Saw my nephew play hockey here yesterday. It was clean and seemed like a nice facility. I was glad there was a warmer spectator section upstairs and that there was an elevator. I was surprised that they sold beer and wine at concessions- what a treat! read more

Big Bear Ice Arena - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Denver, Colorado

My godson has been wanting to go ice skating and I was around at this arenas inception so I brought him here. The employees are helpful and courteous. Thank god they have a warm seating area that is upstairs from the main entrance so I can do my thing while he did his of course watching him enjoy hisself as well. The only thing he didn't like was that they only had had buckets to help beginners stay upright instead of stands. The price is reasonable for just the right amount of time. It's also enjoyable to watch hockey players on the other rink as well. read more

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An old rink (2 sheets of ice) in the middle of Denver in an old Air Force hanger (located on the old Lowry AFB). The rink was freezing cold, but my son said the ice was fantastic for a HS playoff game. There is seating upstairs that looks out over both ice sheets, but the view isn't great. I sat along the glass and although I had a decent view, the glass itself is pretty hazed over from thousands of puck/stick hits over the years. There is a small snackbar that was open during the game that sold snacks and surprisingly enough, beer (cans). A nice touch for spectators! To me, Big Bear is a no frills hockey rink, but with so few of them around in the Denver Metro area, I am happy to spend a Friday evening watching my son and his team play. Plenty of parking in the lot... just watch out for the potholes! read more

I have to agree with some of the reviews here, particularly with how dated it is and the high cost to play here. The glass needs attention as it's so scuffed and beat up from what appears to be decades of pucks and sticks tossed against it. The upstairs seating area isn't the best, (70s looking carpet and an old unused bar area) but you do get a good view of skaters/players below. We've spent over 10 years here first as a family with our kids taking figure skating lessons, and now as hockey mom and dad and I gotta say, it hasn't changed or been remodeled/upgraded. It looks and smells exactly the same. For what we pay to use the facility, I think some sprucing up is in order. Prices go up but it sadly stays the same. There is a simple snack bar on the first level that offers typical concessions like candy bars and cans of beer. A nice perk for visitors. We are grateful it's close to home and it is pretty cool that it's located inside one of the old Air Force base hangars. read more

We had the most awful experience with the adult hockey league here and specifically Peter, Director of Hockey Operations. Here's the skinny: My husband is a goalie. He signed up for the winter adult league FAR in advance, paid in full and was guaranteed a spot as the only goalie (as is standard) on a team. Fast forward to the league starting. Turns out at the last minute the league over-saturated the teams. I assume this is because they are greedy pigs and wanted more money. Unsurprisingly, this reduced quality substantially as players did not get the ice time they paid for and were promised. My husband's team was loaded with another goalie, totalling two. This means each goalie would only be playing half the time in the league, while paying full price. Seems fair, huh? Of course we were not okay with this shiesty move, reached out to Peter and after much delay on his end, were promised a refund. We are now many weeks after this promise and still have not been refunded. We will probably need to escalate this to our credit card company as Peter is now not responding. TLDR; management here is sneaky, unresponsive, unfair, and will do their best to steal your money while not providing promised services. Please bring your business elsewhere! read more

The leagues here are littered with ringers, rostered and UN ROSTERED. The teams are miss matched tremendously with absolutely no response from the staff to make changes. During play offs expect teams to call up ringer buds, since big bears staff upholds absolutely zero rules or regulations these un rostered ringer players will play with 0 repercussions to the player or team/s. ITS AN ABSOLUTE CIRCUS I had heard plenty of negative things said about this place but decided to see for myself. I can 100% tell you that if I were you I wouldn't pay this place a dime of my money, you'd just be throwing it away. There are plenty of barns in the Denver metro area I urge you to consider somewhere else! read more

A lot of cry babies in the reviews. This place is pretty good. Not perfect, sure but so long as you're paying attention to what you're spending money on, you'll have no issues. read more

With the bf needing some ice time to get his feet back before his league game, we chose Big Bear's Saturday early afternoon public skate. The ice was actually really nice and smooth. While there was a fair amount of people, but it was by no means crowded. Every age and skill level was showcased which makes it a pretty mellow session. The facility was clean and features two rinks. It is in a re-purposed hanger from the old Lowry Air Base which is pretty cool. It was quite affordable. $14 for the two of us to skate for an hour 15. We have our own skates so that does help on cost. All in all I'd definitely come back. If you're into ice skating and looking for something to do with your friends Big Bear is a solid 4. read more

