The area is nice but the parking can be a hit or miss because the rink is located in a business park. I honestly don't know where you would go during tournaments outside of dropping your kid off and circling. There's no curb parking and all businesses have "we will tow" signs. If that stress isn't enough, there's no snack bar or beer license. Lol. The vending machines work and are reasonably priced. Lots of restaurants in a short driving distance. Temperature: colder than a sweatshirt but my Mom puffer is almost borderline too warm. Staff is nice, bathrooms are always relatively clean. They run a tough club hockey program & charge according. Maybe it's gone down since they no longer have AAA availability. Two seasons ago it was just a smidge less than Ducks but more than OCHC and Wave. read more

See all

First time here for a pick up game at 11:30 on a Friday. Gotta say, the ice was actually pretty nice. However, the Zamboni guy did a half ass job and the ice was pretty much like a lake for the first few minutes of the game. Locker rooms were small but pretty clean. No stands, but they have some picnic style tables to sit at and watch. Not sure if they have stronger lights or maybe more windows, but the place does seem a little brighter than some other rinks I have skated on. Overall, it's another decent rink in Southern California if you want to play some hockey. read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace - Skating Rinks Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came here for SCAHA Playoffs. Asked the front desk if we are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages and the employee said "don't tell me that" and I informed the employee that there were spectators drinking beer inside the rink. The employee said "well, if they're getting belligerent, let me know". All while said parents of other team were berating our players with rude insults. They're 12. Pretty sure you can't drink at a youth sporting event unless the facility has a designated area or a license to serve. read more

Ana answered the phone and was extremely rude, had no knowledge of what they offered and then mocked me while whispering to a coworker (and I could hear everything). Very insulting and unprofessional. Good job Ana, you just lost a birthday party read more

If you're used to skating in places where people grow up in snow, this place will infuriate you. For the love of all things pure and holy, post some behavior guidelines. Anyone from Canada or Eastern US knows these basics. Such as: 1. Everyone skates clockwise (or counter...as in, one direction). 2. Whizzing back and forth all over the place playing a game of tag is unacceptable (it's extremely dangerous, especially since it's usually from older teenagers doing this around small kids). 3. Don't practice your figure skating spins with legs in the air. Common sense. I shouldn't have to watch my face or my child's body because you suddenly whip your leg up and spin around with a blade at the very end of it. They really should have a limit on the amount of people allowed on the ice, but I guess it's all about making the money. I've never seen the Zamboni, I don't even know if they have one. Only giving 2 stars because unlike others, I actually think the staff is pretty nice. They're young and bored, but they've always been polite. read more

The kids love it and great for all skill levels and ages. Bring a thick blanket and beanie if you're not skating lol

Unsafe. no rules. Horrible ice! Don't waste your money or your children's health. Other options close by run with professionalism. I grew up in Canada. How many ice rinks, outdoor and indoor. I'm 65 years young. Unless they have enough bad and truthful reviews they will stay in business. read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace feels dumpy. The ceiling was leaking in spots when I was there, causing ice mounds to form on the ice. These were annoying to keep skating over. The rink was much smaller than I expected. There was no one monitoring the skating, so kids kept skating in the wrong direction. Everything felt out of control, and uncared about. A dad had cones out to give his son skating lessons in the middle of public skate. A hockey team was there skating full force in pads and making the rest of us patrons get out of the way or fear getting hit. They were running into the walls, and causing back up as we waited for them to pass. I would not return. It was a rotten, unenjoyable experience. read more

I took my 6yr old daughter today. She's a beginner, so she rented skates. She's skated 4 times before at other venues, but this time was nearly impossible since the skates were so dull to the point of completely rounded edges. I honestly doubt they've ever been sharpened. I asked for a new set and staff was bothered. New set was just as bad. I asked if they had a sharpener and they said yes, but couldn't do it since it was in another room. I recommended they maintain the rental skates and the young teenage girl got angry and said "you get what you pay for" and the older man with her told me to just buy her skates instead of renting. Ultimately this rude approach to customers lead me to leaving this review. It's not a bad facility, but it's not being run correctly. Felt like the DMV staff was working today. read more

I visited this rink for a hockey game and I was shocked that there is zero seating to view the ice. The rink itself was rundown and the restroom was gross. I get that they're working with a small venue, but figure out where to place some bleachers and have the staff restock the restrooms. read more

Their website says it closes at 11:30, but I ubered all the way from laguna beach to find it was closed at 10:30. Now I'm out $50 from Uber for no reason, thanks Lake Forest Ice Palace! read more

