Huge sports center run by the Northbrook Park District. This facility has 2 NHL sized ice rinks,a pro shop,swimming pool,meeting rooms and a snack shop. We came on a Saturday afternoon to see our grandson play on the Glenbrook North hockey team. Plenty of parking is available. read more

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This is a well kept facility even though it is older. We watched GBN vs GBS compete for JV Hockey. The JV games between GBS and GBN are considered major, high-stakes matchups, often viewed as second only to the state championship in importance for players. read more

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This is Northbrook, so you expect facilities to be top of the line and well maintained... which they were. As far as I could tell, there were at least 2 sheets here, but maybe more as I didn't get to explore the whole facility. We were here for a hockey game against the Hawks and we won, but I digress. It's a unique layout from many of the barns we've been to lately... the bench sits on the spectator side of the ice. The boxes are still across the ice, but it's interesting, because that side of the ice, though narrow, has two doors that open to the lobby. There was also a high school game playing on the other sheet and it looked like a packed house. Overall, this is a nice and clean place to skate. read more

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On hot days my fam loves nothing more than to spend it in a pool...and here's a new pool to do just that! Living in Glencoe this is one of the less expensive pool options since Glencoe and Northbrook have pool/beach reciprocity. We share our lovely beach membership prices in exchange for membership prices to their 2 pools. Sounds like a good deal to me! While this new pool is much smaller than Northbrook's other pool, Meadowhill, I think I prefer it. So many highlights: - Zero-depth entry perfect for little ones - A small water slide right into zero-depth entry - Obstacle course in under 4 ft of water (challenging for my 6 yr old, but she loved it) - A vortex pool (my kids thoughts this was the coolest ever) - Very clean locker rooms - There was also a fun climbing wall in a 2nd smaller deeper pool that we'll make our way to as the kids get older Bummed they don't have a concession stand like other pools in the area. While I always cringe at the unhealthy hotdogs, popsicles, etc it's pretty convenient for lunchtime. Next time I"ll pack a lunch and there will definitely be a next time because all 3 of my kids + hubby had a blast here. read more

Best ice rink I've ever been to in 25+ years. Public skate was so well managed and everything was super nice. The ice was very well resurfaced and the guards were very nice and attentive. The facility is so pretty and the kicker, it was only $6! What a deal. Plus, the music was fun! And best of all they didn't have those "skate trainers," which in my opinion don't help kids actually learn to skate and are dangerous for everyone else on the ice. read more

I love this ice rink, and as a figure skating teenager I happily made the 15-minute drive from my home to here for some hardcore practicing over the summer. Northbrook's ice rink is a large, attractive facility that boasts large amounts of parking and two full-NHL sized ice rinks. In the North Chicago burbs it doesn't get any better than that! The two rinks mean that you never have to compete with hockey players for ice time, and it's easier to incorporate ice time, group lessons, and public sessions all into one facility. On top of that, Northbrook Sports Center boasts some great figure skating coaches who coach high-level figure skaters, which is in contrast to the other local rinks' more recreationally-oriented facilities. When I came to Northbrook I could count on being on a session with older skaters I didn't trip over who were around my level, as well as extremely good skaters who motivated me. If you want your child to become a good skaters, there are many talented coaches and a serious, competitive but also supportive environment. There's a reason competitions are held here. It's just THAT good. read more

In all the travels to ice arenas for races this year, Northbrook was clearly the winner. This place is set back from the main road (Pfingsten) and is part of a larger complex of the Northbrook Park District. From the moment you walk in, the spacious lobby is something that a lot of the other arenas do not have. It provides plenty of room for a large number of skaters and attendees to hang out between races. There are vending machines and a fully equipped concession stand inside. They have burgers, hot dogs, pizza, in addition to ice cream and snacks. The place ran more efficiently than the concessions in Champaign's ice arena though it appeared to have the same amount of operating space as the other place. The audience at the ice arena sits behind a plexiglass barrier. While it is a little chilly, it is not as cold as some of the other ice venues we've been to. The rink itself is beautiful and well-groomed. The skaters have their own locker room area that is opposite where they enter the ice. The placement of the rink entrance for skaters, away from the general audience, prevents congestion and keeps events running smoothly. You can tell from the concept that this place was well thought out. There is also a second rink across the hall, which was used for hockey while the speedskating race was going on at our side of the arena. Across from the lobby, opposite the main ice arena, is a long corridor with a huge trophy display honoring all the famous skaters who came from Northbrook and all their accomplishments. On the opposite end is a large meeting room and separate spaces for dance, karate, and other activities we saw happening throughout the day besides the skating meet. Definitely a great place to skate. read more

This is a really beautiful facility; my experience with it is only with the ice rinks, but I can say that the pool is very new and looks like a lot of fun. As for the rinks, this location boasts two full sheets of ice with a party room and fully-modern, really clean locker rooms. I've noticed lately that this place is a hub for women's hockey teams from beginner to advanced; many teams use this spot as their home rinks, so on the weekends from about 8pm on you're pretty much guaranteed to find some ladies playing. I don't know much about their mens league situation, but if you're a female looking to find a team this would be a good place to go to scope out local teams to see where you might fit in. Facilities also include a concession stand and a pro shop, both of which seem to close very early (usually 730-8pm at the latest), and some vending machines. One thing to note - the entrance to the parking lot is kind of odd, and very dark at night. When you turn in, you almost immediately go left and pass the pool on your right. After the pool, you take a right and drive past the first set of doors to get to the main door where the info and pro shop is located. read more