Big Bear Ice Arena - Nothing beats having the ice to yourself during public skate. - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I have gone here on numerous occasions. There are always coaches and wannabe coaches teaching during public session. I pay the same price as them to skate on the same sheet of ice. If you go here on an evening, be prepared to play dodge-the-kid or hit-the-kid cause they really have no sense of space. They will dart right in front of you. On the plus side, the sheets of ice are solid. If you stay long enough, the kids will disappear and you can do your own drills on the ice. I'll probably end up playing some stick and puck some time down the road here. This is a no frills rink that looks like a plain facility with 2 sheets of ice. One rink is situated in a larger room while the other has no seating and minimal walking space. If it weren't for all the skating coaches coming out during public session, this place would easily be a 4 and maybe 5 star experience. Obviously, the people can't control this part of public skate so I'm not faulting them; more of an observation and suggestion for anyone thinking about going. It's cheaper to pay for public skate than renting out the rink so I understand. I might just drop in at a later time next time to avoid the mess. They charge higher for public skate and stick n' puck compared to other rinks. However, the convenience is there for a rink to be in the middle of a handful of restaurants and parks. read more

Big Bear Ice Arena - Skating coach drew a bunny. - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The people who work here are amazing and very sweet but what's the point of having helmets if they're all broken ? ......

I have contacted them multiple times to inquire about booking a birthday party, however the owner/manager never responded. The person who answers the phone line has no information either. If booking birthday parties is such a challenge for them, they should discontinue them rather than sending customers on wild goose chase. (Figure it out online, call the manager to confirm, to which they never respond). I suppose we are better off not using their services at all, given terrible (or the lack of) any service. read more

DO NOT even consider this place for hockey leagues of any sort. These people stole $1,000 in registration fees from my friend and I. We both paid to register for the adult league last fall, and as we were going through the process of finding a team, I broke my finger playing elsewhere. I emailed the director, Peter Cardasis, letting him know we'd be starting later in the season once I was cleared to play, and asked him if I could have the season fees prorated. He agreed and asked that I keep him posted on when I'd be able to play. Shortly after that, my doctor told me the break was more severe than I thought and that I'd miss a couple months at minimum, so I emailed him again to see if I could just cancel my registration for that season and be refunded the costs of $499. He agreed, and told me the refund would be processed shortly. It wasn't, and I spent the next YEAR trying to get this money back. Peter completely ghosted me over email, and once I tracked down his number from the front desk staff, he responded once before ghosting me again once he knew who I was. I managed to get through to one of the owners at one point, Victoria, who literally called me a liar and told me I 'had no proof that I was even hurt', despite me sending her and Peter both copies of my x-rays with the dates clearly visible. After she was done raising her voice at me, she hung up and I haven't been able to get in touch with her since. We paid $1,000 for registration fees for a league where we never played a game, and they refuse to refund that money despite promising us it would be no issue over a year ago. You can see screenshots of the emails and texts attached to this review. This place is an absolute joke. They're unprofessional, they don't care about the people who skate there, and if you ever need something from them it will be a complete nightmare. Just do yourself a favor and skate somewhere else. Don't give these people a cent of your money. I'll screenshot this post just in case they delete it, and if the owners are reading this and still refuse to make this right, the next step will be small claims court. You guys have my information. Just do the right thing. read more

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This ice arena is very busy but well organized. The ice was a bit rough for the public skate but I guess it's to be expected. We will be back because we like the 10:00 AM public skate time on Sundays. Like the music they play! read more

It's a shit hole. Don't waste your money, dirty and gross. Mold in locker rooms, out of date food served, shitty staff. Fun to look at their reviews read more

We planned an ice skating activity for tonight after confirming 3 weeks in advance that there would be a Public Skate time from 6:45-8:00 pm. That was also confirmed last Friday. When we arrived we were informed that there was *no* Public Skate tonight. The so-called scheduler didn't offer any explanation nor an apology. It was clear that he couldn't care less about our group. Looking at the two arenas, it seemed obvious to me that he scheduled a hockey game instead, likely because it generated more revenue for the Arena. Don't bank on anything they tell you to be true. read more

It stinks, kids are never supervised (seriously, this needs to change!), and the bathrooms are gross. Plus side: parking is plentiful. read more

