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My friends and I have been ice skating during the holidays for many years now, but this year we decided to go to this location instead of Union Square. SO MUCH REGRET. These were literally the worst skates I have ever worn in my life. I used to own leather skates, and while I don't expect rental skates to be that high quality, I do expect some level of comfort. There is absolutely no cushion in these stiff plastic skates, and the plastic strap is not easy to tighten/loosen. I now have a blister the size of a quarter on the arch of my foot that is filled with blood and ready to burst at any moment. Graphic? Sorry (not sorry), but y'all deserve to know the gravity of this situation. The lockers were also pretty faulty. Not only could we not pull the key out when locking it, we also couldn't unlock it at the end of our session. Both times we had to ask the staff for help, and it wasn't just us struggling - many other people had issues as well. Another thing is that the lockers were on the other side from all the benches, so it was a lot of walking back and forth in those terrible skates. I feel like the rink is slightly smaller than the Union Square one, so even though there were less people, it was also harder to avoid all the crazy skaters and people falling (and taking down others with them). And I know a smaller rink means you really only need one Ice Patrol, but PLEASE enforce the rule about not skating against the flow of traffic. This one girl skated wildly and in the opposite direction of everyone else, causing even more near death experiences than were already happening. Basically if you want the outdoor ice skating experience, stick to Union Square. Dealing with the crowd is a small price to pay in exchange for comfortable skates and a well organized event. Plus you can take pictures on ice with the Christmas tree in the back :)
Ice skating at the Embarcadero Center with my family has always been a yearly tradition. We always go to this location. We did, however, attempt to ice skate at Union Square this year, but they had a two hour wait since the current time slot was full already. We went to the Embarcadero one instead. We came for the 2:00pm-3:30pm session thirty minutes late and they still took us in, woo! I guess you can come in at any time as long as the rink isn't too full! We didn't really wanna skate for an hour and half anyways. That's a little too long.. The price includes skate rentals, unless you bring your own, then you don't have to pay the rental fee. You pick them up in the window next door to where you purchase your tickets. They have lockers available if you don't feel comfortable leaving your shoes out in the open. Something that was different from when I last went ice skating (many years ago) was the skates. The skates didn't have laces anymore, they had some sort of plastic straps that you could adjust to make your skates extra snug. I didn't have to worry about my laces untying at all, yay! I did, however, have a problem with the first pair of skates I got because the sides kept cutting my foot when I tried to put in. But I asked for a different pair and they were fine. Also, a heads up, they don't have any half sizes, so hopefully you can make something fit if you're in between sizes! There were a lot of people, but this was expected since it was Christmas Day. We started thirty minutes late and the ice was already losing its smoothness. It didn't bother us that much though. We made multiple laps around the rink for about an hour while they played modern songs and Christmas songs. Everyone skates in the same direction to avoid crashing into one another!! If you're still new at ice skating, you can always grab onto the rails on the sides! Remember to bend your knees and lean a little forward so you avoid falling on your butt! I missed doing this yearly with my family :') I recommend everyone to stop by before they close it up after the holidays! I think it's better than the one at Union Square because it is less crowded, heh.
It was almost deserted when I came to skate last week. Aside from that it was a totally fun thing to do while in the city and I had a few hours to spare. A bit small but witH only about five of us it was perfect! Lots of space to avoid wobbly wanna be Brian Boitano's(sp) I like this location for the simple fact that's easy access to the freeway and parking garage is right there.
I definitely prefer this one to union square. fewer tourists, better scene, more parking, definitely more romantic, and it's actually shaped like a real ice rink! For those of us who depend on walls for stopping and corner like a school bus on the autobahn.... I prefer glancing OFF a wall rather than barreling headlong INTO a flat one. Plus it's really uncrowded right now and so I can comfortably get lessons from my coworker (who actually brings skates to the office every day!) without the increased liability of trampling a second-grader.