Super family friendly. We love the staff and the owners are amazing. Can't say enough nice things about the Ice Palace. read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace - Team practice - Skating Rinks Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very average rink. Boards are angled outward from lack of good bracing. Ice is very soft, I have no idea why they have windows in an ice rink. The sun actually shines on the ice in the late afternoon. No showers means smelling like ass after your game when you're trying to wheel at BDubs down the hill. Guys that work there are cool and will help out if asked. Any ice is better than no ice but I think the four rink complex going in at the Great Park soon will turn this barn into a wet puddle. Too bad that space with the foot hockey setup can't be turned into a bar... read more

I didn't even know this place existed. Seriously. It's nestled among other industrial buildings in the boonies of Lake Forest. This place gets pretty packed, but there was sufficient parking. The Ice Palace is open to hockey, has a skate school, groups, private parties, freestyle, and broomball. Open skate sessions are from 2pm to 5pm on Saturdays, but I can't skate for 3 hours. Even though 3 hours is excessive, it's nice to have that much time. The price is pretty great too. It only costs $14 with skate rental. $12 if you already have your own skates. I'm glad the Ice Palace is around. There are too few rinks in the OC. Note: bring long socks to avoid skin contact with rough parts of the skates. read more

Come here pretty often for my daughters 1 on 1 hockey/power skating lessons with her coach. No complaints what so ever with the coach but this place is poorly managed and unorganized. They basically have a time where public skating happens and there could be coaches out there with the students. Then there is a certain time where it is only coachs out there with their students ONLY. We pay extra for this because of the space being less crowded and the students can maneuver around much easier. But when that time comes they do nothing about it and it is still a "PUBLIC SESSION" afterward. Please fix this issue and also bring some more knowledge to the people at the window, because with the advertisement and flyers you guys have laying around they should know what they are and not just give an answer like, "Just call them." read more

For a newer hockey facility (opened 2013), and single sheet of ice, the playing surface is not great. The edges and boards are both slanted out. Ice, 30 degrees, boards, 10 degrees. There are 4 large locker rooms, but no showers, which was a huge disappointment. The building was nearly 60 degrees inside and since it was very humid, I was dripping sweat in the first five minutes of stick time (free hockey skating with pucks and goals). The best thing about their stick time (I went on a Tuesday) was an extra 15 minutes longer than most in the area, but I was restricted to using 1/6th of the ice surface with a total of about 9-10 people (and 3 of them were unsupervised little kids... ugh). The other 2/3rds of the ice were reserved for private coaching / clinics, and the goal next to us had a 15 year old noob goalie that nobody felt comfortable shooting on, especially since he was just learning positioning. I'm really not that impressed overall, I was hoping it would be better. I guess if I'm in the South OC (and don't have much time to drive all day) I'll stick to Aliso or Yorba if I need some quick stick time. At least I didn't waste a lot of time driving around, and I needed the ice time really really bad so I guess that counts. But having to hobo shower or hoof it to LA Fitness to rinse off after playing hockey for an hour+ isn't really my idea of a great time. The only bathroom isn't even located next to the locker rooms, it's kinda like everything was an afterthought here. read more

Great to play but not to watch. One ice rink with several tables to sit but if you're there to cheer a team on, you have to stand on the bench the whole time. With two kids, its impossible to watch hockey. A great place though to play broomball or have a party. read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace - Skating Rinks Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Two of my sons played a tournament here over President's Day weekend. They both said the ice was soft. I noticed during one game there were still puddles from the Zamboni at the beginning of the second period. The boards are out of vertical. They lean slightly to the outside of the rink. As a spectator, it would be nice if there were stands. I have no problem standing outside the glass, but if the crowd is big, there is not enough room. read more

This rink has been a good hockey home for my young hockey skater. The rink isn't super fancy and luxurious, but the people that manage it are friendly and helpful. I'm glad they have partnered with a great hockey club like Goldrush to make this an excellent place for hockey in south Orange County. read more

Here is the difference between ice palace Aliso Viejo and ice palace of Lake Forest...Aliso Viejo actually understands how to treat their customers. I'm not sure who does the hiring here, but wow, their cashier has a SERIOUS attitude problem with customers, it's completely unwarranted. Overall, this place is mediocre. I definitely won't be coming back here. My advice to management, seek out better employees who can interact with customers. They're driving away any potential business you could earn. read more

This is my first review ever! I had to write a review. My daughter just had her 7th bday at this place and it was awesome!! They were sooo helpful and accommodating to my big party. I had about 30 kids that wanted to ice skate and their ages ranged from 2-14. They had the shoes for all of them and even help tie them and put them on for some of the kids. There was a super fun and nice young lady that gave a lesson to all that kids and parents that wanted to ice skate and everyone just loved it. She even helped and skated with some of the little ones and they just thought she was awesome! I was soo happy with this place and their customer service! They worked with me and my large party and never gave me a hassle about anything. I was one happy mom and my daughters bday was a total success! read more

Decent for ice skating classes, however, they really need to work on organizing their class and hockey schedules so that the parking improves. They have minimal parking spaces for the number of classes they hold at once and there is limited street parking on top of it. Very inconvenient when you are bringing toddlers to practice. read more

Great pace to have a birthday party for a reasonable price. 10 kids for 200 gets you a party room, instructor, free lesson, skate rental and public session. They even let you bring your In your own food, cake and beverages . Fun and stress free party! read more

So, I had a SUPER awkward experience here... I'm a pinball enthusiast, and this location was listed on the pinside website as having a handful of machines, including one rare table I've been wanting to play for a long time. So after work one night I decided to stop by and check it out. When I walked in I noted a side window that had 'Cashier' labeled on it, and then went to find the machines and make sure they were not out of order. (happens a lot) So they all looked like they work, but I realized they don't have a change machine. So I walk back to the cashier window to break some bills and get quarters. The cashier glass window was closed, but there were 2 guys inside. One dude was going over some sort of paperwork right in front of the glass, and the other dude was lounging in a chair with his hands behind his head. The guy doing paper work glances up, looks at me blankly, then goes back to his paperwork without saying a word. The guy in the chair behind him just stares at me. I think... ok... maybe they are closed? So I look around to see if hours are posted, but I don't see any. I held up a dollar and mouthed "can I get change?" (It was REALLY loud in there with hockey practice going on) And I wondered if these guys thought I wanted to skate or something, when all I wanted was a few quarters. The guy doing paperwork never looked back up, despite me standing right in front of him, and the guy behind him continued to just stare at me blankly with his hands behind his head. Neither of them would acknowledge me, and after 30 seconds or so, I just walked out of there. It was by far the most awkwardly rude, and unfriendly interaction I have ever encountered in a place of business. If they were closed it was not clear they they were, and if they had just said so I would have totally understood. But these guys looked at me like I was a complete asshole and walked into a private club uninvited or something. I have no idea what the deal was, but I have no intention of going back. On a side note, I used to play hockey and have been to many skate rinks over the years, and this place is really empty and industrial. It has no character, and in general feels unwelcoming. If your planning to take your kids skating, pretty much any rink is better than this one. read more

This rink is convenient to my work. It is tucked away inside a business park. The ice is in good shape and the staff is nice. If you walk in the front door there isnt an office window there, you have to walk halfway down to get to the window, or enter in the side entrance. The layout is kinda awkward and confusing, but after my first time it is fine. The layout is a little unique, but the ice is good. There is a pro shop there, but it has been closed every time I have been there. They have a "Lunch Bunch" special if you work in the area - Tuesday and Thursday from 11am-1pm admission and skates for $6. I only know about this because my coworkers daughter skates there. I love having the ability to skate during my lunch break! read more

Bought a Groupon some time last year to come to the Ice Palace and I was not sure what to expect but the it was a wonderful place for my 1st time ice skating experience! It is a VERY random place to have a rink, so that makes it a bit hard to find. Nice facility, gets a bit crowded during the Public Skating Hours, definitely would go again! read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace is a well hidden secret and when I discuss it with most Lake Forest residents, they are surprised to hear a rink exists in town. Strange marketing strategy and the temporary sign out front isn't exactly compelling. Just an update that there is now a sign out front. HOCKEY First found LFIP when son was looking into ice hockey. We came across Coach Joe and his passion and knowledge for hockey helped the transition from neophyte to a hockey family. Coach Joe has a very positive attitude and has taught my son a great deal about hockey in a short period of time. Why this guy isn't in charge of the whole rink is beyond me. If you have hockey questions or are looking into hockey, Coach Joe is a great place to start. GENERAL Place is clean, has wifi, locker rooms, and some of the usual stuff, but looks to me like it hasn't figured out what it wants to be when it grows up. It is far cleaner than Aliso Viejo and since it is often less crowded, it can be a less frustrating experience. No food place or bleachers like many other rinks have, but there are vending machines. One unique spot is the floor hockey area where kids sometime play floor hockey for free. read more

I don't recommend this rink. I understand that you must register online for classes. I've done so many times through Westminster rinks for the past 2 years. But any time I've ever had a problem, or just would rather do it person because I am there, the Westminster rinks staff is always friendly knowledgeable and more than willing to help me. However, this being my first experience at the Ice palace and first time registering for the hockey program I purchased on Groupon, I went there looking to check out the location, staff and for some assistance. Well, instead of some assistance I got a piece of paper on how to register and a whole lot of attitude. No one was willing to help me. No one was knowledgeable on the Groupon deal. And I just got a whole lot of excuses. Didn't seem very organized at all. I left very frustrated and unhappy. read more

