B.O.R. Arena

Public skating at B.O.R. Arena: the next 7 days

Currently out of season The City of Barre's BOR Arena page says the arena is currently closed for the ice season, pending pressure test results; no opening date is confirmed yet. Official schedule update

Barre's BOR arena, rebuilt after a 1972 roof collapse

The BOR arena takes its name from the federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, which covered half of the construction cost. In late November 1972, during construction, its laminated wooden arches, which spanned roughly 140 feet and rose as high as 45 feet, came crashing down, and the city started over. The arena was conceived in 1971 and finally opened in February 1974.

Local architect Don McKnight designed it as an arched roof with the four sides open, and the building was enclosed with federal consent in 1981. A refrigeration system added late in the project made artificial ice possible. In summer the ice gives way to turf for soccer, lacrosse and walking.

Spaulding High School's boys and girls teams use the arena daily for practices and games, and U-32 High School has borrowed it at the end of its season. In early October 2026 city officials announced that failures in the pipes beneath the ice would keep it closed for the season, and four local contractors then volunteered to attempt emergency repairs to the cooling pipes.

Before you head out.

Admission, rentals and arrival details, researched from official rink information. Source checks stay current for 30 days.

A source check records what the rink published on that date. Session-specific booking details take precedence.