Holiday Ice Rink At Embarcadero Center

I always walk by this ice rink during the holidays, but no one ever wants to go with me. Sad life. I should have just gone skating solo but fortunately on the closing night of the rink, HUSHconcerts had an event. Silent disco ice skating! SO much fun. The check-​in process for this special event was very easy, and renting skates was straightforward. Everything seemed super chill here. Coming here for an event was actually more enjoyable because there were less people on the ice, which was good because I’m so freaking slow at ice skating… anyways, fun stuff!

I was super excited to finally skate here! It has been a while since I’ve ice skated and I was able to make it to the last day. They have different skates now WHICH HURT a lot for me. Unfortunately that affected my experience on the ice… The ice was also not really even? I’m not sure if that’s how to describe it but these new type of skates were not the business for me. I miss the old cloth ones with laces. Lacing it was no fun but at least my feet were able to mold with the shoes. The workers were very nice and they are very organized. Will def come back again because this rink is bigger than the one in Union Square and they apparently NEVER sell out. I’ll just have to bring my own skates or something

We had the worst skating experience ever at this rink. The skates felt like torture instruments and the size selection was limited. I was given skates crawling with ants. After I replaced them with a pair that was incredibly painful to merely stand in, I went back for another exchange and was offered the ant-​filled pair again. The ice was uneven and bumpy. The rink let way to many people on at one time so that it was too crowded to skate. Next time I’m sticking to Yerba buena.

The staff at the center Ice are supernice and helpful. Love the 2 ice surfaces! Pro-​shop is awesome, love that Hossa leftie CCM stick!

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.

Here’s the problem: too many people (unavoidable), they make you go clockwise (avoidable), and a few staff members actually weave in and out of people, making them fall (completely avoidable). In general, the staff is super friendly and helpful… but on the ice there are a couple of dudes who shouldn’t be skating the way they do out there. We just watched them for a bit to see how many people they made fall after cutting off my husband and making him fall. It was so weird. I don’t really need to say how awful the skates are, right? So awful… the hard ski boot style skates that I’m sure are for «ease» and to not have people break their ankles, but man they suck. The atmosphere is pretty, of course, and everyone’s in a fairly cheerful mood, but it can’t overcome the inherent issues that I named. Won’t go back.

This year was my second time ice skating here for the holidays! Originally planned to go to the one in Union Square for a change, but ended up here again. I prefer this location because the rink is a lot bigger. Yes, it gets crowded but it’s not too bad. We always come here last minute and line up for tickets, but it hasn’t sold out on us yet. The skates aren’t the most comfortable, but they’re decent. Its $ 11 (went on a Saturday) and $ 5 for skate rental, so $ 16 for an hour and a half isn’t too bad. This year there were food trucks and tents that sold all sorts of things (paintings, etc). I’m not sure if they’re there all the time or just that weekend we went. The area is beautiful when it gets dark and the lights are lit. We accidentally got tickets for a different time since we were waiting on a friend, so the wrist bands were the wrong color. However, we were still able to get our rental skates. Overall, it’s a fun place if you go with the right people

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!

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.

Very fun place to be for the holidays especially if you’re visiting or live in SF. This rink is located outdoors right by the ferry building. The rink was pretty small, smaller than I’d imagined it to be when looking at the Unilocal pictures, but we had a ton of fun! It was FREEZING. Be sure to gear up in warm jackets and mittens during the holiday season!
They also have both figure skates and hockey skates for rent.
The best part about this rink is they open late (until 11:30pm) so we had a lot of time to visit other places during the day, making this our last stop. They open at 10am, and their sessions start on every even hour. This is the place for you to be if you’re looking for some holiday fun, ice skating outdoors with a pretty city surrounding. For those who prefers a bigger rink that has extremely smooth ice to skate on, an indoor rink would be preferable.

Last year, I wrote a very lengthy review of this rink.
After skating here regularly throughout the 2014 holiday season, I’m back with a brief update.
Once again, I have to say that skating at the Embarcadero Rink is an absolutely wonderful experience — when the conditions are right.
The rink has a lot going for it; it’s fairly large (bigger than Union Square), the setting is attractive (especially at night with the twinkling lights of Embarcadero Center), and the rink management and employees are all extremely friendly and helpful.
I’m so grateful that we get to enjoy this fantastic outdoor rink during the holiday season. I only wish it would stay open longer… at least into mid-​January.
So why only 4 stars?
The reason is because there is still room for improvement. Here is my unsolicited advice to Management:
1) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE vary the music! The steady stream of bombastic pop hits is incredibly boring and obnoxious. Even the holiday music is a relief. At least some of those songs are more lyrical. It would be great to hear a better mix of music (see previous review for examples).
2) More active on-​ice supervision is needed. While there is a long list of rules posted on the wall, those rules are rarely, if ever, enforced. I routinely witness both kids and adults racing and playing tag, madly cutting through the middle, barely avoiding collisions. I’ve also seen parents skating while carrying small kids in their arms or on their shoulders — another no-​no. The supervisors don’t seem to say anything.
3) When the rink is crowded (and it gets VERY crowded during peak holiday season), it would be great to have cones around the center to protect that space from careening kids and the general chaos (these days, with the majority of skaters staring at their phones, I’m amazed there aren’t even more mishaps).
4) Please resurface the ice for every session. It’s disappointing to show up, pay money, and skate on choppy, bumpy ice.
I hope these tips are taken in the spirit that they are offered — I’m just trying to make a good experience even better.
In general, I love this rink — and look forward to skating here again next year!

