Tucson Ice Rink at TCC — Local services in Tucson

Warning, hidden costs and overcrowding this year! Tucson Ice Skating is "brought to the community" by two tax-funded organizations with additional sponsorships by businesses, but the total cost for a family of 5 was - at off peak pricing - was $88... to skate for an hour with way to many other people.

We were surprised to find the use of a support device (aka a plastic scooter seal) for first time skaters (like every kid in Tucson) was an additional $8 per child, parking $12 for the 1.5 hour time allotted on the ice, and there was nowhere to safely store purses and shoes so one parent was on the rink and one had to stay with our stuff.

PS None of these "extra costs" were available at time of purchase online but were fun expensive surprises.

The place was packed at off peak time yet they closed off the entire section of tables and yelled at anyone who tried to use them "that area is closed" so instead people had to pile their shoes, coats and purses on top of strangers' items. This is nonsense operations at its best

The skating itself was fun, but there were definitely too many people on that small rink and I won't be surprised when someone gets hurt. There were kids in the ground and adults whipping springs like Nancy Kerrigan - with 150 person capacity on a tiny rink.

It was one of those days where my kids had become very excited and I couldn't turn back but had definitely not anticipated that the activity would cost us an additional $36 on top of tickets and it made me sick to my stomach - I had barely been able to budget the tickets.

Knowing what I know now, I would consider this a resource for the middle class inTucson, NOT the community and am curious how many tax dollars were used...

My daughter and I came to ice skate today, Jan 3, 2025 during the 10am session. This was our first time going. After getting her bearings on the skates she took off. Unfortunately mid way through the session she fell hard and hit her head. Everyone from the staff, security and private citizens were extremely helpful and accommodating. It was determined that we needed to call for an ambulance. Security handled that while I called my husband. Fellow skaters, young and old, were able to tell me what exactly happened as I didn't see the fall through the crowd of people. My daughter has no memory of the fall or how it happened. She does have a mild concussion but she will be ok. I can't thank TCC enough for their quick response and dedication to the well-being of my daughter. My daughter will be ok and she too thanks everyone there. She was sad she wasn't able to give a proper thank you or goodby to everyone who helped her. She really liked the security lady that hung out in the middle of the ice rink with her for a bit while she worked on her spins and twists. I saw a few high fives between them before the fall. There was also a gentleman there, I believe his name was Gene, he was also giving my daughter tips before she fell. We thank him for his warm friendly nature and coming to check on us as she was loaded onto the stretcher. Thank you again TCC Ice Rink! We'll definitely be back next winter, probably with a helmet...

We had a fun time at Tucson Holiday on Ice overall. The ice skating rink itself was a great way to get into the holiday spirit, and the addition of local food trucks was a nice touch. The atmosphere was festive, and it was definitely a budget-friendly way to enjoy the season with family.

However, my experience was unfortunately marred by some pretty poor behavior from the security staff. One of the guards, who had a ponytail, was unnecessarily harsh with my 8-year-old son after he fell on the ice. Instead of offering a helping hand, he threatened to kick my son out for “messing with the ice.” My son wasn’t doing anything wrong—he just fell down like kids do when they’re learning to skate. This made him so upset that he started crying.

To make matters worse, another security guard, wearing cheap, tacky sunglasses, was just as rude and unhelpful. It seemed like they were more interested in enforcing arbitrary rules than ensuring a positive experience for families.

It’s such a shame because the event itself has a lot of potential. But they really need to hire security staff with more empathy, especially people who are good with kids. Dealing with children requires patience and understanding, and it was clear these guards lacked both. Until they make some improvements in that area, I can't say we’ll be...