Press Release
For Press Inquiries Only:
Sarah Edwards Holley
Publicist
(202) 842-6359
s-holley@nga.gov
Release Date: October 21, 2004
Washington, DC--The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink will open for the sixth straight year from mid-November through mid-March, weather permitting. The ice rink has become a major affordable and recreational destination in Washington. Last season the rink attracted more than 40,000 visitors. Its sleek, modern design creates open vistas throughout the garden and offers skaters the added experience of viewing monumental works of contemporary sculpture in a park-like setting. The most recent installation is a 14-foot tall, 12-foot-wide cast iron Paris Métropolitain entrance, one of the few remaining among those removed from Paris between the 1930s and 1960s.
A state-of-the-art music system, with 24 speakers installed on light poles encircling the rink, provides uniform sound to skaters without distracting other visitors to the sculpture garden. Lights decorating the circumference of the rink further enhance the skating experience and contribute to the festive atmosphere.
Skating Rink Hours and Fees
The
hours for the ice rink are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to
9:00 p.m. Admission
for a two-hour session (beginning on the hour) is $7.00 for adults and $6.00
for seniors (age 50 and over), children (age 12 and under), and students with
ID. The skate rental fee is $3.00 (ID required as a deposit). The locker
rental fee is $.50 ($5.00 deposit required). Discounts on admission and fees
are available for groups of ten or more. For general information, opening
announcements, or to arrange a group visit, call (202) 289-3360. Season
tickets are available for $195.00.
Please note: During the evening, when the National Gallery and Sculpture Garden are closed to the public, access to the rink and Pavilion Café is restricted to the Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive entrances at 9th Street.
Pavilion Café
The
Pavilion Café offers a panoramic view of the garden and ice rink and
serves freshly made wraps, sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, and salads. Coffee,
tea, hot chocolate, wine, and beer are also available. Café hours during
the skating season are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Visitors can access the skating rink and the
Pavilion Café
at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW; 9th Street and Constitution Avenue,
NW; 7th Street and Madison Drive, NW; or 9th Street and Madison Drive, NW.
For current information, call (202) 289-3360 visit www.nga.gov/ginfo/cafes.htm.
General Information
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times
free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd
and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through
Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information
call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD)
at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.
Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon
entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and
located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented
at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray
screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances.
For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried
into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot
be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in
the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by
the Gallery or its checkrooms.
For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:
Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov
Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov
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National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC