A first ice-skating trip has two separate decisions. Do you want to try skating together, or do you want someone to teach you? For the first, look for a public skate. For the second, compare a beginner class. Admission to an open skating session should not be mistaken for an included lesson.
Atlanta’s four indoor options also price rentals and children differently. A small amount of planning makes the comparison much easier before anyone is standing at the rental counter.
Add rentals before choosing by price
Here are published base charges checked on September 17, 2026. These examples use a skater aged 11 or older so the same person qualifies for each listed admission rate. Totals are admission plus rental, not a guarantee about taxes, checkout fees or special events.
| Rink | Admission | Rental | Base total with rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Ice, Sandy Springs | $13 | $5 | $18 |
| Atlanta Ice House, Marietta | $15 | $7 | $22 |
| IceForum, Duluth | $15 | $5 | $20 |
| The ICE, Cumming | $9 | $4 | $13 |
Sources: Center Ice, Atlanta Ice House, IceForum and The ICE.
The ICE describes its rate as a 90-minute public skate. Do not assume the other tickets buy the same duration. Compare the actual listing, and remember that a longer session only helps if your group has time and energy to use it.
A family total needs the children’s actual ages
The child bands do not line up neatly. Center Ice lists a lower rate for ages five and under, with free admission for children three and under but rental charged separately. IceForum also has a five-and-under admission category. The ICE separates ages three to five from ages six to ten.
Atlanta Ice House’s page labels its child ticket “10U” but describes it as under ten. If your child is exactly ten, confirm the applicable ticket with the rink rather than assuming those two descriptions mean the same thing. That small ambiguity is a good reason to calculate each person’s ticket separately.
Owning skates changes the comparison again. Use the admission column for that person, not the rental-inclusive example. Group discounts and passes have their own conditions; they are not the starting price for every family.
Check the exception before the weekly timetable
At the time of this review, both Center Ice and The ICE were publishing September cancellation notices alongside their regular schedules. This is why we link to dated sessions instead of promising that a particular public skate always happens every Friday.
Check the Atlanta public-skate listings, then the operator’s current notices before leaving. Atlanta Ice House also distinguishes full-sheet and half-sheet calendar entries. Read the selected event so you know which public session you are planning around.
If your group needs help taking the first steps, arrange instruction explicitly. Choosing a quieter-looking calendar slot is not a substitute for a class, and a lack of online registrations does not prove the ice will be empty.
If the first outing becomes a regular activity
Compare the practice allowance as well as the lesson price. Center Ice’s published class package includes rental skates for lessons and eight public-skate practice admissions, but those practice admissions exclude rentals and expire with the series. That difference matters for someone still using borrowed skates. Center Ice class terms.
The ICE’s September–October 2026 series lists one 30-minute class each week, rentals during lessons and three public-skate practice passes that expire at the end of the series. Late enrollment can reduce that practice allowance, and the package does not offer make-up classes. These are terms for the named series, not a permanent promise about future courses. The ICE’s current lesson information.
Choose a course you can attend repeatedly, and check which levels and ages are offered at the time you need. Our Atlanta lesson finder brings the local programs together. For a recreational outing first, the Atlanta rink comparison explains the different reasons to shortlist each location.
This guide is based on published operator information, checked for the named prices and terms. It does not claim the writer attended these classes or tested the rental skates. The aim is to make the first decision clearer without promising what a particular session will feel like.
Put the plan into practice
Compare the next public skates and the rink details below. These cards use the same maintained information as each rink page.
Plan your visit Prices, rentals & more
- Admission
- Public skating admissions: 6 and Up $13; Kids 5 and Under $9; Children 3 & Under free (skate rental not included). No reservations required for public skate sessions. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skates & rentals
- Skate rental is $5. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Booking & check-in
- No reservation is required for public skate sessions. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
Plan your visit Prices, rentals & more
- Admission
- Public skate admission is $15 a session, or $11 for children under the age of ten, which the rink labels 10U. Skate rental is $7 extra. A group of 10 or more pays $17 per person with rentals included. A 10-punch card is $100 for ten admissions with rentals not included, and a monthly unlimited public skate pass is $200, valid from the 1st of one month to the 1st of the next and bought on site. Freestyle ice, shown as "Figure Skating" on the rink calendar, is $15 for a single 40-minute walk-on session, $130 for a 10-pack of freestyle stickers or $315 for a monthly unlimited pass, and needs Basic 6 or equivalent. Adult Sticktime and Stick & Puck are $15 a session; full gear is required, the ice is capped at 25 skaters and Stick & Puck is ages 6 and up with no scrimmages. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skates & rentals
- Skate rental for a public skate session is $7. The group rate of $17 per person for ten or more people includes rentals; the $100 10-punch card and the $200 monthly pass do not. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Booking & check-in
- No reservation is required for public skate; arrive a few minutes before the session starts. Monthly skate passes are purchased and renewed on site and run from the 1st of the month to the 1st of the next. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skating with children
- Wearing a helmet is highly recommended, especially for beginners, and the rink can provide helmets and protective gear to rent. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Accessibility
- Service animals are allowed inside Compete Center venues; other pets are not permitted. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
Plan your visit Prices, rentals & more
- Admission
- Public sessions: admission is $15.00; child (5 & under) admission is $8.00. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skates & rentals
- Figure skate rental is $5.00 and hockey skate rental is $5.00. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Booking & check-in
- No online reservation is shown for public sessions; the rink states all posted session times are subject to change or cancellation and asks skaters to call to confirm, especially during school holiday weeks. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
Plan your visit Prices, rentals & more
- Admission
- A 1.5-hour public skate session is $5.00 for ages 3-5, $7.00 for ages 6-10, $9.00 for ages 11+ and $7.00 for seniors 55+; skate rental is not included. The group rate (20+ people) and the home school rate (Friday morning public skates only; not available Thanksgiving or Winter Break) are $11.00 per skater and include skate rental. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skates & rentals
- Skate rental is $4.00 per person. It is not included in the age-tier admission prices or the Frequent Skater Passes; it is included in the Group Rate and Home school rate. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Booking & check-in
- No reservation is required for public skating. The rink recommends arriving 15-20 minutes early to buy admission and get rental skates. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy
- Skating with children
- Skating aids for beginners are not provided or allowed, and adults assisting children must wear skates and may not carry children on the ice. Skates are required for anyone entering the ice. Source · 2026-10-11Review due · confirm the current policy