Much love to Sheila from The Frugal Exerciser whose idea prompted this post. Have something you want to see on Femme Frugality? Shoot me an email.
Are you looking for a way to keep your kids active despite the cold? A way to keep your resolutions or burn off those holiday calories? I’m guessing you don’t want to spend big bucks to do it. If you live in Pittsburgh, I’ve got great news for you. We’ve got quite a few skating rinks that will help you keep in shape and get outdoors, all without busting the budget.
MassMutual Pittsburgh Ice Rink (AKA PPG Ice Rink)
Located downtown, this rink has got it going on. Larger than New York City’s Rink at Rockefeller center, it’s surrounded by the iconic glass castle skyscrapers that make up PPG Place. It’s prime skating space for city-dwellers and suburban office commuters alike.
Regular Admission
Kids to age 12- $7
Seniors age 50+-$7
Everyone ages 13-50- $8
Skate Rental-$3
Tuesdays are for Families
On Tuesday nights, you get a free child’s admission for every paying adult. So a family of four skates for almost half price!
Wednesdays are for Students
On Wednesday nights, students get their admission price knocked down to $3 just for showing their valid student ID or report card.
Lunchtime is for Working Out
If you’ve been looking for a way to fit in your cardio while working downtown, you can get a lunctime pass for $25 to skate Monday-Friday 11am to 3 pm. Not a bad deal at all!
Get more details about the rink, rates and special here.
North & South Park Ice Skating Rinks
I grew up skating in county park rinks, so they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. While they may not be surrounded by glass castle skyscrapers, they are nestled into the beautiful environment we’re lucky to have here in Western PA. Plus they may be a lot more convenient if you live in the North or South Hills.
Regular Admission
Ages 18-59- $5 for residents, $6 for non-residents
Everyone else- $3 for residents, $4 for non-residents
Wednesdays are for Families
Remember how you got a free kids’ admission for every paying adult at the PPG rink? Well, at the county parks on Wednesdays you can get a family package for $10. That essentially means the two adults are paying admission while up to four kids are getting in free.
Valentine’s Day is for Lovers
BOGO admission for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day! Plus every couple gets a carnation.
Volunteers Skate for Free
Are you a volunteer firefighter or EMT? First of all, thank you!!!! Second of all, you get to skate for free. It requires a little bit of paperwork and getting an ID badge, but I’m willing to bet it comes with some other nice perks that make it worth your time.
You could have gotten free ice skating lessons.
But I wasn’t a very good frugal blogger. I waited too long to let you know. The last session started last week. It’s a great thing to keep in mind for next year, though! They’re for EVERYBODY ages 5+, and they run for 4 weeks. And they’re FREE!
Get more info on the rinks here.
Schenley Ice Skating Rink
I think some of my favorite city parks are east of downtown. They’re surprisingly huge for an urban area, and during every other season, show off Pittsburgh’s love for green spaces. During the winter, Schenley Park’s rink hosts some good deals and a bunch of fun events. (Note that after 9:30 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays there are adult-only sessions where children are not allowed to join you.)
Regular Admission
Adults- $4
Kids 17 and under-$3
Senior Citizens-$3
Skate Rentals-$2.50
Thursdays are for Families
Miss Tuesdays at PPG place? No worries. Schenley Park has the same deal (free kid’s admission with every paying adult) on Thursday nights. Plus their admission/rental rates are cheaper, so you’ll be saving even more money, anyways.
So many days are for Students
Show your college ID and get $3 admission on Tuesday and Sunday nights, plus Wednesday afternoons.
Curling Lessons
I love the city. While this isn’t necessarily frugal, it is quirky and could be a ton of fun. Take a half hour curling lesson on February 8 for $15/person. Just make sure you pre-register.
Get more info on the rink and the deals here.
Ice skating sounds super fun right about now 🙂 I haven’t been yet this year, but I usually go in Chicago where it’s free downtown and you just need to pay for skates if you don’t have them. But I recently found out there’s an outdoor rink right around the corner from my house and I really need to check that out.
Wow, Chicago’s got the ice skating thing going on! I can see why Sheila suggested it even more now!
The South Park rink has a special place in my heart. My early teenage Friday nights were spent there with my buddies, complaining about the dull rented skates, warming up by the snack bar inside and working up the courage to, finally, talk to girls, and thinking that someday we’d find something better to do on Friday nights. I’m not sure we ever did.
Haha when you’re a teen everything is super lame! I had to come back to Pittsburgh as an adult to appreciate how awesome everything is.
This is awesome! I feel like things like roller skating and ice skating are forgotten too quickly! I still love them both and they’re often excellent deals.
We used to have roller skating parties at my elementary school! I was such a skilled kid that grew up to be such a clumsy adult.
I love this! Such a great time for a great deal! My ankles tend to hurt too much now to ice skate but I used to love ice skating. It’s a great way for the winter to seem to pass more quickly.