Blue Cross River Rink

Great time skating next to river. Wasn’t that cold on ice. Made time enjoyable. Time for hot chocolate

Husband and I loved this place!
We didn’t go skating but it was wonderful watching everyone else enjoy the ice.
There is seating indoors and places that sold food and refreshments. We had hot chocolate spiked with vanilla vodka — so yum!
The place was busy on this Saturday night but we managed to get a couple seats around a fire pit. You will without a doubt end up smelling like a BBQ but who cares! It is such a great atmosphere!
They even sell s’mores kits if you forget to bring your own.
Enjoyable evening!

Love what they (finally!) did with the place. For years, the rink was surrounded by the ambiance of an asphalt parking lot. Now: Mulch flooring, Craft brews, Garces’ group food, Lodge tent, fire pits, trees, nice lighting, observation decks, lots of activities for friends who don’t skate, and surprisingly decent ice for an outdoor rink. Great place for family fun, a date, or a just a winter workout.
So why 3 stars? The music — awful, repetitive teeny popper stuff (and the SAME stuff over & over) WMMR had a tent set up there once, playing their broadcast — best public skate ever. Why not make that at least a weekly thing? The other thing– $ 20 for parking!!! TWENTY BUCKS!!! Yeah, you can find some street side parking, and maybe that helps the ice from getting too crowded, but I don’t know how you’re not in court on charges of mugging for that.

Definitely a fun place to go! I went here to meet up with my friend who was starting her birthday weekend extravaganza. We had so much fun hanging out in one of the lounge spots that you can rent out. The lounge spots are heated!
The River Rink is very cute and festive. Décor throughout has a ski lounge appeal. There’s things to do for the young and old at heart too. If you want to ice skate. great. If you want to sit and people watch while drinking a beer or have a bite to eat. great. there’s an area with arcade games too. It was a busy Saturday so there were tons of people on the ice, family and kids all around. Everyone having a great time!
I enjoyed my spiked coffees! :) And yes, I paid for them. There are drinks for adults here at the rink! The only con I had was sitting by the fire pits, you’ll definitely end up smelling like smoke. but overall, this is a place everyone should try out!

Saturday night was unexpectedly mild, and I was really excited to take advantage of the weather and go ice skating at the River Rink! Unfortunately, upon arrival, my boyfriend and I realized the tickets were sold out for the next hour and a half, boo!
We did not wait around to skate, but instead had drinks by a fire pit. The hot chocolate with vanilla vodka was really good (I kept stealing sips!)…To console my sadness about not skating, we decided to fill the void with some sugar. I was disappointed that ONE smore from Franklin Fountain costs $ 6…that seemed outrageous to me! We instead got 4 marshmallows (with sticks) for $ 5. They are homemade by FF, so don’t expect the same nostalgic taste from Jet Puff. While yummy, they melted really strangelt because they were homemade. While they probably contained less toxic chemicals, they left us somewhat craving the good old Jet Puff.
Even without skating, we definitely enjoyed our date. There is a lot to do here, from outdoor games, arcade games, watching the flat screen TV, etc.
Next time, we are coming on a weeknight where we can hopefully hit the ice!

Why do they put these things in phlly? its jam packed on any given day of the week. it’s as clean as it can be for place with 3 million people at any given time of the day. and parking… yeah right.
Pros: it’s only a few month out of the year, the atmosphere screams WINTER WONDERLAND
Cons: everything else.
it’s not my thing but you might like it. go. park, spend $ 20 to park in a seedy place, enjoy yourself.

Very cute temporary outdoor skating rink much like the rink in Bryant Park, NYC. I can’t review the river rink for the ice skating but for the lodge and atmosphere as a whole. Their decorations really make you forget you’re in Philadelphia and think you’re in some place far away from the city. The lodge serves hot chocolate (spiked or unspiked), various other winter cocktails, beers as well as food. Fire pits and heat lamps help you to keep warm on brisk winter nights. Definitely a must-​do for anyone visiting philly.

