Ice at the Galleria

I enjoyed the people watching at the ice rink at the Galleria earlier this week. It is endearing to watch skaters of all ages make their way across the ice. It inspires me to start figure skating lessons or practice soon. Also, thanks to Victor for all the help and practical advice on how to get started. Your enthusiasm is contagious! What a beautiful art and sport!

Ice at the Galleria is a sparkling gem nestled in the heart of Houston’s premier shopping mall. As soon as you step onto the rink, you're enveloped by the buzz of excitement and the cheerful ambiance. The pristine ice surface, meticulously maintained, provides a smooth and exhilarating glide for skaters of all levels. Surrounded by the mall’s upscale shops and vibrant atmosphere, it’s a perfect blend of leisure and luxury. Families, friends, and couples alike find joy in this winter wonderland, whether it's a first-time skate or a regular outing. The rink offers ample seating for spectators, allowing non-skaters to soak in the experience comfortably. The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring a safe and enjoyable time for everyone. After skating, the array of dining options and retail therapy at the Galleria completes the day perfectly. Whether you're looking to escape the Texas heat or just want a unique and memorable experience, Ice at the Galleria is a delightful destination.

I used to go here back in 2008-2011, back when I was 9 years old and they still used quarters for the lockers. I recently went back on 3/30/2025, and here's what I think as an adult: Pros: -Great location, I liked the view and how I could smell popcorn and cinnamon rolls from the rink, usually ice skating rinks smell more like an old shoe. -Good rink size, there's a lot of room to move around. -The skates fit me well and didn't tire me out. Cons: -Not enough policing: lots of people were skating in the wrong direction, especially young kids, which isn't safe, people were forming chains, and I was there for about an hour and nobody had the skaters change direction, which I thought was unusual. -The rink played the song Let it Happen by Tame Impala on repeat the majority of the time I was skating. The song is almost 8 minutes long, and I heard it at least 5 times in a row, maybe as many as 10. It got ridiculous, I've never had that happen before. It's a fun time, but keep it safe for the kids, and please don't play the same song on repeat.

First time ice skating here. My normal rink was closed for competition. Staff is very friendly. Jocelyn was very accommodating and helpful. Rink is a bit smaller than what I’m use to, and of course the ice is more dug into. It definitely isn’t cold like a typical rink, which I did enjoy because I didn’t need to wear gloves. Overall , it was a good experience, and the atmosphere was good.

It was spectacular and lovely when I visited the Ice at the Galleria for the first time. Looking at the massive structure that houses so many large shops in the Galleria was both amazing and charming. The galleria's ice has a view of the direction one is coming from. It is large and contains a seating place for viewers; also, one can observe from the top walk way. Wonderful to be here.

The extra star is for the Gentleman who gave us a free locker. Thank you! Other than that, we most likely sadly won't be back on this rink. We come here every few months for Cancer treatment and stop by the rink. This last visit though was unfortunately the worst. Ice melting and hazardous in several places, much of it blocked off for lessons which is bad business to be going on in the middle of the afternoon, and the attitude of some of the skaters(especially the rude kids with hockey skates practically knocking other people over and being reckless) made this visit really disheartening. The rink back home is alot better, plus the ice here is also very uneven. Price is also quite high for skates that are very worn and haven't been sharpened in most likely several years. Going to miss being able to skate down here but it is not feasible nor practical after this latest visit.

Hi, my hubby and I truly enjoyed our time skating there tonight but I was appalled and concerned it seems like two of the employees, both young men were ZIPPING WITH HEADPHONES ON in a rink with a lot of youngsters. I know they probably think nothing's going to happen but I can't imagine the parents felt safe or comfortable with those older guys doing that around young children. This is a big no no. They may think they see where the littles are at but you cannot always anticipate some kid bolting out where you do not expect.

Took my grandkids, they had the best time, $58 dollars for two kids was a bit much. There were students practicing on the ice and not really caring if they bumped into the regular skaters. Would have been nice if they had played music.

Our child was invited to a birthday party at the Galleria Ice Rink. This was our first (and only visit). This rink has the audacity to charge $27 per person to ice skate. That is INSANE. We just skated in Sugar Land for $14 per person. Anyways, our child had a good time at the party. The group rented a party room downstairs. The ice looked pretty choppy but as we were leaving they had the Zamboni come out for an ice cut. Like I said, I don't think with the price tag here, we'll return. Oh yeah, and maybe it's just us but we had a heck of a time finding this rink. It would have been helpful to have known which parking garage to go to. We don't make it out to the Galleria much.

