Class of 1923 Ice Rink

Watched the roller derby. Great fun. Great place. Tasty beers. Nice clothing for sale. Recommended.

Great parking lot, not a bad car ride over to the River Rink, and a nice, uncrowded skate over there. However, pertaining to this rink: with such scant hours of public skating to choose from, to show up at the door, having paid for parking, only to find out that the public session is cancelled due to a hockey team practicing is exasperating. To have found out, I would have needed to go to the website and actively sought out their calendar of events, where such an announcement was buried. There are ways of making such a helpful message more conspicuous, guys!

One star is one too many. This rink sucks for anyone watching a game. It is freezing and there is absolutely no place to warm up. No ramp or elevator to the upper level either. Out of 40 or so rinks I’ve been to this is by far the worst (and I’ve been to some bad rinks). I had multiple layers on and was prepared for a cold rink, but not for Antarctic conditions. Even the two guys in the administrative office were both just about straddling a space heater at the same time in their office. I just got home from having two toes surgically removed due to frostbite and I hope I never have to go back to this rink.

If you love skating, regardless of where you are, I don’t think you need to read any reviews about venues. However, if you don’t go out too often, or have never been before, a few things need to be noted about this place:
1) The ice quality is average. The surface is bumpy and you may be prone to stumbling
2) It isn’t very well heated. Hockey players usually aren’t too afraid of the cold, but if you’re coming for a birthday party or something, you will want to bring a heavy jacket on cold days.
Of course, if you just want to skate, this place works!

If it weren’t for its soft spot in the hearts of Penn alumni (who have a penchant for their annual Wharton v. Law Fight Night here), this place should have been torn down years ago. When you walk in, you are transported to an atmosphere reminiscent of the 70’s classic movies Slap Shot and Roller Ball. This means that while the stadium gets rowdy, loud, and proud, it also has an «is that asbestos?!» kinda feel to it. Good luck finding the bathrooms or concessions — they are NOT easily accessible. The Class of ’23 should hope for a facelift at least by their centennial.

Three stars for simply just existing close by so I can skate every now again with little inconvenience to myself.
As rinks go though this one is sad. There are barely any public sessions available and when you do come to one the ice is poorly cared for. They also play the same songs over and over again. They aren’t a bad choice of songs, but that gets tiring. They need to get a radio or Pandora One account or something.
Also, I own my own skates and got them sharpened here. It was $ 8 but they didn’t make them that sharp. I will have to find somewhere else to go to next time.

I organized an outing with my hallway to the ice rink, and we really enjoyed it. It’s a large rink, regulation size, which means plenty of room to skate, show off, or desperately cling to the walls along the side. Admission was kind of high, IMHO: $ 7 for weekend admission + $ 3 for skate rental. If you’re a Penn student, your ID will get you $ 1 off, so bring it with! The rental skates looked fairly new and clean and weren’t too sketchy. You exchange your shoes for skates, which makes storage easy. There’s also two smaller boxes on either side of the rink where you can rest or put your things down, or lockers you can rent for a small fee.
As others have said, it’s COLD in here! We went on a very cold day (temps in the teens), and I expected the rink to be a respite from the cold temps outside and it wasn’t all that much warmer. Definitely bring a jacket, and if you’re a wimp like me, some gloves too.
All in all, a fun way to spend the afternoon or evening. Just be sure to check the website ahead of time for the schedule, public skating is only an hour or so each day. Happy skating!

You know when you walk into the gym and you it just smells like the gym? That’s like this place. You walk in and you know boys play ice hockey here in their sweaty pads. Depending on how you swing that could be a good or bad thing.
This place probably (definitely) needs some updating but probably won’t. However if you just want to get your skate on this place will do. It’s not as crowded as the Blue Cross Rink on front street which is nice, but it’s not outdoors like that one, so it’s not as pretty to skate on. We came in the beginning of free skate I already felt like they needed to zamboni the ice it was so jagged. The ref guy was nice and good about making sure everybody was safe so props to him. Other than that, nothing super special. They take your PennCard/​give you a discount if you got one!

For 3 years this was our go-​to ice rink (the only game in town, really) but now that we live in the ‘burb’s we go to the one out in Aston which is bigger, cleaner and nicer (and offers a full service bar/​snackbar).
Meanwhile, this rink is a much needed outlet for kids who want to learn to ice skate in Philly. They offer lessons and also hockey.
My (then 5 – 7, now 8) kid loved going here.
So glad we took her to the public skating sessions.
A good birthday party option as well.
It’s cold inside — bring a jacket!!!

As someone who visits an ice rink on a less than frequent basis, I have fewer qualities to rank them by, but I really appreciate this ice rink for what it’s worth.
It’s a standard size rink, so there is a lot of room to skate/​fall. There were a variety of skill levels there– people who were spinning/​jumping in the center and people clinging the walls for dear life on the periphery (and everyone in between). A friend of mine wanted to test her skating skills after a decade long hiatus and suggested that a group of us go to the rink for her birthday– definitely a great idea!
They have skates to rent there. It costs $ 9 per person (or at least it did the day I went!). We went later in the evening, so the ice was pretty worn and bumpy, but that would happen at any rink, I assume.
When you’re thinking of something fun to do with your friends, I would totally consider this!