Went today with a group of about 15 people. Had a blast. However, the ice was melting so there were cones everywhere to avoid the puddles. Ice was also very scratchy? and not smooth enough for a nice glide. Surprisingly, I didin’t bust my a** because of that. Food prices (as expected though) were pretty ridiculous. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves since it was most of the groups’ first time skating.
It was pretty nostalgic for me after being on the rink after over 10 years of not skating, so I found it really awesome! The set up was great with firepits, hot coco stand, train set running, etc. It was pretty cool. We all had a great time.

Horrible not only do they charge $ 20 for parking but the ice was chopped to shit $ 10 for skate rental save your money. it’s another shitty tourist attraction, have fun.

I adore the river rink. I absolutely adore it. Talk about the ultimate date destination! I went here twice last year with my boyfriend and I am just SO excited to be going back for our third visit this Friday! Warm fireplaces, holiday cheer, and holiday beer. Not to mention the fire pits, local finger foods, and the porch with chairs and blankets! I couldn’t ask for a more perfect winter destination. Make sure you stop here! It’s only $ 3 to get in and $ 10 to rent skates!

As much as I’d LOVE to give this a great review as I’ve always had a great time skating here the $ 20 for parking just fucks it all up. I will be skating elsewhere from now on where they don’t try and stuff their entire fist up your ass before you even set foot in the place.

I came here with two of my friends this past January and let me just say that we picked a really bad day. It was FREEZING. I was cold through my gloves, jacket, socks and of course we decided to go ice skating that day of all the things we chose an outdoor activity.
But we had a blast! It was so much fun! I haven’t ice skated in over 5 years before this, so it took some time to get the hang of it. But it’s very family friendly so although I was going at a pace of 1 mph, no one around me seemed to be getting annoyed. Since it was too cold, my friends and I cut our skating time a little short and had a few picture sessions near all of the awesome decorations and scenery they provided. We warmed up a little in the tent/​building they had with a bunch of craft vendors with food and drinks.
I will definitely go back again this winter but on a slightly warmer day for sure!

We visited Philly three times over the past year and a half, and were thrilled to see the River Rink has seemingly become a year-​round destination in Penn’s Landing!
In the winter time, you’ll get an outdoor skating rink with free admission (if you have your own skates), and a DJ performing. On one side of the rink, they have bales of hay for seating surrounding several pit fire set ups, and if that weren’t enough, you can buy a s’mores kit and make your own treats. A handful of other food and craft vendors are on site for snacking, and for the adults in the crowd, beer and wine are for sale as well. And if you’re in need of a Christmas tree, they’ve got those here as well. The rope lighting and other decorations really transform an otherwise barren waterfront space and bring you into the season.
Indoors, you have access to a huge tented area, complete with lawn games, beer hall-​style seating, additional vendors, and some background tunes.
We recently stopped in Philly this summer on our way from MD to NY, and were pleased to see the River Rink once again up and running. What we thought was a winter-​only event was in full swing for the summer season — as long as you’re OK with roller skating/​blading instead. Everything else was pretty much intact, sans the fire pits.
I hope River Rink remains a regular fixture in Penn’s Landing and look forward to returning! Keep up the great job!

Like Spruce Street Harbor Park, this place has such a nice feel to it and is a great outdoor thing to do for a date or with kids. There’s a lodge with ample seating and rocking chairs to lounge, people watch and enjoy drinks. It would be great for groups as it’s very open and has a nice view of the waterfront and bridge in the distance.
I haven’t been here to ice skate in the winter but I imagine it is just as romantic but it’s good to know you can get warm inside, too. I can’t comment on the roller rink rental rates or anything as I didn’t skate but just took in the vibe. Not too crowded and great place to just hang out.
Parking isn’t too great around this area so be prepared to walk a bit. You can catch the ferry nearby to Camden, too, so could be a good pre-​game for an aquarium visit or concert.

Nothing feels quite so essential to winter as ice-​skating outdoors. There’s now several options in Philly, but the Blue Cross River Rink remains the best by far, especially after the upgrades this winter.
While on the ice, there’s flashing lights and music, so it almost feels like being at a club. It’s peppy and fun, and helps alleviate potential boredom from skating in circles.
The lodge (search for the page — it has its own) is a very welcome addition, and makes the river rink more of a destination. Now you can stretch your visit to a couple hours or even a whole night, rather than just an hour or two on the ice.

