Downtown Ice

This rink is expensive $ 15 for kids and $ 17 for adults. Price includes skate rentals, but if you have your own rentals there is no discount.
The ice is in horrible shape. It is bumpy. There is debris on the ice. The middle is full of water, so if you fall you’ll be soaked through.
Once you leave you can’t come back, so go to the bathroom before entering.

It’s a nice enough rink, and it’s always fun to skate outside, however the ice was not the best quality. To be fair, they did warn us when we paid that they were not going to re-​do the ice again the night we went, so it might be a bit rough. I’ve definitely skated on worse though. We went on a Saturday early evening, and it was a lot less crowded than I expected. There were still a lot of people skating every which direction, but easy enough for me to maneuver around (I did skate on almost a daily basis for 12 years growing up though, so skating is pretty much as natural as walking to me). The center ice was much smoother than the ice in the outer ring. I brought me own skates, but my boyfriend rented skates and said they were fine. Like other people here have said, it was weird though how they only take one shoe when you get the rental skates. Overall, I had a fun experience here.

Came here last night since I had a groupon so it wasn’t expensive for me and my husband. Plus since it was after 6pm we found free street parking nearby.
I’ve never gone skating before so I basically held the railing :) There were a few spots where the ice had been worn down which, for a newbie like me, caused me to trip up a little but everyone else seemed fine.
The skates fit good and even though they were a little worn out it didn’t bother me. The staff was very nice as well. And it was a fun experience!

Really fun wintertime option, although I feel bad for them this year with all the rain. You pay one fee for skate rental and the skating itself. Then no in and out privileges. It was warm the day we went so the ice was wet, but it is CA… The staff were all nice and we enjoined ourselves.

I love the holiday season and one of my favorite winter activity is to go ice skating! I found a Groupon deal and decided it was worth the hassle of driving to downtown. The location wasn’t too bad as there were a lot of parking garages around and they have Christmas in the Park going on as well so it created a really festive atmosphere.
I like how the rink is split into 2 sections where you can skate (in one direction!) on the outside of the circle and you can freestyle in the middle of the rink. It helps keep it so people aren’t doing incredible stupid things all over the rink — just parts of it, haha.
The check in process was easy and the skates weren’t too uncomfortable. The staff was pretty nice. There are no lockers though so leave your stuff in your car or you can risk hiding it underneath the benches.
The ice was a little choppy and could use some smoothing out, but it wasn’t horrible.
Overall, it was fun and festive.

We were given free passes, so only needed to pay for parking.
The ice rink is beautifully built. My kids love the inner rink so they can gain their confidence without more skilled skaters whizzing by.
The staff were inattentive. The female staffer more interested in her mobile phone vs safety of there patrons. So unprofessional!
The sunnier side of the rink experienced ice degradation due to melting. Made for rather slick spots on the ice.
Overall, a fun day for my kids and me.

Hello,
I am looking for witnesses to a fall on Christmas day. It happened just outside the rink on the steps next to the entrance of the rink. If you saw a man fall down the steps or were one of the people who helped him up, PLEASE contact me asap. He’s older, very tall, greying hair, glasses, likely wearing tan pants and a dark jacket. He was with a petite brunette in her late 50’s.
Thank you.

If you like to wait in lines, then this place is perfect for you! There are multiple lines that will fulfill your line-​waiting desires. The first line is for purchasing the ticket ($ 17). Once you gain entry, you are faced with yet another line for your skates. They’ve got lines galore here! Also, be prepared to get your socks wet because you need to give them your right shoe in exchange for your skates. There is also enough slush on the ice to create an army of snowmen. But hey, this place is conveniently located right next to Christmas in the Park, so what better way is there to end the romantic stroll with your significant other, or to tire out your hyperactive children before bedtime?

Long line, disgusting old skates (some), crowded, long line to return the skates, lots of shaved ice on rink which made difficult to skate, did I mention crowded?

Inflexible and unprofessional young staff working the event. We paid $ 30 for two children to skate. Even with the rain, we knew they would enjoy themselves. No less than 15 minutes in, our girls need to use the restroom. Because it’s raining pretty heavily, we ask can we have their shoes back, which the staff says no. He tells us to either carry them, without a shoe, to the portable restrooms, or return both skates for one shoe. I explain how ridiculous it is as the restroom is less than 100 feet from the rink but in no condition for anyone, especially a child, to stand in without a shoe. He calls his «supervisor» over who reiterated their no «in and out» privilege policy. We were rudely advised we could pay another $ 30 to return after walking to the portable bathroom but once she removed her shoes the session ended. So we paid $ 30 for 15 minutes. I will never return.

The Good:
+ Central location with great seasonal décor.
+ Unlimited skating.
The Not So Good:
— No ins and outs, meaning you can’t use the restroom once you hit the ice.
— Rental skates are incredibly worn and dated. Even when you tighten them down as much as possible, most don’t retain the shape or support to let you straight leg.
— Really poor ice, needs much more maintenance with a zamboni. Overskating makes for a very rough surface. It felt more like sand than ice.
— Lines can be very long but YMMV.
— Unlimited skating means that once at capacity, they will only let skaters in as other skaters leave. You could be waiting for a very long time.
Bottom Line:
Good to do once, probably not coming back again.

