A cheapskate's guide to cheap (ice) skating around Boston

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I’ll admit it, I’m a cheapskate — which is why, of the many glide-and-slide sports people partake in the winter, ice skating is my go-to. It has one of the lowest costs of entry of any winter activity (second only to sledding or snowball fights). Plus, ice rinks are everywhere, and there’s no cumbersome, heavy equipment to carry (I’m looking at you, skiing).

Over the next few weekends, some of the most popular skating venues in Massachusetts are hosting free admission events. And with two more months of winter to go, there's no better way to pass the time than getting out on the ice — even if you don't have your own skates.

Here's a local guide to our favorite outdoor skating spots and ever-trusty indoor rinks, including the price of admission and skate rentals. Skate on!

Skating on the Common’s Frog Pond is one of the most iconic ways to experience winter in Boston. Together, admission and skate rentals can cost up to $25. But on Sunday, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., it’s going to be completely free for everyone. (Rentals are free, too — while supplies last.) The Frog Pond can get pretty busy, so you may have to wait in line, even outside of this free event. But on the bright side, the Frog Pond’s hours run until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. every day of the week except Monday, so you can always give it a try on a whim one evening after work or class.

The Rink at 401 Park is a newer addition to Boston’s ice skating scene, constructed as part of a larger renovation of the old Landmark Center building in Fenway. Quite literally built for the 21st century, this rink also offers the option to purchase a timed admission ticket and rent skates online before your visit. Another plus: There’s no shortage of food options for after your skate, since The Rink is situated right next to the Time Out Market food hall and Trillium Brewing’s Fenway outpost.

Nestled by a patch of evergreen trees, the Jack Kirrane Ice Skating Rink in Brookline’s Larz Anderson Park is an open-air rink, complete with a heated pavilion. This is the rink to visit for a few hours of chill skating (with sunset views), or a drop-in game of adult hockey. Plus: Larz Anderson Park is known for its great sledding hills, if you’d rather slide across snow instead of ice.

In the winter, a huge open-air skating rink pops up in Cambridge’s Kendall Square. “Skate @ Canal District Kendall” is named for the nearby Broad Canal and located just off Third Street amid the high-rises of Kendall Square.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 12,000-square foot Worcester Common Oval ice skating rink. It may be a farther trip for Boston-area dwellers, but it’s also more than 4,000 square feet larger than New York’s Rockefeller Center rink. The Oval is centrally located downtown in front of Worcester City Hall and close to a few breweries, coffee shops and a ramen spot for warm noodle soup after you’re done skating. And this weekend, skating on The Oval is free, with no charge on skate rentals for children under 12.

Skate for free: You never have to worry about your ice skating day being rained out at an indoor rink. Fortunately, Massachusetts has over 40 public ice rinks owned or operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Some of them have free admission, so just be sure to call your local rink to check whether they charge for entry and skates, or just skates.

Skate like the pros: Speaking of hockey, did you know Warrior Arena — the Bruins’ practice space in Brighton — offers public skating times, too? When the pros aren’t there, the ice is open for freestyle skating, hockey and more (though the schedule is subject to change if the team needs the ice). Skating under the Bruins’ banners, you’ll feel like a Stanley Cup winner, even if you’re wobbling across the ice.

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