Ice Skating and Hockey Lessons for Kids in Las Vegas: Rinks, Costs, and How to Start

Kids can ice skate in Las Vegas all year at three indoor rinks: City National Arena in Summerlin, America First Center in Henderson and Las Vegas Ice Center on West Flamingo. Group lessons start at age 3½ or 4, and a new skater's session was listed at $95 to $140 when we checked in late October 2026. Every winter the outdoor rinks pop up and somebody's kid falls in love with the ice. Then the rinks come down in January and you wonder if skating is even possible in a city that hits 110 in July. It is, and the lessons here are organized, with a clear path from a first class to a team.

Here's which indoor rinks run lessons all year, what a beginner session costs, the ages each program takes, what gear to buy, and how a kid goes from wobbling along the boards to playing on a team. Prices are what the rinks posted when we checked in late October 2026, and sessions turn over every couple of months, so confirm before you register.

Year-Round Ice Rinks in Las Vegas

City National Arena is the Golden Knights' practice facility at 1550 S. Pavilion Center Drive in Summerlin, just off the 215 near Downtown Summerlin. It has two sheets of ice and programs from Learn to Skate through the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights youth hockey club. Guest services is (702) 902-4904.

America First Center is at 222 S. Water Street in downtown Henderson's Water Street District. It's the Henderson Silver Knights' practice rink and runs the same VGK Skating Academy classes and pricing as City National Arena. For Green Valley and Anthem families, it's the shorter drive. Phone is (725) 201-3032.

Las Vegas Ice Center at 9295 W. Flamingo Road (near the 215 in the Southwest) is independent of the Golden Knights' academy, though it does host NHL Learn to Play, Girls Learn to Play, Lil' Knights and a youth house league. It has two NHL-size rinks, runs its own ISI-based Learn to Skate program year-round, and is the home rink of the Skating Club of Nevada. Phone is (702) 320-7777.

Hylo Park Arena at 2400 N. Rancho Drive in North Las Vegas is closed. A May 2026 release from its owner, Agora Realty, said a major equipment failure caused a temporary closure, that the upgrades would take about 12 to 14 months, and that the wider Hylo Park debuts in summer 2027. No date for public skating had been posted when we checked in late October 2026, even though its website still shows open skate pricing. North Las Vegas and Centennial Hills families will be driving to Summerlin or West Flamingo for now.

Learn to Skate: Where Every Kid Starts

Hockey and figure skating both start in the same place: a group Learn to Skate class. The Golden Knights' academy and Las Vegas Ice Center both ask kids to pass skating levels before hockey classes.

VGK Skating Academy (City National Arena and America First Center)

The Golden Knights' academy uses the Learn to Skate USA curriculum. New skaters ages 4-6 register for Snowplow Sam 1, and ages 7-17 start in Basic 1. Classes are 30 minutes in a group format. If instructor credentials matter to you, ask the rink. After Basic 2, kids split: Hockey 1 for future hockey players, or Basic 3 to keep going toward figure skating. The academy says most skaters need 14 to 16 weeks to master a level, so repeating one is normal.

Pricing for the fall session (8 weeks, Oct 12 to Dec 13, with a break the week of Nov 23), as posted in late October 2026:

• New skaters: as listed in late October 2026, 1 class a week was $95 ($170 less a one-time $75 new-skater discount) and 2 classes a week was $265.
• Returning skaters: as listed in late October 2026, 1 class a week was $170 and 2 classes a week was $280 after the multi-class discount.

Two warnings. There are no refunds, so make sure the class time works with school pickup. And registration windows are short: fall new-skater signups ran Sept 21 to 28, about two weeks before classes started. Back in 2024 the program said new-skater registration sells out within a few hours and City National Arena usually goes quickly, while America First Center had plenty of room for beginners. The fall session ends Dec 13 and winter dates weren't posted when we checked in late October 2026, so watch citynationalarena.com/learn-to-skate for them.

Las Vegas Ice Center Learn to Skate

Las Vegas Ice Center runs its own program on the ISI curriculum, in sessions all year. The fall session runs Oct 26 to Dec 12, with no classes Nov 14, 23, 25 or 28. Tots classes take kids 3½ to 6, which makes it the only option we found for a young 3-year-old. Older kids move through Beginner, Pre-Alpha, Alpha through Delta, and Freestyle 1-5.