Pretty fun ice skating rink in a convenient location! (If you ignore the nightmare of Galleria parking) The Christmas tree at the center was beautiful during the holiday season, and the rental skates fit well. There was also lots of seating to rest between bouts of skating. My only complaints were that it was pretty expensive compared to some other ice skating rinks ($25!), and it was really crowded, even on a random Monday evening. I would love if the rink had adult-only skating sessions on some nights so it would be less crowded, and so I wouldn't have to worry about hitting a child at every turn :/

Very nice! The renovations went great. Smooth, level ice. No melted water anywhere. I enjoyed skating here!

Let's talk- ice skating at Christmastime is a thing. I think it isn't a coincidence that every Christmas Hallmark movie has an ice-skating scene. People love it! I love it! We packed up the family and headed to The Galleria to participate in this Christmas activity! All I ask of the owners and keepers of this rink is two things: 1. Have someone on the ice monitoring the skaters. There was such recklessness and I think with some gentle coaching and helping these dangerous skaters would have learned some control. Also, many of the young skaters decided to dig up holes around the backside of the Christmas tree (deep ones) and use the ice to make snowballs (bad ones) and throw the ice at people, causing holes and then ice shavings everywhere. It was awful... yet no one to monitor this behavior. I became the bad guy asking the kids to stop making holes! My son-in-law also tried to stop the digging... he was as bothered as I was to see destruction of the rink albeit in one area. He then was targeted by two of those kids who then tried to make him fall. Nice. Again, if the rink had a monitor on the ice this could have been stopped. 2. Use the Zamboni! We were there for two hours and the ice was deeply scarred. We were told no to the Zamboni. It wasn't used before or after we left the rink- we were in the mall a while afterwards- no Zamboni. It gets dangerous when one's ice skates get caught in those deep groves. My skates stunk -- the ice was not kept up and the kids were way out of control. Why is the rink the one place in The Galleria with no class?

To be honest it seems like a cash grab. Ice was in horrible condition. It was super choppy all over and there was a huge lake. Couple spots didn't even have ice covering it. They have a Zamboni so I'm not sure what the issue is. If you're looking for something fun to kill time while at the Galleria I guess it's not that bad. Only reason I didn't give them one star is because the price is pretty fair, just expected a lot more. Also BYOS because the rentals will cut into your feet if not careful.

I'm a coach at Ice At The Galleria and I truly enjoy how many hours are available to my students. Here public goes on for many hours and if you're in group classes there's multiple discounts it's a great deal because of how many hours you can get in to Patrice and take privet lessons so as a coach I really appreciate it.

There is no time limit, no it's not an all day entry. A one time fee to be on the ice rink, and to rent skates. Only thing is you cannot leave the the ice rink area, if you do then you will have to repay to get back in so you are forced to stay in there.

They haven't taken the time to update their hours. What a disappointment to the kids who were looking forward to skating tonight.

Great place to take the kids prices are very fair they also give military discount not really much to say except for sign the kids love it and you can skate all day for one price

Totally agree with the reviews below. An overall enjoyable experience but ruined from the get go by the check in experience. The front desk guy, the one with the ponytail, has an attitude of sheer arrogance that is very off-putting. It was our first time here, and he was visibly annoyed to even talk to us. Kept getting more arrogant and rude with each question, and an attitude that reeked of smugness. Like he was god's gift to earth and we were wasting his time. All for an employee at a skating rink! I mean it's not rocket science or neurosurgery. It wouldn't kill you to be nice to your paying customers. Then he has the nerve to say "if you think I'm being not being nice to you, you're welcome to leave." Oh no sir, I'm not going to let you ruin what will be a joyful moment on ice for my daughter. Then we went in, and of course the second person we spoke to was the other lady in all black mentioned in the previous reviews, who was also curt and borderline rude, just not as bad as the guy lol. These guys are trying extra hard to piss off customers. The actual ice was decent, facilities could be better maintained. Our 3 year old had fun and that's all that counts at the end of the day. But boy the adult employees need some training!

It's pretty great, I mean this isn't Colorado with frozen lakes and such, but I practice on it a ton. I like it better than other rinks in Houston. They clean the ice regularly, about every thirty minutes depending on the amount of skaters, and I plan on going today. I see a few people talking about how it's dingy and everything, but do remember! This is an ice rink in the middle of one of the biggest malls in Houston. It doesn't require a lot of people working, just a few to run the counter and downstairs( including the machine). It isn't the mall's top priority. This is probably the best rink in Houston, where it is hot with constant humidity(Houston not the rink the rink is nice and cold). To other comments, yes it isn't the fanciest, it is a bit dirty, but they've got all their maintenance in the stores. If you got this far thanks for reading. -An amateur at writing reviews

Its about time I reviewed this place. Never did for the past 35 years I've been going here. Grew up in Houston. Loved watching people skate. Love this mall. Skated here myself many a times. But what happened? Did they sub cheaper skates? It's more run down. Charged higher rates because they can. :/ Warning their skates hurt here. Double your socks. Its not just us because family friends came the next day and same issue but more drama. They saw someone get a concussion and had a seizure on the ice along with another injured kid bleeding all over the ice cut by the blade. Ahh is this a regular occurrence.? Although we didn't see all this we had to note how uncomfty the skates are. For $12 you'd expect better skates. Plus weekdays it closes at the 5:30! Hardly any time to enjoy. We squeezed in an hour of fun for the kids plus painful feet after but got the nostalgia in. They charge $1 for lockers which is a must do unless you have someone sitting with all your shoes and purses. Don't remember it being so run down and painful. We like it here because the rink is larger than Dallas Galleria's but those skates ahh Nice mall though. Will we be back? Not sure...for nostalgic reasons, maybe..

My son was able to take his first attempt at ice skating here with his classmates. I do not know how to skate it's 12.50 plus 4.50 for skate rental and additional 4:50 for a pair of socks if you do not have socks on. There's no walkers or so probably not the best place for beginners unless you hire a trainer or have someone with you to help but who cares it was my sons first time and I will always have a special place in my heart for this ice rink.

I was here on 7/13/2018 at 1pm...I couldn't believe what I heard...regional music of Mexico playing in the ice rink!!! Who decided that...the music is music of "cantina"!??! It's really sad to see this happening in the galleria mall!! Complete lack of respect to people that don't speak Spanish!! The manager should get fired.. There is no place for this music in the galleria!!

I used to be a competitive figure skater and because of this have skated in MANY rinks. I will say that Galleria Ice is the least maintained I have ever been to. There are large chunks in the ice that they try to refill by spraying them with water, however this just makes things even worse and creates large bumps in the ice, making for an unstable skate. Last month, in the span of less than 5 days, I witnessed THREE separate people break their legs. I believe this is partially due to the uneven ice and the horrible plastic skates that are rented out. For the price, pleather padded skates should be provided to ensure a proper fit and comfort. Memorial City charges less for the same size rink with better skates and cleaner, smoother ice. Stop being cheap, less people will have issues with this place and more will be likely to return. TL,DR: Skates are painful even with layers of socks, so if you come here, bring your own skates. Be wary of uneven ice and be prepared to fall due to it. Expect to pay more than you would at other rinks.

Absolutely horrible experience. I am visiting from out of town and called to verify a package I found online. It said $22 for a 30 min lesson and ice skating after. I told her my kids had never skated before and needed help and also asked if this was as available because the deal didn't have any expiration date. She said, "yes, come in and we'll figure it out." It took us 90 mins to get to the Galleria and another 30 mins to park and get to the rink, 10 mins in line and the lady remembered me. She asked another person to help me. They made me wait. They said they'd call me after figuring it out. Ok...I take the kids to eat and over an hour later no one calls. I go back and they ignore me. I ask again and they say they don't know where the lady is. I wait. Finally she comes and says they can't honor the deal. I told them I didn't care about the deal, I cared about someone being able to help my kids learn a bit. She said there is nothing I can do. This is after THREE hours of driving and waiting. I am absolutely livid. Had they been honest I would not have driven all the way here and taken them elsewhere. This was a very bad experience and we will never return. No one tried to help us.

Paid $15 for admission and skates for two of us. Lockers are available to store your belongings if needed (requires 2 quarters unless you find one that's open with the key there). The skates felt uncomfortable around the ankle area after a while. This was the only downside for me (I woke up with a blister on my left leg). Luckily for us, we got to see a short performance by a figure skater whose name I couldn't hear over the mic. It was a young, tall guy who looks mixed with black. His performance was great. He fell once and got back up quick like it never happened. There are people of all ages on the rink with different skill sets. There were some people with headphones. Great place to people watch. It's fun though. I've been to this rink a couple of times in past years. Someday I hope I can learn how to skate backwards and also spin.

We were in line 5 minutes before it opened. They told us to be seated. After telling us to be seated they wouldn't let us to front of line where we were originally. Rude employees!!! Other rinks in town!!!

Their customer service has improved greatly. I think they have a new director who is very knowledgeable and informative. Their group lessons are great especially free public skating hours for ice skating students.

There's some pros and cons about this ice skating rink. But regardless of what I say, this rink is beloved by Houstonians because it's an institution inside an institution - and even more so during the Christmas holidays. Outside of Texas, ice skating rinks inside a mall is a strange idea. In Texas, however, it is not as strange. Here's the PROS: - It's INSIDE the Galleria, one of the top malls in Texas, if not the country - and there's definitely a luxurious feel especially when they put up a gigantic Christmas tree that shows off just how big Texas-big can be. - It's an ice skating rink, which is still not that common throughout the South. - Sport celebrities have practiced here - It is a well-manned rink, with staff going around making sure everything is okay - and they'll make sure you, a stranger, are okay too, should you fall or something. - Affordable fun, especially while someone else goes shopping. $13 during the holidays (or $8 for groups of 10 or more) Now... the CONS: - There are outrageous lines during the holiday season. - And once you think you got through the line experience by getting a ticket, you have to get into ANOTHER outrageous line to get your skates. - And once you get your skates, the skates will reek awfully - even before you put them on you. You could smell them even at an arm's length. - Beware of the little kids - they'll slow your skating experience. And during the Holidays, there's a lot of them out there! So no, this is not the best ice skating rink out there. It's not the cheapest, not the most efficient, and doesn't provide nice clean skates. However, it does give you an experience as well as memories of skating inside one of the grandest mall that is lighten up by one of the grandest Christmas tree in the entire city of Houston.

Pros: It's a big rink, conveniently located, easy to access, and the hours are nice. It's open weekday evenings for a few hours after the private lessons and group classes are over, and this is a good, fairly low-key time to come and skate without getting run over by mobs of children. It's got its own downstairs lobby with lockers, restrooms, and vending machines. Cons: The ice is nearly always torn up, sometimes to the point of being difficult to skate on. Even after they re-smooth it, it's often still a mess and not fully smooth. Weekends here are a NIGHTMARE. Tons of little kids flailing around, teenagers stopping on the ice to take selfies, unsupervised children skating the wrong direction and crashing into people - yuck. Weekdays during the day tend to be a bit better, but sometimes the place gets infiltrated by daycare centers and field trips and whatnot, which is a pain. Overall: Best time to go is weekday evenings (Monday - Thursday, not Friday). Ice quality is variable. AVOID AVOID AVOID on weekends.

We celebrated our daughter's 7th and 8th birthday. One experience was positive, the other negative. The first time, the hostess was very polite. She had everything ready for us. She even gave her a t-shirt for her birthday. I am not sure if this was part of her package, I didn't notice it, but she loved it. We ordered 2 pizzas and several pitchers. I never had to remind her to refill them, and she did most of the serving. She also was very organized in letting us know when it was time for the cake, presents, etc. The second time, it started off negative. The room wasn't ready for us. The hostess told me I had the time wrong, even after I showed her the confirmation email. We all had to wait in the crammed room while she set the tables up. What bothered me was her attitude about it. She asked the kids to stay in one corner while she tried to figure out how to set up the tables. Do you know how difficult it is to ask 15 kids that are 10 and under to stay in one spot? Also, even if the time had been my mistake, there is no way that room would've been ready in time either way. Once that was settled, the hostess was a little better, but I feel like I had to make the effort to be extra polite so that she would make an effort. I had to do most of the serving. I also had to figure out when we needed to do cake and presents to be out in time. Overall, I gave them 3 stars because my first experience went well. I would rather not do it again, but my daughter loves ice skating, and their prices beat everyone else.

Oops, I fell over while writing this review just like I did skating. I could have stayed in Philly and been drafted to play right wing for the Flyers if only I had been a better skater. Instead of gawking from the upper levels take the initiative to strap on skates and let the rest of us laugh at you! This is fun. Do this.

The Management is spewing racism and bias behavior. I took my girlfriend to skate and they were so rude. I payed via credit card and asked for money back. They refused to give my funds. They simply stole my money. I called my bank and they rectified there wrong doings. Take your children and friends to Memorial. They show Love.