A cute and romantic post-dinner date activity! It was my idea to go ice skating, and my date, who never ice skated before, was down for it. I was worried about it being super-crowded, but maybe because it wasn't December yet, it wasn't too crowded. Yes, there are plenty of people there. Screaming children, adults clinging onto the walls, and radio pop hits swirling from the speakers. At least the music wasn't too loud. Because it had been raining earlier that morning, I called ahead of time to see if the rink would be open in the evening. The person who picked up the phone did so very promptly, and I was happy to hear the rink would be open. It was around 11AM when I called, and she told me that there were already people skating in the rink! Admission is $11 per person, and $5 for skate rentals (*whistles here* I'm reading past reviews, and apparently the prices I paid for in 2015 are way higher than a few years ago! Inflation, anyone?). It's not as big as what I'm used to at the Oakland Ice Center, and the ice was very rough. It made me wonder how often an ice resurfacer was used, since by the time my date and I were ready to leave, the ice had become rougher with lots of cracks, and a little girl tripped and (I think) sprained a limb, because she was screaming and crying really loudly when her relatives rushed to her aid and carried her off the ice. I'm giving this rink 4 stars instead of 3 because all the lights and the view of the clock tower gives a nice holiday cheer to San Francisco. The rink also stays open until 10PM. The staff was very polite and efficient, and my date and I had a lot of fun.
We were just there for a birthday party and it was great. Almost a private party since it was a little misty on Sunday morning. I heard Sunday morning are the best if you want to avoid the crowds. We live nearby so this will probably become our Sunday morning ritual for the next two months. Rink is not too big but just right for my 7year old. I got a pretty good work out too. I like the music they play. Some kids stuff and some pop and some oldies. Good pandora station ;-) Skates are just ok - hit and miss. The staff is really friendly and will let you exchange until you are happy. Mine were wet on the inside so I asked for another. One mom friend asked to exchange one skate and they did. Overall recommend. See you there!
Such a nice location! I originally wanted to go to Union Square but the tickets were sold and so I decided to come here instead. I'm really glad I came here, I wasn't expecting it to be just as good as union square. The views were amazing, the location was great, the ice rink was well maintained, and most importantly I had a great time. I came here with my fiancé and sisters and our whole time here we spent laughing, falling, falling, falling, and then finally skating like a pro. We bought our tickets and our group was expected to go shortly until the group before us was done. We were given an hour and half to skate until closing since we arrived around 9pm. I really loved the clock tower in front of us, it was really pretty to look at. Also majority of the time this location never sells out on tickets so if you really want to skate in SF this place is also another great option!
The location is beautiful and they have the makings of an excellent outdoor rink but the problem is that they do not sharpen the blades on the skates which makes for poor / slippery / dangerous ice skating conditions. I learned this the hard way when I fell and broke my wrist the weekend before thanksgiving. At the Emergency Room was another guy who fell and broke his wrist the night before at the EXACT SAME ice skating rink!!! I grew up skating frequently at Iceland in Berkeley, so I would not say that I am a novice skater, and have been dozens of times before. A friend who is a former pro- skater explained to me why dull skates are problematic/risky and why she never goes to this particular seasonal rink. She suggests you head to Yerba Buena or one of the other legit rinks instead.
One of the biggest outdoor iceskating rink I've seen in the SF Bay area...it's affordable too!! It's right across the SF Ferrybuilding and by the shopping center. Ironically sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines =).. the line was at one point was really long but it went fast and smooth. My kids and nieces had fun skating. There were quite a few beginners in the skating rink and it was fun watching them struggle (a bit sadistic there hahaha)..but what I'm trying to say is...beginners are totally welcome and you won't get intimidated by other skaters who are showing off (coz there's not a lot of them). Returning the borrowed skates was easy too.
