Here's the kicker that blew my mind. When there's only about ten people ahead of us (almost there!), they stop the line and say no more rentals! Would it kill these morons to tell people a little sooner that they close rentals soon and they won't get to skate? As in, close the line early, separating those who will get in and those who won't like every other functioning establishment does these days? No, that makes too much sense. Make the 200+ people waiting in line go home after waiting anywhere between 1-3 hours in line is the Chicago Way... This place is run by a bunch of dumbasses. Plain and simple. Buy your own skates or avoid this tourist trap like the plague.

For those of you who might not be aware, during the time Maggie Daley was alive, was a huge lover of children and family. Her After School Matters program was designed to help teens get ahead in the world. So it comes as no surprise that Maggie Daley Park is one of the most soulful areas of the city filled with the laughter of children and families from all wakes of life and cultural backgrounds. We had the pleasure of visiting last night during our staycation vacation with the boys, and I honestly didn't want to leave. Surrounded by some of the most architecturally significant buildings in Chicago, this lively heart of the city connected to Millennium Park is not to be missed. Just pack up your kiddos, drive there, take the bus, the train, a taxi, an Uber, whatever your form of transportation is, and go. You will not be disappointed. It felt a bit like being in the land of Oz, it's so unexpected and there is a yellow painted walkway that connects many of the play areas--"follow the yellow brick road." Some have described the park as having a bit of a Wonka-ish feel, especially when you walk through the Enchanted Forest and randomly bump into a bunch of mirrors. Here's another visual for you. The many lamp posts stand tall and look like giant praying mantisis. Hmmm...the all protector with a 360 degree watchful eye? Here are facts about the park you should be made aware of before you set out: * You will be blown away that this even exists. * Your kiddos, especially those who are on the younger side, will thank you for taking them. * There are picnic tables everywhere, so pack a snack if you like. * Seating is abundant. * Be prepared to have a watchful eye, because it's packed and hard to keep track of your kiddos. * Best time to go IMO is around 5ish, because it's not too hot and the city lights glisten in the background adding to the magic when it starts to get dark. * Slides are metal. * Play area ground is rubber. * Climbing walls and mini golf cost $. * Older kiddos, like mine (age 9), went on a few of the slides but mostly enjoyed people watching and being in the heart of it all. Rolling down the hills seemed to be a highlight! * Parking garage is $29, but it's worth it. For those who want to just walk, there is a beautiful cancer garden and stops for a peaceful rest. Of course Maggie Park connects to Millennium Park, so your stay can be extended by passing over to the the other side on the cool snake-like looking bridge to check out the bean and many gardens. Note: No real covered areas, so bring sun block if you go during the day.

This was such an awesome experience! I loved how there was only one direction that you could skate versus in a chaotic rink. Go early to avoid the crowds.

Pretty cool place to go skating in the city! Loved the different terrain and hills, opposed to a flat, wide open rink.

This has been on my Chicago bucket list since it opened. The whole experience was truly wonderful -- we came on a gorgeous day as the sun was setting. Didn't feel too crowded. Truly lovely. Until we had to leave. When we went in to return our skates (when we rented them, we had to wait about 20 minutes. Felt fair given that we came at a peak time). The line to return skates led all the way to the back of the room and wrapped around the locker room. No one on the staff was managing the line. It was an absolute zoo. People were also cutting the line like crazy. We end up waiting OVER AN HOUR just to RETURN OUR SKATES (they had our shoes or we would have just dropped them and left). When we get to the front of the line, I see a group of high schoolers cutting the line by getting in the rental line, and staff is still agreeing to take their skates!!! When I confront the kids, they don't care. I go up to a staff member, who doesn't seem to care either, saying "I'm just a cashier". Turns out they only have two people working at the rental return, and shoes hadn't consistently been placed in the cubbies where the skates came from, hence why it took an eon. If you own skates, I'd say this is a worthwhile experience. But if not, unless they get their logistics figured out, I wouldn't bother. Enjoy the Millennium Park views and skate somewhere else.

Great fun rink but this year, especially the ice has been pretty bad. Very bumpy, almost like speed bumps.

Opening day and everything looks great! The skating ribbon and the whole park are sure to be must see sights. What makes it so unique is that you don't just go around in a circle but in a figure eight type pattern (except you don't cross over in the middle).

Great concept, love the track, but the problems with public skating in the middle of a large city bring this place to 4 stars. We skated for an hour or so one night. We have our own skates so for us there was no charge to skate...we know how to skate well, and enjoy good ice. But the ice was very rough due to the traffic on it. I didn't see the Zamboni come out, but I was told it takes a long time. If you can figure out when it runs and come out and skate right when it is done you will definitely enjoy yourself a more on clean ice. The slight inclines and declines were a bit unnerving at first, but we got used to them pretty quick. If you are new skater then they will probably mess with you.

Amazing, amazing, amazing view of the city from here! Four friends and I went on a Tuesday night, hoping that the wait would not be as long. The wait was over an hour long, so be prepared. Really creative idea in creating a lazy river type of ice skating rink. But, I felt that there were more slopes to climb. It felt too much of a workout for ice skating (if I want to go to the gym, I definitely will). The ice gets bad real quick and the zamboni machine took quite a while. Better view then McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink, but quite the wait and too much of a work out. I think I'll stick to the classic ice skating rink, where my legs aren't aching the entire time.