Free skating versus rental: what you actually pay
The rink page separates two kinds of ticket, both booked through the same online system:
| You bring | Ticket | Price (incl. admin fee, before tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Your own skates | Own-skate ticket | Free |
| Nothing | Rental ticket | $18.72–$64.48 |
| Your own skates, want a shorter queue | Express Lane (select dates) | $18.42–$36.86 |
| Nothing, want a shorter queue | Express Lane with rental, shoe check, 75 minutes on ice | $87.52 |
| Nothing, want the top package | Premium Skate | $156–$182 |
You have to show your skates to get in on an own-skate ticket. Bank of America cardholders get 10% off eligible rentals. The page gives rental prices as a range, not a fixed price; the booking system shows the exact price for your slot.
How booking works
- Watch the release. Free own-skate tickets "roll out daily for skate times one week in advance".
- One free slot per skater per day. You can book up to five tickets per day, and back-to-back sessions are not allowed.
- Arrive at your ticket time. Ice time starts 20 minutes after the time on your ticket. Most sessions give 50 minutes on the ice (the first of the day is longer), so allow about 70 minutes in total.
- No re-entry. Once you leave the skating area, your session is over.
Everyone entering the skating areas needs a ticket, including non-skating adults who go in with children. Children under 14 must be with an adult at all times. If no skating parent is present, one free chaperone ticket covers every two child skaters under 14; extra chaperones cost $11.29.
Hours, holidays and the tree-lighting closure
The rink is open 8am–10pm, extended to 8am–midnight from 19 November to 3 January, and it closes early, at 8pm, on 31 January. The extended window covers Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, and the page does not list any of those days as closed.
The Winter Village page had not announced the 2026 Bryant Park tree lighting date when we checked. Last season, on 2 December 2025, the rink closed at noon and reopened after the tree-lighting show at about 6:15pm. A similar closure may apply this year, so check the rink calendar before booking an afternoon in early December.
Lockers, bags and what to bring
- Shoe check: free.
- Lockers: limited. Bring your own lock or buy one for $6.24. Locks left behind are cut.
- Bag check: $6.24 per item, $18.72 per oversized item or for a fill-a-bag.
- No bags on the ice.
If you are carrying luggage on a travel day, store it elsewhere first; our luggage storage guide lists the options.
The Holiday Shops and food
Winter Village opens on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at noon. The Winter Village page lists the Holiday Shops from 28 October 2026 to 3 January 2027, open Monday to Friday 11am–8pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am–8pm. The Holiday Shops page describes more than 180 stalls curated by Urbanspace, set along the park's paths, plazas and terraces.
| Holiday | Holiday Shops hours |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving (26 Nov) | 11am–8pm |
| Christmas Day (25 Dec) | Noon–5pm |
| New Year's Eve (31 Dec) | 10am–8pm; the park may close earlier |
| New Year's Day (1 Jan) | 11am–8pm |
The Holiday Shops page itself still showed last season's daily hours (10am–9pm) when we checked, so treat closing times as the most likely thing to change. The Lodge food and drink area is open daily 10am–10pm, until 11:30pm on some peak days.
Combining it with other holiday sights
Bryant Park sits between 40th and 42nd Streets, behind the New York Public Library. The Rockefeller Center tree is about seven blocks north; see our Rockefeller Center tree guide for its 2026 dates and tree-access tickets. Radio City's show is close by too: our Christmas Spectacular tickets guide has prices and bag limits. If you are visiting on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day, check our holiday closures guide for museums that shut.
