Ice Skate With The Fastest On Earth At Wisconsin’s Pettit National Ice Center
By Ben Jones|Published October 18, 2021
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
Just about every town in Wisconsin has a place to go ice skating but there’s a rink in Milwaukee that offers an experience like no other. The Pettit National Ice Center is an official U.S. Olympic training facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its ice has seen the blades of some of the fastest skates on earth. Do you have what it takes to fly around this amazing oval? For a small admission fee you can find out, because this rink is open to the public! Here’s how you can get on the ice at Pettit National Ice Center In Wisconsin…
This story starts at Highway 94. It was built in 1993, on land that once held an outdoor speed skating center.
The Pettit National Ice Center is massive. It’s 200,000 square feet and it can hold 2,500 people for events. The speed skating oval is 400 meters in length and inside the oval there are several rinks used for figure skating and hockey.
There have been many world class competitions held at Pettit National Ice Center, including skating competitions, including the National Short and Long Track Speed Skating Championships, the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, and the U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Time Trials.
But the rink is not just for Olympic athletes. It has regular open skate hours for the public. You you can purchase an admission ticket and skate the same ice as the athletes. Concessions are available and if you need skating lessons, you can get them too!
The Pettit National Ice Center in Wisconsin is also used by people who never skate at all – there’s a run/walk track located on the outside border of the ice. Regular events are held on the track, including indoor marathons!
The Pettit National Ice Center is located at 500 S 84th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s open daily, although hours change with special events. See the latest schedules here. If you prefer skating outside, here’s a place in Madison that’s simply gorgeous.
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