Though ice rinks have long been a mainstay of the Minneapolis parks system, you could be seeing fewer of them next winter.
As part of a proposed 2025-2026 budget released in October , the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board (MPRB) is recommending the closure of ice rinks at five parks: Lyndale Farmstead, Powderhorn, Webber, Windom, and Matthews.
The reason? There’s a few, with MPRB citing “uncertain climate fluctuations, the environments, and warming room rental costs,” in addition to “an increase in materials and supplies due to inflation.”
However, the agency says it will conduct “further analysis” of the financial situation, especially with regard to ice rinks located on lakes.
If the closures take effect, it will reduce the number of MPRB’s rinks from 22 to 17.
As KSTP notes , this comes after an usually mild 2024-2025 winter, in which Minneapolis saw just one week of outdoor ice skating at its public rinks.
The proposed cuts are partially aimed not only at addressing “budget gaps” but also funding the newly unveiled Graco Park , a nine-acre riverfront site in the city’s northeast.