A new winter wonderland: Middletown’s outdoor rink revives NJ skating nostalgia

Growing up in Mays Landing, it was always a treat when Lake Lenape or Dry Run froze thick enough to skate on. Some of my earliest memories on the ice go back to when my brother and I were about four or five—one year the big kids skated clear across the lake pulling us behind them on a Flexible Flyer. Pure magic.

Old-school South Jersey winters on the ice

By my teen years, we were all about hockey. It didn’t freeze safe enough every winter, but when it did? Those seasons were unforgettable.

Indoor rinks change the game for today’s Jersey kids

My kids, though, have had it a bit easier thanks to modern indoor rinks—especially the awesome Middletown Sports Complex. Public skate sessions, DJ nights with live music, learn-to-skate programs, hockey clinics… they’ve got it all, and it’s become a go-to spot for making our own traditions.

And as the holidays roll in, there’s even more to look forward to.

Middletown Sports Complex debuts new outdoor skating rink

Monmouth County’s complex is opening its first-ever seasonal outdoor skating rink on Nov. 28, 2025.

Make plans to check out Winter Wonderland! Along with an 80-by-100-foot outdoor rink, you’ll find fire pits, igloos, plenty of food, hot chocolate—and yes, all the holiday cheer you can handle. It’s $20 for adults and $15 for kids.

Winter Wonderland brings nostalgic holiday fun to Monmouth County

Once the holidays wind down, the real-ice outdoor rink will stay open into March, rain, snow, or shine. Public sessions run daily in two-hour blocks, and if you don’t own skates, no worries—they rent them from kids’ size 9 all the way up to men’s 13.

So whether you’re reliving childhood memories or helping your own kids make brand-new ones, lace ’em up and make this season your most magical one yet… on ice!