This review is strictly for BROOMBALL not the ice skating, although be warned that the facilities where you normally rent skates (down stairs) smells like feet... Anyways, for those of y'all looking for a fun activity for large groups, this is it! My friends were lucky enough to score a Groupon so we played for half off, but typically this activity is quite a pretty penny but not so bad if you have like 50 people. I loved how we played when the Galleria was pretty much closed. Wahoo for easy parking and we pretty much had the Galleria/rink to ourselves minus a few workers and onlookers (who enjoyed a free hour of entertained as we fell all over the place.) For those of you who aren't familiar with the sport of broomball, think hockey with a broom stick minus the bristles and instead of skates you are running on ice with your sneakers! Tip: if you step outside of the boundaries of the cones, be warned, you will probably slip and fall and end up with a few bruises, just view them as battle scars and taking one for the team!

Bring your own ice skates, because what they have for rentals are plastic thick male-sizes only skates without any foot padding that will absolutely cut up and destroy your piggies. Horrible. For the prices they charge, they ought to have standard leather/pleather boots like every other skating rink in the world. Manager, you have female skaters. Get skates for your female customers. One boot does not fit all, despite socks and proper attire, so much as you wish its true.

If there's one reason to fight the traffic and the crowds of the Galleria, it is the Polar Ice Skating Rink. Any time of the year, you can see skaters and beginners out on the ice creating a great people watching experience. This ice skating rink has been around for years and never fails to capture my interest when I'm down in the Galleria. I even have my own memories of clinging to the wall as I made my wobbly way around while people zoomed past me on their icy blades. There are a variety of classes here so you can see people at many levels of skating - some are particularly impressive while some stumble and look for the comfort that only the escape of the benches can bring. It really is a beautiful place to see and is an awe inspiring venue year round. Definitely a must if you have visitors in from out of town. In Houston, this as close as we get to winter sports. Perhaps that is part of the fascination with Polar Ice - a gorgeous spot to escape from the chaos that is the Galleria while being right in the middle of it.

My Husband bought me a gift certificate here. I went 5 times. I have no bias nor I cannot compare it to any other ice in Houston as this is the only place I have gone. I am a novice. Price is $17 with rental skates. The staff was friendly and at no time, with anyone, were they ever rude or unfriendly. Several times, I noticed that the skate was not really sharpened and they happily exchanged the skate for me. They never even gave me the slightest hint of annoyance with my request. During crowded holiday times, this might be harder to do. Once I changed my shoe twice, as the blades were a little dull. My foot was sliding off and it was obvious after a few times going out that it just needed sharpening. I image a lot of people skate there with rental skates so skates that needed sharpening would be hard to keep up with. It is a beautiful venue and I enjoyed it immensely. I can image during the Holiday season, it will get crowded with the tree. I think price goes up to $19 during this time. There are some spots on the ice that seem uneven (close to the Chinese restaurant that is actually overlooking part of the rink) . It is hard for beginners to skate on the wall near this part as it seems like 5 small ditches in the ice. (maybe the tree made those?) Also near the enter and exit side, it actually has a hill feel to it. You go uphill entering the ice and downhill exiting. That is why I did not give the ice 5 stars. It seems uneven in spots and that is not good for the beginner. After a few times, I knew what parts to avoid. They have a wonderful tutoring video on their website which is really helpful. Overall, I really enjoy going there and will continue going.

I came from out of town to visit family, and brought my skates. We came to the Galleria Sunday afternoon so I could do some skating. Generally when I skate I go for 2-3 hours. I lasted 15 minutes before leaving. I have my own skates, so I have no comment on their rentals. The facility itself though... SO disappointing. The ice is incredibly badly maintained. It's unfriggingbelievably bad. Most of the of the outer ring of ice was covered with a layer of water. The entire rink was really beat up in terms of scratches, and skid tracks, ect. One end had bumps, like little hills. I'm not sure how often they run the zamboni, but it's not often enough. There also wasn't really any supervision of the ice to ensure people follow rules either. If you're looking for a place to get some exercise, have fun, learn to skate, or practice, this is not it. If you're looking for a place to take shopping break, and to let your seven year old tear it up while you have an iced tea, it's probably great.

It is busy location and it is staffed by teenagers. The cost of admission is $12 a person and $3 for a skate rental. If you don't have socks, you can buy a pair but they are not cheap. While we were watching, we saw skater cut themselves and when this happened the blood froze on the ice. They did have a staff member who skated out with a hoe and he scraped up the blood but he did this without gloves and I can't think that there maybe a splatter of biohazard of bodily fluid that the poor worker was exposed to.

I needed to exchange a skate because the liner was off. One guy was super nice and helpful, but then this girl told me it was my fault and I had asked for the wrong skate? I didn't, but even if I had I wasn't blaming anyone or being rude in any way. Simply asked for a different skate. Anyway it was a bizarre experience, but the kids had a good time and the one guy was nice.

