You Can Ice Skate for Free in Dubuque: It’s Been Here All Along

If you grew up in Dubuque, or even if you’ve just spent a few winters here, you probably assume that ice skating means heading to the indoor rink, paying admission, and hoping the schedule works with your wallet and your calendar. While that may be the case in the summer months, winter is an entirely different story. That’s why this feels like one of those “wait… we have that?” moments. It certainly was for me.

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Tucked into Allison–Henderson Park, right at the corner of North Grandview Avenue and Loras Boulevard, is a free, lighted outdoor ice skating rink that’s open to the public all winter long. No tickets. No gate. No fee. Just show up with skates and go, and I think that's awesome!

The rink is part of the larger Allison–Henderson Park complex, a five-acre neighborhood park that already offers playground equipment, picnic areas, grills, open green space, and a recreation program center. But once winter hits, the ice rink becomes a real star. It’s equipped with two goals, making it perfect for a casual game of pickup hockey, but it’s just as welcoming for free skating with family or friends. For me, it's a one-way ticket to the ER with a broken tailbone, because I'm not so good on skates.

What makes this especially cool is the timing. Dubuque, of course, is a legit hockey town. With the Dubuque Fighting Saints lighting it up in the USHL, interest in the sport is quite high, and having a free outdoor rink feels like a real community flex. Not everyone can afford regular trips to a paid rink, especially for families with multiple kids who are still figuring out if skating is even “their thing.” This rink destroys that barrier completely with a simple "try it out" kind of day with the kiddos.

The rink is open daily from 9 AM to 9:30 PM, with lights available from 4 PM to 9:30 PM. By the way, you flip them on at a gray electrical utility box along Nowata Street. It’s important to remember that this rink is unsupervised and first-come, first-served. Additionally, there are no restroom facilities, so plan accordingly.

There you have it, if you didn’t know, Dubuque offers free outdoor ice skating all winter. Grab your skates, tell a friend, and take advantage of one of those simple, old-school winter joys that make living here special and accessible to all, with no need to find a frozen pond or lake.