I’ve been a spectator at many events in this rink, and also played a few years of hockey in this rink. The ice tends to be below average condition, and that pretty much matches the entire rink. UPenn hasn’t invested much in this facility and is always threatening to tear it down, but it is still standing. The seats aren’t comfy, but at least they have backs to them. It tends to be one of the coldest rinks in the region for spectators. The locker rooms are pretty bad, but many other rinks suffer from small, stinky locker rooms with really crappy showers too. Parking can be tricky for big events, and since the opening of Penn Park the parking situation is even worse. If you go here for public skating be prepared to fight big crowds!

This place is a dump. It stinks of mold. The ice is usually just ok at best, the showers are kind of creepy and the architecture screams for an upgrade. But it is a ice rink in the middle of city and that makes Penn Rink great. Now how about a varsity team for UPenn?

Checked out roller derby here on Saturday. Overall ok, but a few major issues-​pretty much expected for a crappy, old, outdated arena.
1-​Sound system is horrible. Impossible to decipher what announcers are saying.
2-​Kind of difficult to get around-​only certain stairs let you up so far, levels wise, and same goes for the rows-​some just end and then you’re SOL if you’re trying to make your way around.
3-​Because of the age of this arena (I’m guessing), the stairs are pretty treacherous-​really far apart. Everyone I was with commented they felt like they might bust ass on them.
4-​Not sure if the place has A/​C or not, but it was really hot, and it wasn’t even crowded.

I’ve been to Class of ’23 rink for more than half of my life, and there isn’t much else to say about this rink.
It’s large — as any arena should be. Plenty of seating for when you need to rest your feet. Admission is cheap, especially if you have a student ID. Skate rentals are also cheap. Strap on your gear and go have fun — you may even see some competitive skaters messing around and doing cool things!
On another note, they also have other events here. I saw a Roller Derby once. Getting sauced down the street at Mikey’s and then watching a bunch of girls body-​check each other can’t get much more fun than it sounds — the only problem was the air-​conditioning wasn’t working, so the place was HOT. I get a feeling that normally it’s fine.
Pro-​tip: If you’re a completely new skater, try not to make your daisy chain more than two people wide — you’re more likely to get hit/​pull your friends down.

I’ve been going here for years. However, I’ve only been to a few rinks in my life, so I have little to compare this rink to. (Take this write-​up with a grain of salt.)
Parking is always a random experience here, but there’s enough for patrons.
The rink can handle a crowd, but it gets rather crowded during free skating sessions. Staff are on hand in case someone takes a-​tumble. Admission’s affordable enough, and it’s easy to rent skates if you forget yours. I’ve never been here during games, but I hear that’s fun…

Ahh memories of my youth. I used to take figure skating lessons here when I was just a child! I remember early 90s music blasting, watered down hot chocolate and microwaved soft pretzels. I also remember fantastic times with girls that I can still call friends to this day.
That being said, the hubs and I went last night. It was «winterfest» so it was a mere $ 3 dollars for admission/​skate rentals (so sad, I just gave my skates away this fall).
When we arrived, the line was at least 60 people deep.
We finally got to the front, rented our skates and got out on the ice. It was tremendous! it really is just wholesome, A OK fun!
Some downsides: No Zamboni throughout the entire 1.5 hour session. By the end of our skating, it was like we were skating in snow. Also, they let too many people in, the nervous nelly I am says that it is really dangerous to have so many people of varying skill levels on the ice at once. And the skates were just awful.
But i love it. And even when it’s full price, it’s such a fun time. It felt like we were on our first date.
xo

Skated here a few years ago. I remember that it was very crowded, and the rental skates were definitely not the best. That being said, it’s pretty cool to have an ice skating rink around Campus!

I’ve actually never been here to skate. It’s on the far side of campus for most students and staff, but it is also the location where people pick up their computers they order through the school at the beginning of the year. Limited hours for skating, but the Penn hockey team and ice skaters practice here now and then, making for a good exhibit to watch.

Ah, the good ol’ Penn Ice Rink… always on the brink of being demolished in Penn’s expansion plans, but it’s resilience has paid off and it’s still standing. Every time I go to this rink to play a game, I get excited as that old-​time hockey smell and rush of cold air hits me. The locker rooms with their rough, hand-​made benches, random hooks in the walls, and beat-​up bathrooms remind me of the ice rinks where I used to play. The ice here is also pretty hard and consistent, so the games are pretty quick.
Built in 1970, with funds from the «Friends of Pennsylvania Hockey» and the Class of 1923, the rink housed Penn’s varsity ice hockey team until1978 when the university dropped the team’s varsity status due to a lack of funding and probably the team’s lack of success. Although Penn’s varsity ice hockey team last played it’s game in 1978 against Cornell, the rink still sees plenty of action on the ice from Penn and Drexel hockey teams, figure skaters, public skates, broomball, and my personal favorite, men’s league games. So, if you’re looking to do a little family skating on the weekend, join a men’s league game, or host a skating party with whatever theme you like, all the info can be found on their website:
The rink manager, is a nice guy, and you should contact him if you have any questions regarding renting out the rink or accommodating large groups of people.
Wharton Wildmen — 2008 Men’s B/​C League Champs!
P. S. Bring gloves, if you’re skating or in attendance. It gets cold!
P. P. S. If you want to enter on the lower level (where there is a parking lot), make a right on 31^st street from Chestnut Street.

Old-​school skating rink with crusty rental skates and limited hours. But the ice is much less crowded and better maintained than the one at Penn’s Landing, so I guess that makes UPenn the best ice rink in the city. After skating you can head over to Cosi or Bubble House for a warm beverage.