It was nice. Definitely a bunch of kids running the place u they were very nice and helpful. Great place for visitors to watch too. The kids had fun.

Location and hours are extremely convenient. I have been taking group classes for over a year and have always found the coaches and staff to be very friendly and helpful. During weekends and school holidays, the rink tends to be super busy, and around the winter holiday is probably the most jam-packed time of year. For a far less stressful experience, I highly recommend skating on weekdays.

The ice was crowded which I attribute to Spring Break. However, there are some "regulars" that are older adults who are creepy We spent close to $400 for a two hour birthday party. The "Private Lesson " was late. After skating the "Party" had no pizza after a 40 minute delay. And the paid for personal attendant was so engaged with her cell phone we could get no response The basement party rooms smelled of mold and were dirty. Please, learn from us, don't host this party.

Where can you find a year-long ice skating rink in Texas? At the Houston Galleria Mall!! I have not personally skated there (middle of august) but my daughter spent an entire afternoon there while we tried walk the walka and shop the shop in what mant claim to the the 3rd biggest mall in North America. it may sound a but pricey for some (i personally believe it is a fair price for ice). It is not a HUGE rink but it serves its purpose. Those of you who have their own skates, bring them... those thaf don't. . Rent them. Either way it will be fun... and, uf you don't skate... you can chill around it or go up the stairs and wander around

Great place to have fun with your friends, staff was very friendly and helpful. Just paid for one price, my friends and I skated all day there!! Victor, the manager at the time, was able to answer all the questions I had about the rink!

I am not a Galleria regular. It's been almost a decade since I lived in the Houston area. The cacophony of echoing sounds which greeted me as I neared the ice skating rink should have been a big warning sign that my ice skating experience would not live up to my expectations. Really, what did I really expect when I went to the Galleria to ice skate only two days after Christmas. All of the young hooligans are out of school on winter break looking for fun. Crazy shoppers are trying to return unwanted gifts. Noisiness aside, my friend and I bought our skate passes and went down the stairs to get our skates and have some fun. The rental ice skates were damp on the inside (sweat, melted ice, we didn't really want to think about all of the possibilities) but we put them on and went back up the stairs to get on the ice. After gliding only a few feet ("glide" should probably be replaced with "scrape") we were commenting on how difficult it was to skate. Our skates were not gripping the ice at all and we were having to muscle our way across the ice while fighting to keep control and not fall. I am not a seasoned ice skater. My friend has more experience than I do; she used to take lessons and recently got rid of her personal pair of skates. Had it not been for her expertise, I am not sure that I would have realized the cause of our inability to skate well (because it definitely was NOT us!) The blades of our skates were not sharpened. After two laps around the rink we exited and went back downstairs to trade in our skates for some better ones. What my friend taught me about ice skates that day: there should be two distinct sharpened edges (which are what you skate on) and the blade of the ice skate is concave. We asked the girl working behind the skate counter if she had any sharpened skates. She said that they did not have any sharp blades because its the holidays and they have been very busy. WTF!!? Of course it's going to be busy at the Galleria's ice skating rink during the holidays! That means they should bump up the blade sharpening schedule. She begrudgingly gave us a few other pairs of skates to test the blades for the sharp edges. After going through about 5 more pairs we found some that were better than the first round but still not very sharp and went back for attempt #2 at ice skating. I'm going to wrap up this review now: Pros: The Christmas tree in the center of the rink was beautiful, the rink is quite large Cons: the crappy (unsharpened) ice skates, the massive crowd of people who were skating inconsiderately negated any possible benefit of the rink being large I would come back and give it another shot during a less crowded season, but in my opinion "it's the holidays" is no excuse for poor service.

This place has been unreliable for years. There have been times in the past when I went to go check their website for public skate times and I get there and it's closed. So I called this time to double check to see if their website matches up and sure enough the employee says no we actually close an hour and a half later then what the website said. Ok great. I get there two hours before the dude on the phone says they close. Except when I go to buy the tickets the dude behind the counter says "just to let you know we close in thirty minutes." After that I expressed my frustration with this guy and told him what I have shared with you. The only thing he would give me was a coupon, he wouldn't even give me the last thirty minutes of ice time free and I even brought my own skates. WORST ICE RINK IN THE HOUSTON AREA!

Good place nice facility...most visitors don't clean up after themselves on a busy day it get can get bad.