My son, through a groupon offer and a recommendation from a friend, started taking ice hockey skate lessons which advanced to sticks and pucks classes. The coaches are great and really get to know your child. Some of the coaches are the same at the sticks and pucks (which runs very differently than the roller hockey at the Rinks in Irvine). They are easy going, great coaches and provide confidence and encouragement. read more

Came here for my brothers 21st birthday! First time at this ice palace and the first time ice skating in like 15 years or so. I felt very comfortable skating and got a good workout. My mom took a big fall and hurt her knee and the staff there was really friendly and even offered her some more ice as it was very painful for her. They seem to understand that skating is complicated for a lot of people and they always ask if people are ok. We were all happy with our experience at this place and I see myself coming back here soon. read more

This place is packed on Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm for skate school. There is not enough parking and no parking is allowed on the street. The city will ticket you if you park on the street. The surrounding businesses parking lots all block their parking. This causes you to be late for your skate class. Even when you show up 20 mins early there still isn't enough parking. The locker rooms all smell and are not well kept at all. The bathrooms smell and looks like they haven't been clean in over a year! read more

Lake Forest Ice Palace - Their parking lot is a mess. They don't have enough parking at all. Customers make their own parking space in the middle. - Skating Rinks Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

It's a bummer to write this horrible review. We started at The Ice Palace last June. My daughter took skating lessons while my son started in the learn to skate hockey program. The hockey instructors especially were awesome. He transferred to the mini mites hockey program in March--with sticks and pucks for U6. What a disorganized mess! They have cancelled practice multiple times with zero communication. I'm at his current practice now and it's a free for all as there is no coach here. It's nice that the kids get to still skate around, but this is not what we signed up for. With competition at the Great Park down the road, they're not doing themselves any favors with the way they're running their hockey program. It's too bad because we were cruising for a while and now my kid leaves often disappointed because of cancelled practices. There's nothing worse than showing up, dressing out, getting ready to go on the ice, and then someone telling you that they're sorry no one ever called to inform us of the cancelled practice. Lame way to treat kids and lame way to treat parents and their time. read more

I spend at least a couple hundred per month in ice time, and $400-500 per month on the private skating and hockey coaches here ... I'm just sayin' you could keep the coffee pot full. Just sayin' read more

I love this rink because it's convenient to home and work. I love my coach and I think that there are great class options for skaters of all levels here. They offer a good amount of ice time for novices and advanced skaters. I don't enjoy the weekend open skate sessions because people just go crazy in every direction and fast. There are too many skaters generally during weekend schedules that it makes skill training difficult and sometimes stressful. I have been skating a few times after hockey games and it's really stinky and the ice is chopped up. I also find that the women's restroom always smells bad and looks like it could use a good wipe down. I try to avoid going in there. I rate highly because I love my hobby/ activity, I have a great coach, and the other coaches I have interacted with are friendly and tailor to the level of the student. I also think it's a nice place for kids of all ages to have fun. Those good things outweigh the negatives mentioned above for me. read more

No place to sit and watch. During open skates there is no staff on the ice so you have grown men and hockey players racing around small children learning to skate. Dangerous. read more

Half way decent to play a game here but there is no seating to watch your kid's games. Terrible layout. If I could, I would skip games on the schedule at this rink. read more

I was there today and i had a great time skating but i was very shocked to find out that they had no hockey skates there because most places i go to for open skate have hockey skates and i use hockey skates not figure skates so i had to settle for figure skates read more

We had great experience with this facility last summer though we felt it's not trying to build a good business with ice-skating, much more focus on ice hockey. The facility & the price are great, the location should be excellent for this kind of business, esp. it's located next to NJB sport Center. It helped to draw a lot of attention to this place. Unfortunately, the management is the worst among the similar business. Aliso Viejo location has much better operation. In this location, no general manager or the owner overlooks the operation, each unit run by its own convenience. They don't return calls by blaming people not leaving the phone# with msg, very irresponsible & defensive. Kole, a staff who claimed that was the only reasons for them not calling back. Can he do better than that ? What kind of customer service is it ? We tried to schedule some private lessons this summer again, we were told that the person who's in charge was out until 08/02, and she only picked up the msg every Friday. since we live very close to this facility, so we tried again. But with all the frustration, we have decided to do something else! read more

Really fun ice rink. They don't have lockers, but it's ok. Great for birthday parties. The staff is helpful and very nice.

I am typically a fan of anything that isn't "The Rinks" but this rink needs some work. The boards are horrible, there is no seating for spectators and no showers. read more