Don't waste your money to become a member of Big Bear. Their system doesn't work properly so you can't actually book public skate sessions in advance. I paid for all my family members to be "members" at Big Bear but then couldn't book public skating sessions for them on the website due to an issue with their system. When I tried to get help with the website issues at the rink's desk, I was ridiculed by the rink owner, Victoria, for "not following the rules when booking public skate sessions". Instead of trying to help resolve the issue, the rink owner treated my young children and I in a confrontational and rude manner (which was strange because we were politely trying to resolve the website issue). Our family is done skating at Big Bear. We will take our business to Promenade, which is waaay nicer and waaaay less expensive. It's worth the extra drive time. read more

I went to Big Bear Ice Arena today with my son and grandsons( ages 3 and 4). Unfortunately it was disappointing. This was our first and last time going here. This was only the second time my grandsons went skating. Their first experience was great so we found a place nearby. We were so excited because the arena is only 10 minutes from our house but we'll drive further for a better experience. The main issue for us was the lack of useable skating assist for children. They must have gotten the "cones" for COT because that is exactly what they were! Orange and green street cones! My grandsons became so frustrated that it wasn't fun and we left. Besides the cones there wasn't any music or lockers . It just wasn't a fun place. read more

Big Bear Ice Arena - Skate assist for children !! - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The website is extremely confusing. The way to navigate and becoming a member isn't clear when adding additional people and choosing the slot that is needed for the ice session. The front desk people have a lack of customer service. Very unfriendly and rude. I understand the new restrictions that need to be in place, I just don't think that it should reflect poor attitude toward the people who want to sign their children up to skate. I would not recommend this place, if you are wanting to open skate, as there are other ice rinks around. read more

The building is quite large because it has two skating arenas. Felt a little old watching kids strap on their gear and walk around like it was an everyday normal thing. It's freezing inside and the floor might be wet in some areas so be careful. Was kind of stressing my son would fall down since we aren't skaters but I kept my anxiety to myself. Reminded me of a time when I was in labor, and my husband couldn't find the hospital because we just moved to a new area, and it was very rural. We circled a corn field many times and stopped to ask a clerk at a 7-eleven for directions. I watched in frustration as the turbaned clerk tried to direct my spouse to our location but in my pain it looked more like he was playing the Itsy bitsy spider. I tried to keep my husband calm until I eventually lost it and made him follow the signs to the er. Millions of years ago, hospitals closed at night, and banging on the front glass doors did not make the one custodian stop cleaning the floor to look up and call for help. Then again standing near the entrance to the ice arena, and thinking of tapping on the lucite partition wouldn't help either, as I watched my son land on his bottom several times. He had to deal with it, as I had to deal with an old hospital, a grouchy midnight staff, and a child who was making an entrance into this world in the same position. read more

Big Bear is cool. I guess you'd expect that from an ice arena. But Big Bear is a fun place to go and skate around during the public sessions. You see all levels, from kids just starting out and adults falling on their butts ( that would be me) to those pros who can do jumps and spins in the middle of the ice. It can get crowded, and of course you have to watch for the little ones. But I like it. Mr. Mixer and I love going there for a cheap date night. He glides around and I hold on to him for dear life. It's rather romantic, really. There's nothing incredibly special about Big Bear, except that it's an ice arena and it's actually close to where I live. I'll keep going back. read more

I was back in Denver for a conference, but met up with a friend who was an old teammate. The only time we could arrange to get together was when he had a game. He invited me to come and was hoping to get me to fill in. Unfortunately for me, his entire team showed, so I was left to simply watch the game before we were to go hang out. He mentioned to me to go upstairs cause it was a better view, warmer and had beer. To my delight, sure enough. There is a bar, lounge, hang out area upstairs in between the two rinks. They had two types of beer on tap, Coors (no shock for being in Colorado) and the hockey players favorite, Molson. If I recall correctly, pints were $3 each or you could get a pitcher for $7. Since I had just two hours or so to kill while he got ready, played and then changed, I powered through two pitchers of Molson's golden liquid. Wait, that sounds dirty. Overall, the ice seemed pretty good, the facilities were accommodating and I was able to drink beer, watch my friends game and watch the NHL game on one of the TV's they had upstairs. This is definitely one of the cooler hockey rinks I've been to...and I grew up as a rink rat. read more