My daughter started skating classes in January and absolutely loves it. The classes are a great deal in that they include free public sessions the day of your lesson, 4 free sessions on non-lesson days and discounted sessions when you use those up. My daughter also had the opportunity to participate in her first skating show. The rink did a great job of including all level skaters from beginner to advanced. As for the facility, sometimes it is hard to find a seat and the bathrooms could use updating. The ice surface is in great condition though. I highly recommend Ice at the Galleria.

When I brought my 6 year old their the first time it was good, Hired a private instructor (coach) who was very qualified. I saw benefit of the class as well as private lessons. For a month it was good. But one coach stood out as a bully.. they would cone off 1/2 the ice during public skate time giving it to private lessons and those paying for ice were restricted. To make it worst private coaching was also Giving lessons were public skating took place making it impossible to skate on what ice was left. Then one Saturday morning we showed up early and were observing basic 3-5 lessons in class. My daughter was basic 2 yet I saw students in basic 5 that couldn't perform skill my daughter did better. Obviously parents wanted them advanced when not qualified. Unfair to the others and I questioned this going on. Shortly after a coach, the bully, singled out my daughter who was standing by the ice entry watching.. she's 3'7" and while for weeks and that day others, student coach parents stood their only my daughter told to move. Told to move to other entry. Then she went there to tell her to move away after she sent her there. Seeing this I got involved. This coach was mean spirit hostile. Obviously attacking my daughter as others like my daughter stood right where she was and not told to move. Then a non class non member non student age maybe 5 who couldn't even stand up or hardly walk on skates was holding on to my daughter hand. I reminded her she was there to practice not playing and no holding hands or touching. The child mom came to me complain that her son just want to play with her. I tactfully explained why I don't want it. Shortly after my daughter was near a coach giving lessons on public ice and was told by the manager to make her move away. Who told him she was watching the lesson was the bully hostile Coach. I did have her move but look we paid for the ice too.. she had every right to be on that ice where ever. Then that boy was bothering my daughter grabbing her hand. If teen or adult that be a criminal matter no one should have their hands grabbed.. my daughter told him no but he continues and she pushed him away.. he fell.. but he falls all the Time can't stand unless holding someone.. that bully coach took him off to his parents angrily points finger at me saying he's her father.. Interesting weeks prior my daughter was pushed by an older boy and no one said a word. We then left the arena. On the way in parking garage that bully coach confronted us making accusations.. I emailed the director.. several times. On Monday I get a response from manager says that's a valued coach and if we want to quit go elsewhere we should do so. My daughter coach refuse to respond to emails. I believe this hostile environment was due to my questions of advancing student wrongly. Picking on my daughter. The usfsa has codes like against emotional abuse which I believe this was. I filed a complaint. They refused to act.

I've spent too many hours of my life at an ice rink. My sister is a figure skater and has been training for over ten years now. I used to go with my mom after school with a good book and a blanket everyday. And after I got my license, I spent even more time at the rink since it automatically because big sister's job to drive around little sister. That being said, when I first came to the Galleria's Polar Ice Rink, I was really excited at the size. For a mall rink, you really can't complain. It is enormous! Plus, this was the ice rink that Tara Lipinski practiced on, so you get that sports celebrity vibe going on here. They keep up the ice well and Zamboni it up about once every two hours or so. However, this probably isn't enough because of the high traffic. If you actually want some good ice time, weekdays and early mornings are your best bet, though you have to pay extra for that. Don't forget, during the holiday season there is an ENORMOUS Christmas tree in the center of the rink (over 65 feet tall!!!!!) and it is quite a sight. Bring your camera and pretend to be a tourist for the day! Don't worry, I won't tell.

I love going to the Galleria whenever I am in town. Whenever I go I always think to myself, "Someday I am going to go ice skating there." That someday came last weekend. We went on New Years day. The crowds weren't too bad. The only reason why I am giving it 3 stars instead of 4 was that I can't believe they jacked the price up for ice skating during the holidays. I sorta though it was B.S. to go from $9 to $13 to capitalize on the extra traffic during the holidays-plus we're in a recession people! AND they didn't even have a kid price discount. I had to pay full price for my two and four year olds who skated for about 30-45 mins at the most. Come on, at least maybe do a 10 and under price as the little ones can't last long on the ice so you know they won't be there very long. All and all it was a good experience. I was a little disappointed about the ice being kinda choppy. But I guess you pay extra for the ambiance of indoor skating in a nice mall. Makes for a nice event to go skating, eating and shopping all in one place. The skates fit nicely on my kids. We had a great time. I will definitely be back when I am in town.

