Detroiters already know what national voters are now saying again: Campus Martius Park is home to the No. 1 ice-skating rink in the country.
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards named The Rink at Campus Martius Park presented by Lexus the top skating destination for 2025, marking the second consecutive year Detroit takes the crown.
For a space that has long anchored winter memories in the city, the ranking reflects something deeper than an award. It speaks to the way Detroit transforms winter into a season of gathering — where friends meet after work, families bundle up for downtown traditions, and visitors join the energy Detroiters create year after year.
Operated by the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP), The Rink sits at the center of Campus Martius Park, right off Woodward Avenue.
More than 100,000 skaters lace up here each season, making it one of the city’s most used public winter destinations. DDP officials say that number is part of the more than 2.5 million people who visit downtown during the cold months, finding their way to the lights, the music, the seasonal pop-ups, and the steady hum of Detroit community life.
David Cowan, the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s chief public spaces officer, said the ranking reflects how Detroiters have made the rink part of the city’s winter identity.
“The Rink at Campus Martius Park presented by Lexus offers a truly unparalleled ice skating experience, and being named the No. 1 ice skating rink in the country for a second year reflects the special place it holds in Detroit,” he said. He called it “a beloved community asset and a signature part of Downtown Detroit, embraced by residents and visitors alike,” lifting up the public support that helped carry the rink to the top spot again.
Now entering its 22nd season, the 7,200-square-foot rink has welcomed families, professionals leaving the office, first-time skaters, and longtime experts — including Olympic and U.S. champion skaters who perform throughout the winter. It also hosts events with purpose, such as the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer show, which draws crowds for a night of skating tied to community support and awareness.
For many couples, the rink has also become a place to mark new chapters. It’s one of Michigan’s most popular proposal locations, with hundreds of engagements happening on the ice each year — a tradition that has quietly woven itself into the city’s winter story.
The rink operates daily, including holidays, through March 1, 2026. Its season opens each year as the city lights the towering Christmas tree and the CHALET 313 pop-up settles into its familiar perch overlooking the ice. For Detroiters, those touches turn the downtown corridor into a neighborhood gathering place even as temperatures drop.
USA Today’s 10Best list included 20 rinks nationwide — from Chicago’s Maggie Daley Park Ice Ribbon to Rochester, New York’s Roc Holiday Village Ice Rink — all selected by an expert panel for offering standout skating experiences.
Public voting ultimately pushed Detroit to the top.
As winter settles in, The Rink continues offering something Detroiters have shaped for more than two decades: a place to come together, move, laugh, and create traditions that last long after the ice melts.
