Roebling Rink's season is scheduled to open November 14 on its wooden deck at Emily Warren Roebling Plaza, directly under the Brooklyn Bridge. It's an 8,600-square-foot pop-up that the Brooklyn Eagle watched crews assemble from parts stacked beneath the span. The views are the same and the season runs through January 31, 2027. For anyone with a New York City address, the price is also the same as last year.
The change this year is who pays more. In its October 26 announcement, Brooklyn Bridge Park set the 2026–27 rates at $16 admission and $8 skate rental for New York City residents, and $20 and $12 for everyone else, with taxes and fees included. In its first three seasons, the rink has tried three ways to give locals a break. This year the break is the regular price, and it applies on every ticket.
Three seasons, three versions of the local perk
The rink's prices and perks have changed each winter since it took the Roebling name.
| Season | Admission | Skate rental | What locals got | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | $10 | $7 | Two free weekly sessions for Brooklyn residents, booked in person with a Brooklyn ID | November 25, 2024 |
| 2025–26 | $16 | $8 | A limited number of free walk-up tickets at select sessions, with ID showing an NYC address | November 24, 2025 |
| 2026–27 | $16 for NYC residents, $20 for others | $8 for NYC residents, $12 for others | A residents' rate applied automatically at checkout | November 14, 2026 |
In the first Roebling season, the local benefit was narrow. Brooklyn residents could get two free sessions a week, Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m. and Monday from 5 to 6 p.m., booked in person with a Brooklyn address on their ID, according to Mommy Poppins' guide that season. Everyone else paid $10.
Last winter, admission went up to $16 and the free tickets became a wider walk-up program. The Brooklyn Eagle reported that ten complimentary tickets were set aside for each session Monday through Thursday and for sessions 2 through 4 on Fridays. They went first come, first served, booked in person with an NYC address on an ID. That made ten free spots per session, with no guarantee of getting one.
This season, according to the rink's FAQ, residents of all five boroughs are eligible for discounted tickets, and "the locals discount will be automatically applied during checkout." Locals still pay $16. The rink raised prices for the people who don't live here.
What a checkout discount changes on a Tuesday afternoon
The old local perks depended on showing up in person. A free spot meant standing at the rink with your ID and hoping one of the ten was left. The 2026 rate is applied when you book online, so there's no need to be at the rink in person to claim it.
The difference also adds up quickly for a group. For a family of four renting skates, the New York City rate comes to $96 and the visitor rate to $128. That $32 gap per outing is the clearest way to see this season's pricing. A Brooklyn Heights household with guests from out of town for Thanksgiving week will pay both rates at once.
The rink sells a lot of tickets. The Brooklyn Eagle, citing IRL Works, a partner of operator The Experiential Group, reported more than 150,000 tickets sold in the 2024–25 season. Skating in the park dates back to 2023, when the Glide rink and its indoor cafe were run by BSE Global, the parent company of Barclays Center, together with IMG. The Experiential Group took over in 2024, and the cafe did not return.
The clock moved, too
Pricing isn't the only change. The season's announced start is November 14, ten days earlier than last year's November 24, and it ends a day earlier, on January 31 instead of February 1. Daily hours shifted as well:
- Monday to Thursday: 1:30 to 9:30 p.m., up from 2 to 9 p.m. last season
- Friday: 12:30 to 10 p.m., unchanged
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., a half hour later than last season's 10 a.m. start
How a ticket works changed too. Last season, you booked a slot and could arrive any time within a two-hour window for 60 minutes on the ice. This season, each ticket is good for 60 minutes of skating within a 90-minute session slot, and the ice is cleaned between sessions. The shorter window means more sessions fit into a day. The opening-day schedule for Saturday, November 14, lists six sessions, starting at 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., with the last one ending at 10. It also means less leeway if you're running late.
The opening-day program also shows what the park books here. The announcement lists free admission for the first two sessions, crafts led by Brooklyn Bridge Park educators, the Brooklyn Museum's Museum on Wheels, Milk, the drag performer and figure skating champion, joining the 6:30 session, and an 8 p.m. set by the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. The park says more special events will be announced during the season.
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year. The rink is closed that day, and hours may vary around other holidays. The calendar on roeblingrink.com shows each day's schedule.
How $24 compares with other NYC rinks
For a New York City resident, an hour at Roebling with rental costs $24. Here is what the other major rinks list for this season:
- Wollman Rink in Central Park: adult admission from $16 off-peak to $28 peak and $40 prime, $12 for children 4 to 12 and seniors, plus $12 for skate rental. An off-peak adult with rental pays $28.
- The Rink at Bryant Park: free admission, with rentals listed from $18.72 to $64.48 including the administrative fee.
- LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park: $10 cash for daytime general admission Tuesday through Friday, a $5 Monday special, $15 cash for evenings, weekends and holidays, and $10 cash for rentals, with slightly higher card prices.
LeFrak is still the cheapest option in Brooklyn for a weekday afternoon. Roebling's resident rate lands below Wollman's off-peak total and in line with a basic rental at Bryant Park. A visitor at Roebling pays $32 with rental, which puts the rink closer to Wollman's peak pricing.
Before you book
- Sign the waiver at checkout. Every guest needs one, including anyone who comes along and doesn't skate, and you can't get onto the rink without it.
- Know the cancellation terms. Tickets are non-refundable. You can reschedule up to 5 hours before your session, and if the rink closes for weather or mechanical problems, you reschedule through your confirmation email.
- Leave the snacks and the dog at home. Outside food and drinks other than water, pets and alcohol aren't allowed. Lockers are available, and there's stroller parking inside the rink if you check in with staff.
- Book lessons separately. Fireworks Skating Academy teaches private and group lessons during select sessions on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Rink tickets come with the lesson, and skates are rented separately.
- Plan ahead for a big group. Purchases of 10 or more tickets get a discount; email [email protected] to set it up. Ignazio's offers groups of 10 or more a discount when they show Roebling Rink tickets, as long as the reservation is confirmed with the restaurant 24 hours in advance.
- Take the 2/3 to Clark Street. The park also lists the A/C at High Street, the F at York Street, the NYC Ferry DUMBO stop and the B25 bus.
At The Rosen Team, we follow small local changes like a rink's pricing or a session that got 30 minutes shorter, because in Brooklyn Heights that kind of detail is part of what you're buying into. If you'd like to talk through the Heights the way it works on a weekday afternoon, schedule a 10-minute introductory call.
