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Brenton Skating Plaza

Ice skating in Des Moines, Iowa • A seasonal outdoor plaza on the Principal Riverwalk, skating November through March; 2026–27 dates not yet announced.

Skaters on a large outdoor rink strung with Christmas lights, a giant red ornament beside the rink in daytime

Generic ice skating photograph — not a photograph of this rink. Photo: Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Resized from the original. This adapted image is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Skating season2026–27 season dates not yet announced. Established seasonal rink, operating November through March in prior seasons; converts to a concert and event space in summer.
Admission2026–27 admission prices unpublished. Prices currently shown on the city page carry no year (adult $10, child/senior $6, ages 5 and under free, punch pass $95) and are not presented here as 2026–27 prices.
Skate rentalsSkate rental terms currently shown on the city page carry no year ($5 per pair) and are not presented here as 2026–27 terms.
Session hoursSession hours currently shown on the city page carry no year (Mon–Tue and Thu 5–9 p.m., Fri 5–11 p.m., Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m., closed select Wednesdays) and are not presented here as 2026–27 hours.
Ice surfaceRefrigerated: Cityview (December 26, 2012) — “It sports three miles of refrigerant tubing under the 120- by 60-foot rink, so the ice maintains a perfect condition all winter long.” Disclosure: the explicit tubing source is from 2012; no current-season refrigeration wording was found on the city’s own page, so this listing is evergreen (established rink, current season unconfirmed), not a confirmed 2026–27 opening.
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📍 Brenton Skating Plaza, 520 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA 50309
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Plan your visit

Brenton Skating Plaza is on the Principal Riverwalk at 520 Robert D. Ray Drive in downtown Des Moines, skating November through March in prior seasons and converting to a concert and event space in summer. Hours and prices currently shown on the city page carry no year, so treat them as a guide and confirm before going: 2026–27 dates have not been announced. The plaza closes for the day in warm weather (60–65 degrees) and in severe cold, per the city’s weather guidelines, so check conditions on warm days.

What makes this rink distinctive

A downtown riverwalk plaza that has skated November through March since 2006, on a refrigerated sheet, and then flips to a concert and event space in summer. Its draw is the setting: open-air skating in the heart of downtown Des Moines, on the Principal Riverwalk, rather than a suburban rink or a mall installation.

Official tickets and session information

Schedules, prices and closures can change. Check the venue's own site before setting out.

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Information checked: 2026-10-25. Read source ↗
Seasonal November–March operation and address (520 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA 50309) from the City of Des Moines page. Refrigeration: Cityview, December 26, 2012 (“three miles of refrigerant tubing under the 120- by 60-foot rink”) — disclosed as a 2012 source; no current-season refrigeration wording was found on the city’s own page. 2026–27 dates not announced; hours and prices currently shown on the city page carry no year and are not presented as 2026–27 figures. A November 21 opening date in older newsletters was the 2025 season (which opened December 1, 2025) and is not published here.

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Distances are straight-line, not driving distances.