Now that it’s getting cold outside, stay indoors and enjoy some climate-controlled ice-skating.
The SciSkate rink is inside the New York Hall of Science through April 8, 2024.
Okay, it’s not exactly ice. The surface is an eco-friendly, polymer-based substance called “Glice” manufactured by a company with the same name. It contains internal lubricants that are consistently released as the blade passes over the surface, creating a perfect, renewal hardness.
The Hall of Science lends the skates — in fact, visitors can’t bring their own — and human aides are always on hand to help those who are learning.
Access to the rink carries a $10 activity fee ($8 for seniors) in addition to the general admission price, which is $22 for adults and $19 for children.
SciSkate is open during regular museum hours, which are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm.
Founded in 2012, Glice builds and maintains several dozen rinks in 85 countries. The founders sought to reduce the energy and water needed to produce and refrigerate conventional ice. They went through eight years of research and testing to perfect the zero-water process called “sintering,” which crushes polyethene plastic pellets under high pressure and controlled heat.
Glice is based in Switzerland, and the secrets behind the surface are locked in a Swiss vault.
The Hall of Science, which features a large parking lot and a main entrance at 47-01 111th St. in Corona, has a few great new exhibitions these days. Pair the skating with The Big Bubble Experience or Dogs! A Science Tale.
Images: New York Hall of Science