Release Date: October 19, 2007
Popular Ice Skating Rink in National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Opens in Mid-November for Ninth Consecutive Year
Washington, DC —The National Gallery of Art ice-skating rink in the Sculpture Garden will open for the ninth consecutive year in mid-November and remain open through mid-March, weather permitting. Since it first opened in 1999, the ice-skating rink has been a popular and affordable recreational destination that attracts thousands of visitors each season. The rink’s sleek, modern design creates open vistas throughout the parklike setting and offers skaters–both novice and skilled–a truly unique Washington, DC experience.
During the opening weekend in mid-November, visitors who purchase ice time, rent skates, or rent a locker will receive a coupon for a free cup of hot chocolate from the Pavilion Café. For the young and the young at heart, free crayons and placemats with the picture of a skating scene in the Gallery’s collection will be available at the cash registers inside the Café.
The added experience of viewing intriguing works of 20th-century sculpture by renowned artists such as Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Louise Bourgeois, Joan Miró, Scott Burton, Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, and others, enhances the time spent on and off the ice. The skating surface is approximately 135 feet long and 90 feet wide and can accommodate more than 200 skaters at once.
A state-of-the-art music system, with 24 speakers installed on light poles around the rink, provides uniform sound to skaters, diners, and spectators without distracting other visitors to the Sculpture Garden. At night, lights encircling the rink illuminate the ice, adding to the skating experience and contributing to the festive atmosphere. Thirty-two banners on poles that encircle the ice-skating rink represent a cross-section of the broad range of portraiture in the Gallery’s collection in the East and West Buildings. The Pavilion Café offers a variety of affordable food and beverages for visitors of all ages.
Ice-Skating Rink Hours and Fees
The hours for the ice-skating rink are Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The skating fee 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 school ID. The skate rental fee is $3.00 (ID required as a deposit) and the rental fee for a locker to secure your belongings is $.50 ($5.00 deposit required). Season tickets are available for $195.00. For general information and announcements about openings and closings, or to make skating reservations, call (202) 289-3360 or visit www.pavilioncafe.com. More details are available at http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.shtm.
Groups at the Sculpure Garden and in the Gallery
Pavilion Café reservations and discounts on ice rink admission and fees are available for groups of ten or more by calling (202) 289-3360 or visiting www.pavilioncafe.com. To arrange a special guided tour of the Gallery’s permanent collection for 20 or more people before or after a visit to the ice rink, call (202) 842-6247 three weeks to four months in advance. Information about other Gallery programs, exhibitions, restaurants, and Shops, is available at (202) 737-4215 or www.nga.gov.
Pavilion Café
The Pavilion Café offers a panoramic view of the Sculpture Garden and ice rink and serves freshly made wraps, sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, salads, and a variety of delectable desserts. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine, beer, and other refreshments are available also. Visitors can enjoy light fare inside the Pavilion Café or outside on the patios especially designed for dining.
Café hours during the skating season are Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. , Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 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 up-to-date information or to reserve space in the Pavilion Café for ten or more people, call (202) 289-3360 or visit www.nga.gov or www.pavilioncafe.com.
During the evening, when the Gallery and Sculpture Garden are closed to the public, access to the ice-skating rink and Pavilion Café is restricted to the Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive entrance at 9th Street.
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