Outdoor Holiday Ice Skating Rinks are always festive!! No, I didn't ice skate, I was just people watching. There were a lot of people here, and the Ice really made it very cold around the rink. Christmas music blared through the speakers around the rink. Located in Justin Hermann Plaza at the Embarcadero Center, not far from BART, maybe, one day, I'll give it a go again!! read more
1 year ago
7 years ago
We initially tried to buy tickets for the rink at Union Square, but they were sold out for the rest of the night! We took a 7ish minute Lyft to the rink at Embarcadero (who said that they "never sell out" - woo!) and it was such a great choice. They start new sessions every 2 hours; 1.5 hours for folks to skate, and then 30 minutes to re-glaze the ice before a new session. You can join a session at any time - we got on the ice halfway through a session, which was just fine for us (our 6yo and 4yo were with us). They also have lockers that you can use to store your stuff (shoes, purses) - one locker is .75 cents (the ticket sellers have change for bills if needed), and was big enough to store my boots and kind of large purse. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it would be - we went on a Friday night during an 8pm session, and there was plenty of space. We plan on making this a regular tradition! read more
My friends and I have been ice skating during the holidays for many years now, but this year we decided to go to this location instead of Union Square. SO MUCH REGRET. These were literally the worst skates I have ever worn in my life. I used to own leather skates, and while I don't expect rental skates to be that high quality, I do expect some level of comfort. There is absolutely no cushion in these stiff plastic skates, and the plastic strap is not easy to tighten/loosen. I now have a blister the size of a quarter on the arch of my foot that is filled with blood and ready to burst at any moment. Graphic? Sorry (not sorry), but y'all deserve to know the gravity of this situation. The lockers were also pretty faulty. Not only could we not pull the key out when locking it, we also couldn't unlock it at the end of our session. Both times we had to ask the staff for help, and it wasn't just us struggling - many other people had issues as well. Another thing is that the lockers were on the other side from all the benches, so it was a lot of walking back and forth in those terrible skates. I feel like the rink is slightly smaller than the Union Square one, so even though there were less people, it was also harder to avoid all the crazy skaters and people falling (and taking down others with them). And I know a smaller rink means you really only need one Ice Patrol, but PLEASE enforce the rule about not skating against the flow of traffic. This one girl skated wildly and in the opposite direction of everyone else, causing even more near death experiences than were already happening. Basically if you want the outdoor ice skating experience, stick to Union Square. Dealing with the crowd is a small price to pay in exchange for comfortable skates and a well organized event. Plus you can take pictures on ice with the Christmas tree in the back :) read more
Ice skating at the Embarcadero Center with my family has always been a yearly tradition. We always go to this location. We did, however, attempt to ice skate at Union Square this year, but they had a two hour wait since the current time slot was full already. We went to the Embarcadero one instead. We came for the 2:00pm-3:30pm session thirty minutes late and they still took us in, woo! I guess you can come in at any time as long as the rink isn't too full! We didn't really wanna skate for an hour and half anyways. That's a little too long.. The price includes skate rentals, unless you bring your own, then you don't have to pay the rental fee. You pick them up in the window next door to where you purchase your tickets. They have lockers available if you don't feel comfortable leaving your shoes out in the open. Something that was different from when I last went ice skating (many years ago) was the skates. The skates didn't have laces anymore, they had some sort of plastic straps that you could adjust to make your skates extra snug. I didn't have to worry about my laces untying at all, yay! I did, however, have a problem with the first pair of skates I got because the sides kept cutting my foot when I tried to put in. But I asked for a different pair and they were fine. Also, a heads up, they don't have any half sizes, so hopefully you can make something fit if you're in between sizes! There were a lot of people, but this was expected since it was Christmas Day. We started thirty minutes late and the ice was already losing its smoothness. It didn't bother us that much though. We made multiple laps around the rink for about an hour while they played modern songs and Christmas songs. Everyone skates in the same direction to avoid crashing into one another!! If you're still new at ice skating, you can always grab onto the rails on the sides! Remember to bend your knees and lean a little forward so you avoid falling on your butt! I missed doing this yearly with my family :') I recommend everyone to stop by before they close it up after the holidays! I think it's better than the one at Union Square because it is less crowded, heh. read more
It was almost deserted when I came to skate last week. Aside from that it was a totally fun thing to do while in the city and I had a few hours to spare. A bit small but witH only about five of us it was perfect! Lots of space to avoid wobbly wanna be Brian Boitano's(sp) I like this location for the simple fact that's easy access to the freeway and parking garage is right there. read more
I definitely prefer this one to union square. fewer tourists, better scene, more parking, definitely more romantic, and it's actually shaped like a real ice rink! For those of us who depend on walls for stopping and corner like a school bus on the autobahn.... I prefer glancing OFF a wall rather than barreling headlong INTO a flat one. Plus it's really uncrowded right now and so I can comfortably get lessons from my coworker (who actually brings skates to the office every day!) without the increased liability of trampling a second-grader. read more
A cute and romantic post-dinner date activity! It was my idea to go ice skating, and my date, who never ice skated before, was down for it. I was worried about it being super-crowded, but maybe because it wasn't December yet, it wasn't too crowded. Yes, there are plenty of people there. Screaming children, adults clinging onto the walls, and radio pop hits swirling from the speakers. At least the music wasn't too loud. Because it had been raining earlier that morning, I called ahead of time to see if the rink would be open in the evening. The person who picked up the phone did so very promptly, and I was happy to hear the rink would be open. It was around 11AM when I called, and she told me that there were already people skating in the rink! Admission is $11 per person, and $5 for skate rentals (*whistles here* I'm reading past reviews, and apparently the prices I paid for in 2015 are way higher than a few years ago! Inflation, anyone?). It's not as big as what I'm used to at the Oakland Ice Center, and the ice was very rough. It made me wonder how often an ice resurfacer was used, since by the time my date and I were ready to leave, the ice had become rougher with lots of cracks, and a little girl tripped and (I think) sprained a limb, because she was screaming and crying really loudly when her relatives rushed to her aid and carried her off the ice. I'm giving this rink 4 stars instead of 3 because all the lights and the view of the clock tower gives a nice holiday cheer to San Francisco. The rink also stays open until 10PM. The staff was very polite and efficient, and my date and I had a lot of fun. read more
2 years ago
We were just there for a birthday party and it was great. Almost a private party since it was a little misty on Sunday morning. I heard Sunday morning are the best if you want to avoid the crowds. We live nearby so this will probably become our Sunday morning ritual for the next two months. Rink is not too big but just right for my 7year old. I got a pretty good work out too. I like the music they play. Some kids stuff and some pop and some oldies. Good pandora station ;-) Skates are just ok - hit and miss. The staff is really friendly and will let you exchange until you are happy. Mine were wet on the inside so I asked for another. One mom friend asked to exchange one skate and they did. Overall recommend. See you there! read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
Such a nice location! I originally wanted to go to Union Square but the tickets were sold and so I decided to come here instead. I'm really glad I came here, I wasn't expecting it to be just as good as union square. The views were amazing, the location was great, the ice rink was well maintained, and most importantly I had a great time. I came here with my fiancé and sisters and our whole time here we spent laughing, falling, falling, falling, and then finally skating like a pro. We bought our tickets and our group was expected to go shortly until the group before us was done. We were given an hour and half to skate until closing since we arrived around 9pm. I really loved the clock tower in front of us, it was really pretty to look at. Also majority of the time this location never sells out on tickets so if you really want to skate in SF this place is also another great option! read more
9 years ago
The location is beautiful and they have the makings of an excellent outdoor rink but the problem is that they do not sharpen the blades on the skates which makes for poor / slippery / dangerous ice skating conditions. I learned this the hard way when I fell and broke my wrist the weekend before thanksgiving. At the Emergency Room was another guy who fell and broke his wrist the night before at the EXACT SAME ice skating rink!!! I grew up skating frequently at Iceland in Berkeley, so I would not say that I am a novice skater, and have been dozens of times before. A friend who is a former pro- skater explained to me why dull skates are problematic/risky and why she never goes to this particular seasonal rink. She suggests you head to Yerba Buena or one of the other legit rinks instead. read more
One of the biggest outdoor iceskating rink I've seen in the SF Bay area...it's affordable too!! It's right across the SF Ferrybuilding and by the shopping center. Ironically sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines =).. the line was at one point was really long but it went fast and smooth. My kids and nieces had fun skating. There were quite a few beginners in the skating rink and it was fun watching them struggle (a bit sadistic there hahaha)..but what I'm trying to say is...beginners are totally welcome and you won't get intimidated by other skaters who are showing off (coz there's not a lot of them). Returning the borrowed skates was easy too. read more
13 years ago
well, I can't tell you about the experience. Ummm but if I did, I'd give this advice! Buy your tickets in advance, or otherwise plan to be there awhile! Everyone in the crowd looked like they were having a blast.... We couldn't get tickets, because we'd have to wait for several hours. So my advise, buy advance tickets! read more
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More info about Holiday Ice Rink
333 Post St
94102, CA 94111
Union Square
Directions
(415) 837-1931
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https://unionsquareicerink.com
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Holiday Ice Rink - skatingrinks - Updated August 2026
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