Minneapolis Park Board budget proposal includes elimination of 5 outdoor ice rinks

Outdoor ice skating in Minneapolis was a blink-and-you-miss-it affair this past winter, and climate uncertainty is now causing the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to reconsider the scope of its rink program.

MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura recommended shuttering five outdoor rinks throughout the city as part of the Park Board’s 2025-26 budget. The affected sites include Lyndale Farmstead Park, Powderhorn Park, Webber Natural Swimming Pool, Windom Park and Matthews Park.

The recommended budget cites “uncertain climate fluctuations, the environment, and warming room rental costs” as reasons for reducing the number of rinks. The budget also mentioned further studies on the viability of rinks on lakes and ponds.

This comes on the heels of a mild winter that only allowed for one week of outdoor ice skating in Minneapolis.

The Jan. 20 opening date was the latest in recent memory, and the MPRB decided to shut down rinks for the season just six days later. The U.S. Pond Hockey Championships — a yearly fixture on Lake Nokomis — were also cut short as puddles of meltwater overtook the playing surface.

The MPRB is expected to take up discussion on the recommended budget at its upcoming meeting on Wednesday.