They need to upgrade their skates. Most are SO WORN and the blades end up being bent from people that don’t know how to skate over the years.
Even when I get them switched the ones they give me don’t end up being any better.
Eventually I just sucked it up and skated on them but by skating on crooked blades my feet were in an abnormal position and it wasn’t long before my feet started swelling. Thanks guys :/

Well priced, IF we could get decent use out of the rink…
First, we spent over 20 minutes waiting in line to get the skates. Only one rental window open.
Kids can’t hold their bladders too long, and unfortunately there is no in and out privilege. Need to use the restroom? Turn in your skates (even longer return line) to get your shoes back and leave the rink for a bathroom. Then pay AGAIN and proceed to wait in a long ass line, AGAIN if you want any more time.
Very unorganized and the system isn’t family friendly. We won’t be coming back with children.

It’s a nice rink in the middle of downtown San Jose. Parking is plentiful around this area. Cost is about the same as other outdoor skating rinks. There is no time limit so you can stay as long as you want.
The issue is with the skate rental. When you rent the skates they take one of your shoes for Insurance. When I ask if they can take both shoes they refused. Due to this «rule» people have to walk around the rink with one shoe to get the the benches that are farther away. Your one foot will get wet because the floor is wet. I think it makes more sense if they take an ID vs one shoe. Or they should take both shoes so you can switch from skates to shoes at the window. Instead they decided to take one shoe so you would have to either hop around and perhaps fall or you walk on melted ice. Both very unpleasant.

Fun! The actual rink is really large — especially compared to the one up in San Francisco.
Pros
— Large ice rink with a large separation between an inner area (typical ice rink) and an outer area (basically a lane to skate around the outside).
— Music
— Décor is very Christmas-​y
Cons
— Not sure if this is normal, but when we were there there was about half-​an-​inch of water on top of the ice. It was very nerve-​racking knowing that you could fall and get SOAKED.
— No bathrooms inside the rink. Not sure if you’re allowed to leave, it does say no in/​out privileges when you buy the tickets — I guess just don’t drink a lot of Egg Nog before an evening of skating…
If you haven’t done it, probably worth trying at least once.

I love that the cost of skates is included in the price.
They have unlimited skating, but no in and out privileges.
(So make sure you tinkle prior to going)
It was a very pleasant experience and we will definitely be coming back.
Great for all ages and all levels, from never been on the ice to figure skater.

Very cute seasonal ice rink setup in downtown SJ. It’s nice being able to wander through Christmas in the Park and stumble across this.
Prices aren’t bad ($ 15 for admission plus skate rental for adults) and while the skates weren’t in the best shape, I think it was fine for taking some laps around the rink (even the rink was large enough to feel like you were really gliding and stretching your legs).
The ice itself was also in much better condition than I expected. Sure, it’s not Sharks Ice, but for something fun, outdoors (in CA!) for the holidays, I’ll take it!
Only major downside is that you can’t bring drinks past the main entry point (of course I wouldn’t bring food onto the ice, but if there are no in and out privileges, how can I take a hot coco break?!) and that they don’t hold both of your shoes for you (they take one and you’re responsible for trying to find a hiding place for your other shoe while you’re skating).

This was a fun experience!
$ 15/​person over 10 years
$ 13/​kids 10 and under
The admission includes admission and shoe rental.
Shoes seemed to be a little on the bigger side and they don’t have half sizes. I usually wear 11.5 — 12, but size 11 was perfect. For ice skating, tighter is better than baggy.
The space was a little small for the number of kids zooming by and random people crossing sideways without looking.
Don’t worry, there is a center open area for people that want to just hang out.
There’s also a person watching over the entire area to make sure everyone is ok.
They played Pixar music and everyone there was in a nice holiday mood so it was a good feeling.

First time doing this in San Jose. Saying ‘doing this’ and not actually skating, because I am scared of falling (no balance at all!)…yet could not say no when Unilocal offered me 2 free tickets, so I could invite a colleague and a bunch of others happily tagged along for a night of fun (where I was mostly the photographer) even though if I dressed for the occasion (you know, the usual, bright colors to pop up with the white of the ice). A nice way to find the camaraderie and feel the winter and the Christmas spirit all in one (considering the threaten of torrential rains and hurricane type of winds we could not complain).
I would suggest, though, that there is more light in the area to buy the tickets (or collect like in my case). It was too dark and could barely see who was in line and to find my ID to proof I was the tickets winner. Also I think allowing people to have their hot cocoa inside (in the area where you watch people skating) should be allowed as soon as people act civilized. It would have created a better experience for me, but overall it was a nice night. The music that they put is OK, but too Christmasy for me.

Weeknights would be the best time to go if you are not so much of a good skater. Not too crowded, and enough room to skate (fall.Haha).
I give this place 3 stars because of the following reasons. First, the ice was very rough. It’s hard to balance with all the shaved ice all over the place. Second, the area for putting on skates was wet. If you have to walk all the way to the returns area to get your other shoe, you will have to hop or risk stepping on a puddle of water while walking with just socks on. Lastly, in think this is due to my second reason, is that the inside of the skates were wet. The laces were wet, it’s was so gross.
It was a fun experience, but too many flaws that I have to give it 3 stars.