When we checked in late October 2026, a session was $140 for one class a week, $240 for two, and $325 for three. Classes run Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with 30 minutes of instruction plus 10 minutes of practice ice. Kids pick up skates at the rental counter at check-in, and the rink's page lists no separate rental fee. Bring a bike helmet, winter gloves, and long pants.

Quick math at the prices listed in late October 2026: the VGK new skater rate is about $12 a class, and Las Vegas Ice Center's fall session works out to about $23 a class on Mondays or Wednesdays (six classes) and $28 on Saturdays (five classes). But the VGK discount is first-session only (the returning skater rate is listed at about $21 a class), so after that they're close. Pick the rink nearest your house. You'll be driving there every week.

Youth Hockey Lessons for Kids in Las Vegas: The Beginner Path

The Golden Knights run a clear ladder for new hockey players.

Step 1: Learn to Skate through Hockey 2. This is the prerequisite for everything else.

Step 2: NHL Learn to Play. An 8-week program for kids 5-9 at City National Arena and America First Center. Every player gets a brand new set of hockey equipment, and the program is for first-time players who haven't been on a team or in Lil' Knights. Registration information goes out by email to eligible families once your child passes Hockey 2. The price wasn't posted when we checked in late October 2026, so ask the rink.

Las Vegas Ice Center runs its own NHL Learn to Play for first-time players, listed for ages 4-9, with 8 weeks of classes and a full set of gear. Its fall session runs Saturdays, Oct 10 to Dec 12. Its hockey path asks kids to pass Pre-Alpha first, and its page doesn't list a price, so call (702) 320-7777.

For girls, Las Vegas Ice Center runs Girls Learn to Play: 8 weeks for $100 with all necessary equipment included, as listed in late October 2026. Its current session is listed as Oct 10 to Dec 12. The page doesn't give ages, so call before you sign up.

Step 3: Lil' Knights. Once a coach signs off, kids move into the Lil' Knights cross-ice program at City National Arena or America First Center. It's two skates a week: a weeknight skills session (skating, puck handling, passing, shooting) and a Saturday 4-on-4 cross-ice game with goalies. Price wasn't listed on the page when we checked in late October 2026. Las Vegas Ice Center runs its own Lil' Knights for ages 5 and up who have passed Advanced Beginner or Pre-Alpha, listed at $260 for an 8-week session of one weekday practice plus a Saturday scrimmage. Full hockey gear is required there.

Step 4: House league and travel. After Lil' Knights, kids can move into a fall/winter house league and, if they want more, the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights travel program. Las Vegas Ice Center also runs its own youth house league, listed for Fall/Winter 2026 at $760 for 8U and $915 for older divisions, and its travel program is the Las Vegas Storm. Costs jump once travel is involved, so ask for the full season fee and a tournament travel estimate before tryouts. For other sports, see our guide to youth sports leagues in Las Vegas.

Figure Skating Clubs and Programs

If your kid is more into spins than slap shots, there are two club homes in town. The Vegas Golden Knights Center of Excellence is a U.S. Figure Skating club based at City National Arena and America First Center. Its Golden Edge Aspire program at City National Arena is a group bridge between Learn to Skate and private lessons, for skaters from Basic 5 up to Pre-Preliminary. The fall session (Oct 16 to Dec 13) was listed at $265 for 8 classes (or $40 drop-in) in late October 2026, plus a $50 Aspire membership you can skip if your skater already has a U.S. Figure Skating membership with the Center of Excellence. Kids need running shoes for the weekly off-ice class.

The Skating Club of Nevada calls Las Vegas Ice Center home, and its site says the rink has freestyle sessions daily.

Gear: Rent First, Buy Later

You don't need to buy anything to start. Here's what we'd actually spend money on, in order:

1. A helmet. Las Vegas Ice Center asks Learn to Skate kids to bring a bike helmet. City National Arena recommends helmets for all open skaters and rents them with an ID. Kids fall backward a lot in the first few weeks.
2. Gloves. Winter gloves, not the thin stretchy kind. City National Arena says gloves keep hands warm and give some protection if you fall on the ice.
3. Warm layers and long pants. The rinks are cold even when it's 105 outside. No shorts, even in August.
4. Skates, eventually. Las Vegas Ice Center lists no separate rental fee for lessons (its rentals run kids' size 8 up to men's 13, hockey and figure styles), and the two VGK rinks rent for $3. Once your child is skating two or three times a week and sticking with it, well-fitted skates really help. Until then, rent.