You know that feeling, when you’re going round and round, spinning your wheels?
Besides ice skating on this rink, this is also a way of opening (or ending rather) into a segway about Blue Eyes and the relationship that never was, nor ever will be.
Have you ever found out something about someone that completely changed your perception of them?
Well, that’s how it’s been between Blue Eyes and me, and I can’t look at Blue Eyes the same now.
A friend of a friend told me some things that were definite red flags, one of which was cheating, so bottom line – I’m over this crush.
I heard that Blue Eyes is as cold as the ice that I’m skating on (to use another metaphor), and I also heard that being in a relationship with Blue Eyes is like being on thin ice.
So after months of going round and round, I’m finally getting off this ice skating rink.
Speaking of ice skating rinks, this one at the Embarcadero has been fun. Not too many people here during the afternoon time, and I really like the location since it’s close to my office.
A great way of getting exercise and a good place to meditate on my past, present, and future.
And to think we passed on this for our company X-​Mas party!
Now that would have been great, actually skating with Blue Eyes on this rink and literally going round and around, mimicking real life…

Nice skating rink. Only thing I didn’t like was how painfully uncomfortable the rental skates were. I had to take sit down and take breaks ever 20 minutes because the rental skates hurt your feet so badly. My friend with me said the same thing even moving up a shoe size. I would recommend you bring your own skates.

Fun, fun fun! Great experience for kids and adults alike.
San Diego has something similar and it’s always a hit.
Enjoy the view of the Embarcardero, also dine at some of the best restaurants nearby.

City sidewalk, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there’s
A feeling of Christmas
That’s what the Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center feels like. I’m very sad that the last day of the season was yesterday… until next year. I think I had only skated 3 times this season, next year, I’ll aim for more.

Cool venue! Came here at the 6 – 730 session. This place is a million times better than the Downtown San Jose ice skating rink. My only grip is that there were a ton of people which ended up causing a lot of other people to fall and forcing those that could skate to a very small inner circle. Other than that, this place was cool. $ 10 entrance fee and $ 4 for shoe rental (for adults). They had great equipment which made ice skating a breeze (note: good ice skating shoes are the key to being able to skate as well as good balance and fresh ice). I would definitely come back next year!
Note: come during the day since there’s a sea of people at night.

Charming location because it is near the Ferry Building and great for the view of the Bay Bridge as well. It’s nice and glowing with city lights at night!
The ice skates here are okay — they don’t have the toe pick at the end or it wasn’t as noted on the edge of it.
Fun, fun, fun for the celebration of the holiday spirit!

This ice rink is in a prime location and it’s a cute little place to bring your girlfriend with validated parking at the embarcadero center. Now onto the bad, this rink is small and it’s expected in the city. People bring their children here who have no idea how to ice skate which is also understandable but because of that, these kids destroy the ice. Since the rink is small, the average ice skater will notice the chipped ice from these kids and eat shit because of that. If you are bringing people here to teach them to ice skate like I did with my girlfriend, go to a bigger rink. I myself had issues keeping my balance because I kept getting caught in the cracks people would create from slamming their skates into the ice like gorillas.
It’s plenty fine for what it is but I don’t like the fact that there are time blocks to skate in, you feel rushed during a time that’s suppose to be filled with holiday joy and magic. It’s good for a cute date with your girlfriend but if you want to skate comfortably, this is not the place. I was fearful for my life with some of these kids doing high kicks in the air with their skates who were not future Olympic athletes. Seriously people, get your kids some fucking lessons and don’t just say «try again» from the sidelines. Get your ass on the ice and risk your lives like we are, just because you don’t want to teach your shitty kid.

As far as outdoor ice rinks in San Francisco go, I prefer this one over Union Square because it’s much less crowded. Because it takes over Justin Hermann Plaza, it has an open, airy feeling to it, with beautiful views of the Embarcadero, ferry terminal, and Embarcadero Center towers that are specially lit up for the holidays. There’s also plenty of space for groups and private parties to spread out (but beware: public sessions can be closed off without notice for private parties).
The admission fee this year was $ 10 for a 90-​minute skating session. Skate rental is $ 3.50 extra. Sounds a bit steep especially if you’re going as a family or large group, but it’s a decent-​sized ice surface and the ice quality is actually quite good, as they zamboni the ice between every session. Although I hadn’t skated much since my college days, I was still able to get the hang of things fairly easy and was soon gliding quite smoothly across the ice in my custom pair of skates.
They play a variety of popular hits and Christmas tunes over the loudspeakers, and the overall ambience is quite festive, in fitting with the season.
Enjoy and have fun!

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.