Family friendly and fantastic skating lessons. Outdoor pool was recently redone and great for all levels of swimmers

This is one of two outdoor Park District pools in Northbrook. As a lap swimmer, it is not my favorite. Although this pool is longer than Meadowhill pool (50 meters), they close off the north end during the popular early evening "rush hour" so kids can use the water slides. Because of this, you can't do flip turns at that end. The pool is very shallow at the north end-- you will find yourself banging your knuckles on the concrete floor. Everyone must swim in one giant circle; there are no individual lane lines. This makes for chaos when you have a lot of swimmers in the pool (mostly very slow). There is a diving pool, but for some reason it is mainly used by little kids for swimming, rather than for diving. They do have some dedicated lap swimming hours in the mornings, but those times are not convenient for me. The locker rooms are adequate but not very functional, with only a couple of narrow benches at the side. They do have individual showers, but they are cold most of the time, and often there is no soap in the dispensers. If you shower there, you will want to get done in a hurry. For families with kids, it's probably OK. If you're a swimmer, I'd recommend going over to the Meadowhill Aquatic Center instead. read more

I wish this arena wasn't so darned far from me. The rules are clear, well and fairly enforced. I would probably skate at it all the time although my coaches are at Robert Crown and I love my coaches. There are two sheets of ice (full sized) and the facility is well run. The staff or club (not sure who) keeps their site up to date with the ice time and cancellations - which is unfortunately a novelty in the near Chicago area. There are some top notch skaters that skate on this ice every day. I'm hoping that Evanston takes a look at this facility and patterns their new facility and figure skating programs on Northbrook. read more

nicer community ice center, proshop guys were nice, skate sharpening is terrible- but it is almost everywhere you go anymore. Its clean and doesnt smell like fried food so theres that. read more

Most skating coaches are good, Lars and Dana are great. Facility is clean and ice is always in decent condition. If I had to do all of the group lessons, private lessons, competitions and ice shows over again for my children, I would have taken my children to a different skating facility, I don't agree with their slanted policies. Far too much favoritism for a select few in terms of the annual ice show and solos which becomes blindingly clear to all skaters. Skating competitions are judged fairly. The higher ranking support staff stinks, it is like being stabbed in the back with a smile on their face. Skating in and of itself has taught my children a hard work ethic, patience and perseverance. read more

Nice rink and facility. First time here but enjoyed the experience. Ice was in great shape and well attended to (for hockey). Nice viewing areas. read more

My daughter skates at the Northbrook Sports Center. The park district has a great program (synchronize ice skating); great ice skating coaches; and a great ice skating show during mother's day week. Would encourage anyone that loves to skate to try it out. read more

Nice place to take young kids, especially with the shallow pool areas. I wish the logistics of getting a member card was easier. We signed up months ago but everytime we go the camera is broken. read more

We went to Northbrook Sports Center so my friend could break in his new set of skates. The ice was in good shape, and the public skating fees are quite reasonable. So, there are your two stars. However, soon after the session began, my friend fell on the ice and severely sprained his ankle. Neither of the two rink guards ever came over to check on us. We didn't even get the standard, halfhearted "are you OK" flyby. I'm sure the sight of one man hovering over another man who's grabbing his ankle in obvious agony is one that should just work itself out without any offerings of assistance. Well, I took care of it, no thanks to any of their staff. They either have the most poorly-trained guards in the history of ever, or they must not care. I'm going with the latter. It would have been nice to have at least some assistance as I helped my buddy do the one-legged skate from the corner to the rink doors (about 180 feet). The same goes for the time it took me to get him from the outside of the rink to the car. Was I supposed to wave a red flag, or shout a secret code word for help? It really couldn't have been any more obvious, yet the staff did nothing. Thanks again for all the help you didn't provide. I know that past performance isn't necessarily indicative of future results. From my recent experience, however, I'll say that if you get hurt here, you may be on your own. read more

Besides being a little hard to spot from the road (at least the rink . . . it doesn't look like a rink), this place is great. We had a game up here a few weeks ago. When we walked in, we were greeted by a huge crowd of middle schoolers, who were kind of annoying, and kind of amusing who'd had a birthday party before us. There are several rinks here, and it's a really nice facility. The only really big problem was that the pro shop (which stayed open late and is quite nice), had a bit of a backup with their skate sharpening. One of our captains asked to have her skates sharpened, and said that we had to be on the ice in an hour. Her skates weren't ready until the middle of the second period. Being that it doesn't take that long to sharpen skates, and this was a big deal, it would have been nice if they'd made hers a priority. Otherwise, the rink was really nice. There was a bit of a refrigeration problem behind the rink--a bit of a pond there--but it was otherwise nice, and our locker rooms were very clean. read more