My friend and I went here yesterday with my 4 year old and it was tons of fun! It was the first time I had been here since I was about 10 years old myself... It was only $36 for 2 adults and 1 child ticket. Just don't forget the socks ;) Clearly remembering how to ice skate was really helpful here lol.... All in all we had a blast and will be back again soon :)

We recently had a birthday party for our twin daughters at he Galleria Ice Rink and it was, in the words of my daughter, "one that all the kids will talk about." We had about 15 kids and the Rink handled a party room, drinks and ordering food (Pizza). The kids had a pass to skate all day and, as party favors, received gift bags with passes to come back, as well as other assorted goodies. Everyone had a blast and the staff was courteous and receptive access the board, especially Mary who coordinated the party. Overall, this was an A+ experience and took all of the headache of party planning and cleanup off of our shoulders. It was also really reasonable. Highly recommended.

Don't recommend ever signing up your kids for their Ice Skate summer Camp at the Galleria. My kids are in the summer camp for this week and it's disappointing to hear how they are doing when picked up. Almost $800 spent for two kids (10yo & 13yo). My kids dislike it very much. They stay positive because they get some time on the ice. However half the time they are in a room not doing anything productive. If I was able to put them into another camp for the remainder of the week on short notice, I would gladly do so. They teach for only two 30-minute sessions and majority of the remainder of the 6 hour camp is not productive. Paid extra $30 per day ($15 per kid) for early drop-off, however my wife has had to wait at least 30 minutes each day and arrive late to work because no one is there during the time we paid for. The first day every instructor arrived late. My wife received a follow up call from their coordinator apologizing, however was also asked if we had even registered the kids for the camp and paid for early drop off. They claimed to not have any information of our kids registry even though they had our number to call, took payment after filling out all the forms and we have receipt. That made us question immediately if we left our kids in a safe place. On top of that also we realized there wasn't a sign in sheet when we dropped them off. They apologized for all of their instructors not being on time to receive our kids at our paid promised time and stated would not happen again, however it continues. The kids don't like staying until 3pm, and feel miserable being there, so we arrange to pick them up early. One of their instructors told them during introduction "do not come near my face and don't touch my clothes." That is definitely not your usual introduction. The kids have had cold food everyday, and so far the only Chili's food they have enjoyed is the orange juice. Cold food and hot salad doesn't make sense. The activity off the ice is not what is advertised. The kids made a paper fan with paper plates and popsicle sticks the first day (which was the first day only which is "Art & Crafts") and have reported absolutely no other activity done these past few days (unless to play Uno Cards). They just sit in a room with no other activities planned. The kids are discouraged to bring devices (iPads, etc.) because the facility is not secure and their devices most likely will be stolen if left alone. In my opinion the kids shouldn't have to bring devices if the camp already claimed to have the day planned as advertised - "Scavenger Hunts, Build Your Own Cookie & Pasta, Karaoke, On-ice Games & Dancing, Movies, Bubble Mania, Skate With Chillsworth the Penguin, Arts & Crafts, Build Your Own Ice Cream Sundae, Music & Movement". A camp shirt was also advertised to be provided, however no camp shirt has been issued to my kids as of yet. I write this in the hopes that others at least may be able to know better than I did. There is no money back guarantee. Additional note, had to buy ice skates for the kids, because the ice skates provided at the Galleria are very uncomfortable and hurt my kids feet and arches. I tried them also, your feet will thank you if able to avoid using the Galleria ice skates. Maybe better if using extremely thick socks with arch supporters inside because the shoes are hard plastic and oddly shaped inside without any support.

Hey look... a place to ice skate indoors. Other than it costs over $10 and is full of kids... it's not a half bad idea. Perhaps it would make for a fun date, but I don't imagine it being my regular hang out.

This review is for broomball at the ice rink, not the ice skating. Broomball is hockey for a big group of people who can't skate. It's great for birthday parties, corporate events, or just whatever! It looks like kindergarten soccer when everyone just goes after the ball and the pack moves as one. This venue is nice because it's easy to find (bottom floor of the galleria). The company allows you to bring your own music, food, and drinks. It's a little pricey, but there's not a lot of competition around. Sharpstown Ice at 59 and Bellaire is a bit cheaper

This is such a cool thing (haha yes I know, ice...hardy har har). But I love to stop by here while walking through the mall and watch people practice. I've seen some very talented skaters practicing here, and wonder if I'll be seeing them in the Olympics or something. It's also fun to sit at Bennigans and eat and watch people skate. But also, in that case, you have to eat Bennigans. Not such a fantastic thought. I think they have some open skate days, so I might bring down my skates and go slip n slide, for a figure skater I am not.