This place is so awesome and I’m so happy Philly keeps putting together things like this.
The staff was super friendly from the minute we walked in throughtout the entire stay, even as we were walking out. Everyone was helpful and nice, even giving us tips on ice skating since we had no clue what we were doing.
The food and drinks were perfect for the venue and I really loved the rocking chairs outside… the whole thing gives off a very cozy feel.
We spent sometime by the firepits outside, then got drinks and french fries inside where we also played Jenga, and ended the afternoon ice skating.
I also saw people bringing their own picnics which is an idea I may steal before this place closes its doors on March 1^st.
Overall a great place to spend a few hours with friends.

Beautiful! It was one of the nicest outdoor rinks I’ve ever been to. I live in SF, so I love the Union Square one when it’s in season.
The arcade area was smaller than I’d expected, and seemed to be catered toward children. But the large open area with the fireplaces, jenga, alcohol, and open tables was amazing. Super cozy! And everyone was so friendly in there!
The ice skating side with the locker rentals, on the other hand, was another story. The skates were outdated, tattered, with the laces all ripped. Every encounter with them for size inquiries, or questions of any sort, were either ignored or responded to with such attitude that we finally decided to just suck it up and skate with the deficient skates we were given. (bummer). This ended up cutting our skating time short, because our feet hurt so bad. :(

One of the best places for outdoor ice skating in Philadelphia. The rink is a decent size and they do an OK job regulating the number of people on the ice, so it doesn’t get too crowded, even in high season. But there’s more to it than just skating — it really feels like Christmas when you’re here! The decorations have improved dramatically in the last 3 years or so; in addition to music and fancy choreographed lights, there’s an entire Christmas village next to the rink, with several Christmas trees, more lights, a spot with rocking chairs and blankets, indoor seating, food, and Santa and all his elves! (kidding about the elves, but serious about everything else) So there’s plenty to do even if you don’t want to skate the whole time, or if you don’t skate but want to tag along with your friends that do!
The ice itself here is just OK; they run a Zamboni on it every 90 min, but it degrades relatively quickly if there are a lot of people, and gets pretty bumpy by the end of each skate session. But that’s how it usually is at public rinks.
The one drawback to this place is that the rentals are expensive ($ 10 for 90min) and the men’s skates are really terrible; not only are the blades really dull so it’s hard to use the edges, but sometimes the skates are damp from the previous person’s sweat. I’d definitely recommend bringing (or buying) your own skates — if you come here more than 2 – 3 times a season you’ll make the money back in no time.
Free admission (normally $ 3 /​90min) if you show your Blue Cross insurance card!

Although I’ve been in Philly for almost 5 years, I only made my way to this ice skating rink for the first time last year. That experience was pleasant, but nothing really blew my mind.
Fast forward to this winter, I came back for a second visit, and I swear that from that point forward, I dreamed of living at Blue Cross River Rink so that I could spend every waking hour skating here all day and all night.
As part of the this year’s «Winterfest,» they completely beautified the place (compared to last year) by embellishing it with colorful lights, holiday trees, rustic furniture, and fire pits. It’s a great place to hang out with a group of friends or to just skate while admiring the view of the river and Ben Franklin bridge. Start out by skating your heart away (for free if you are a BC/​BS cardholder!) and warm up with food and beverages in «The Lodge» — a chalet-​style beer and food tent.
I even got my own figure skates so I could come here often without having to pay ongoing skate rentals. For those who also want to use your own new skates, you can get them sharpened here for $ 10 (cash only). The lockers cost $ 1 (quarters only) each time you open them, but they are pretty roomy and can fit shoes and handbags.