For hockey, skip buying pads until Learn to Play, since that program hands your child a new set of equipment.

Open Skate in Las Vegas: Cheap Practice Between Lessons

Thirty minutes of class a week goes further with extra ice time, and open skate is the cheapest way to get it.

• City National Arena and America First Center: $10 per person and $3 skate rental, as listed in late October 2026. Walkers (those plastic skate aids) are first come, first served: free at City National Arena, and America First Center has only 10 per session. Sign up online in advance and complete the electronic waiver; no refunds if you don't show.
• Las Vegas Ice Center: $15 with skate rental included, as listed in late October 2026, in 2-hour sessions with the lights down and music videos on the jumbotron. Fall and winter sessions are Friday 7:30-9:30 pm, Saturday 1-3 pm and 7:30-9:30 pm, and Sunday 1-3 pm. Walkers are listed at $5.

It's also a cheap plan for a random day of CCSD winter break (Dec 21 to Jan 4). Our winter break list has more ideas, and rink schedules can change over the holidays, so check before you drive.

What About the Outdoor Holiday Rinks?

The seasonal outdoor rinks make a fun family night, but they're not where kids take a lesson series, and they close after the holidays.

The Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin hadn't posted 2026 dates when we checked in late October 2026. Last year it ran Nov 14, 2025 to Jan 19, 2026, with skate rentals listed from $18. On the Strip, Oasis Ice Rink at Fontainebleau opens Nov 19, 2026, with free entry and skating listed from $15 for Nevada locals on select dates or from $30 standard, plus taxes and fees. Our Christmas events guide has the rest of the season.

A Quick Word on Roller Skating

Some "skating" results in Las Vegas are roller rinks, not ice. If your kid wants wheels, Skate Rock City on Boulder Highway runs $25 group roller lessons (Thursdays 4:45-6:15 pm, Saturdays 9:45-11:15 am, walk-ups welcome). Crystal Palace on North Rancho is also a roller rink, not ice.

FAQ

What age can kids start ice skating lessons in Las Vegas? Las Vegas Ice Center's Tots class takes kids from 3½ years old. The Vegas Golden Knights Skating Academy at City National Arena and America First Center starts at age 4 with Snowplow Sam 1. Kids 7 and older start in Basic 1.

How much do kids' ice skating lessons cost in Las Vegas? When we checked in late October 2026, a new skater at the VGK Skating Academy paid $95 for an 8-week session of one 30-minute class a week, and returning skaters paid $170. Las Vegas Ice Center charged $140 for a session of one class a week, and its page lists no separate rental fee. Prices change each session, so check the rink's site before you register.

Is the Golden Knights Learn to Play program free? The Las Vegas price wasn't posted when we checked in late October 2026, so ask the rink. City National Arena sends registration information by email to eligible families after they pass Hockey 2. Every player gets a brand new set of hockey equipment, and the Golden Knights' Learn to Play page lists free protective gear and free USA Hockey registration.

Is Hylo Park ice rink open? No. Hylo Park Arena on North Rancho closed after a major equipment failure, and no date for public skating had been posted when we checked in late October 2026. Its owner's May 2026 release said the upgrades would take about 12 to 14 months and that the Golden Knights, who operate the rink, would make ice time available at other local rinks.

Do I need to buy skates for my child's first lessons? No. Las Vegas Ice Center has Learn to Skate kids pick up rental skates at check-in and lists no separate fee, and City National Arena and America First Center rent them for $3. Buy a helmet and warm gloves first.

Where can kids go ice skating in Las Vegas? City National Arena in Summerlin, America First Center in Henderson and Las Vegas Ice Center on West Flamingo have indoor ice all year. Open skate was listed at $10 plus a $3 rental at the first two and $15 with skates included at Las Vegas Ice Center in late October 2026. Outdoor rinks such as the Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin run only around the holidays.

Where are the ice rinks in Las Vegas? The year-round ice rinks are City National Arena at 1550 S. Pavilion Center Drive, America First Center at 222 S. Water Street in Henderson, and Las Vegas Ice Center at 9295 W. Flamingo Road. Hylo Park Arena at 2400 N. Rancho Drive is closed.

When does the Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin open? The Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin hadn't posted 2026 dates when we checked in late October 2026. Last year this outdoor rink ran Nov 14, 2025 to Jan 19, 2026, with skate rentals listed from $18.