I have been coming to the river rink at penns landing once a year for about 5 years now. I guess I had missed last year since the lodge was new to me, but that may have made my visit this year that much better. I was pretty blown away by all the new additions around the rink and it made me feel so lucky to live in Philly! I love how they are constantly making the city a fun and exciting place to live or visit.
Anyway, I came here with a group of friends last week and was excited to see all the changes to the area. The lodge was huge and decorated like a cozy ski lodge with lights, shrubbery, and pictures of deer. There are lots of picnic benches to sit at with games at various tables, as well as comfy couches and chairs to sit and chill with friends. There was a rather long line at the bar but it moved pretty quickly. For drinks, you can pick from spiked hot chocolate or spiked cider with different alcohols like jim beam, pinnacle whipped, and Jameson to name a few, all for 7 bucks. There’s also beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks. I got hot cider and jameson. It was good but not very strong at all. Probably better not be to be drunk ice skating anyway :) We didn’t get any food but the menu looked good.
The outside of the lodge has rocking chairs with warm blankets to sit and enjoy the views outside which is a cute idea. There is also a firepit section where you can sit and get warm by the fires, as well as roast smores. The whole place has pretty lights and there is a light show every half hour with the lights taken from the spruce street harbor park. The music was perfect for the holiday season! We all thought the delaware waterfront did an awesome job in transforming this area.
We decided to skate and bought tickets for the 9 – 1030 session. With a blue cross insurance card, you can get free admission for yourself and 4 friends, saving everyone 3 bucks (I always love feeling like I got a deal!). Then the only cost is the skate rental which is 10 bucks each. We paid and got our skates which was a painless experience and didn’t take very long. It was a blast skating on the ice (and watching people fall). I just wish they would zamboni the ice at least once during the session, since it got really lumpy and kind of hard to skate on.
All in all, it was a great time and I’m so glad I went this year. Will definitely recommend to friends!

The Blue Cross River Rink has been added to my Christmas activities traditions list– right next to the love park holiday shops and the Macy’s light show.
The River Rink is so much more than just a frozen patch of ice for people to skate circles on. There is a huge Christmas tree in the center of everything, surrounded by fire pits to keep warm or toast marshmallows on. Large rocking chairs are located all over the place, topped with warm blankets. Christmas lights hung everywhere– even lights that dance to the music.
There are also two large tents– one for kids with arcade games, and another that serves alcoholic beverages. The beer tent is amazing. There are small seating areas set up around fireplaces, and large picnic tables with games on top of them. Although the tent is huge, it has a very cozy wintery feel. Drinks run anywhere from $ 6 — $ 10.
The ice skating rink is in the center of everything and has a large platform around it for people watching.
Rink admission tickets are $ 3, and ice skate rentals are $ 10. If you have a Blue Cross insurance card your admission is waved for you and three of your guests. If you have your own skates– you can skip the rentals. So if you have your own skates, and have blue cross insurance– you’re ready for a free fun night out on the ice!
Admission to the ice rink runs at different times, so it is never toooo crowded on the ice at one time. They also clean the ice after each session, but after the first few minutes the ice gets ruff and snowy again– which is fine for first timers. Beware– there are some show offs who will skate circles around the rest of us.
The Blue Cross River Rink is the perfect place for a family trip or a date. Make sure you get your skating in quick– as the River Rink closes down on January 4^th. Hours vary on the day– so check out their website.

Surprised how many grinches there are writing negative reviews for this place. Stopped by on a Sun evening around 5:30 or so. I thought they did a really nice job setting the whole outside area up. Apart from the skating rink which was lit up really nicely, there is a whole outside area with seats, tables, and firepits.
The «lodge» is awesome– it’s a huge (semi permanent?) building with a gravel floor, tons of tables and chairs, games like foosball and jenga set up everywhere, as well as two huge projection TVs (one on each side) that had the Eagles game on. The best part– beer and spiked hot drinks! There were about four beers on draught (all decent or better, they had the Weyerbacher Winter Ale as well as one from Shiner plus a few others I forget) plus hot chocolate spiked with vodka or hot apple cider with whiskey. $ 6 per drink, credit cards accepted with square. There was also another food stand serving things like hot dogs, etc. as well as non-​spiked versions of the hot drinks. Distrito also had a «food truck» parked by the skating rink that was selling fancier stuff.
I did not skate on this visit but plan to when I return in a couple weeks. While I didn’t visit them myself, I did hear someone remark that the bathrooms weren’t the cleanest.
Left the pooch behind but despite a self-​contradicting sign at the entrance (that says ‘No Pets’ with an asterisk, the asterisk saying ‘All pets must be leashed and service animals are always welcome’), I did see a couple guys with their chihuaua in the lodge and no one was hassling them (plus you had to walk by a security guy checking bags to get in), so I’m assuming this place is dog-​friendly.
Overall one of the handful of long-​running really cool holiday events in the city that I would definitely recommend checking out, even if skating’s not your thing.