For Hockey Rink Yelps I will use a set format: Overall: 4 Rink Location: 4 Rink Ambiance: 3.5 Adult League skill range: 4 Adult League Top Skill level: 4.5 Adult League Non-Aggressiveness: 4 Adult Drop In: 3 Skills/Stick and Puck: 3 Pro Shop: 4 Staff Friendliness: 3.5 Ice Condition - Game Play: 3.5 Ice Condition - Dry after cuts: 2.5 Ice Condition - Smooth after cuts: 3 Ice Condition - Edges: 3 Ice Condition - Board or Glass quality: 3 Cancellations or Schedule Changes: 4 Referees: 4 Nets: 3.5 Website: 3.5 Off-ice viewing and entertainment: 4 Parking: 5 Pricing: 4 Cleanliness: 3.5 Showers: 3.5 Locker Rooms: 3.5 Notes: Two sheets with a nice pro shop and some training booths for shooting and skating. Upstairs bar and (almost) grill with nice flat screens and a decent view of the ice surfaces. Top level play is very high and referees seem commensurate with league skill level. Ice times are a little late on some nights. Lower levels are a little more chippy but not unbearable. Drop in often has either too many players (30) or not enough (8 with no goalies). I stopped trying to go to Drop in although I suspect they have some good regular sessions going. Overall my Hockey life is exceptionally enhanced by Big Bear. Thanks guys! This is an Adult League review and it looks like they have a strong youth program. read more

I came here because I got a cheap groupon. Five dollars which includes entrance for 1.5 hours and rental. The facility is pretty clean and is simple and has the bare necessities. The skates were uncomfortable and squeezed on the left and right side of my foot. They have hockey shoes or figure skating shoes to choose from. I would recommend hockey shoes for more support unless you're used to figure skates. The ice was choppy but I like that it wasn't crowded. There was lack of music and it would be nice if there were some strobe lights. Overall, it was so so but you get what you paid for. read more

My son chose "Hockey Hullabaloo" for his school immersion week, so I went with 20 some 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders to DU's Ritchie Center and Big Bear Ice Arena during the week. Loved Big Bear even though it's a little more worn than the glitzy DU facilities. The man on staff was so patient with all the little boys who started out with the cool hockey skates, then changed their minds to the less cool looking but easier to skate with (and stop - so important) figure skates. I hadn't ice skated since Ronald Reagan was in office, but the staff gave me a few tips and I had a ball. I may even get a Dorothy Hamill haircut (not really.) My kids and I will definitely go back. read more

Have been to Big Bear few times. Really enjoyed my time there. The staff is helpful and friendly. Best place in Denver to go ice skating, especially with kids. Once I took them for their first ice skating and we had so much fun. read more

As far as drop in hockey goes, they over charge you. At every other ice rink, you pay half as much for nearly double the play time, too bad because it used to be great. read more

Nice place to skate. They offer public skate, skating lessons, stick & puck and drop-in hockey. Two sheets of ice and they zamboni often to keep the ice in good condition. Staff is nice and there is one decent skate monitor, an older guy who wears NHL jerseys and appears to care about people - he teaches new skaters and looks out for everyone. Otherwise for public skate if he is not there the figure skating coaches take over and make it difficult to enjoy the ice. They also have league hockey and I hear it is good. read more

Took my grandson for his first time ice skating during an open skate. He had fun, even though he was cold! Lol. He is 2 1/2 so there really wasn't a whole lot of skating going on! They had cones to help the kids which was nice. Everyone seemed very friendly. Grandsons favorite part was watching the Zamboni afterwards! read more

Went there for the first time today. Brought my four year old daughter and it was her first time on skates. It was a decent rink in a decent area of town. Here are my suggestions for improving Monday afternoon skating: 1. Play some music. 2. Sell beer. It cost $18.00 for my kid and me to skate (admission price and skate rental) and it cost me another $3.00 for the kid to eat out of the vending machine. Free parking. read more

The worst registration experience I've ever had to endure. You can't pay there and skate, like you would anywhere else. You have to register online with the most frustrating booking website ever. It's extremely redundant and won't even let you pay for more than one person. All the people in my party had to do it individually and the staff was no help. read more

We were there for the CAHA State Tournament. There is really no good way to view the games. If you are upstairs, it is secluded and quiet. Downstairs it is really hard to see through the glass. My suggestion would be to clean the glass so spectators can see and take pictures. The building looks rundown outside. Just not a really Nice rink in my opinion. read more

There were a lot kids, so we had to watch out not to bump into any. If we knew we'd choose another time. I'll definitely go there again

I go to Big Bear to watch hockey games. It's fun to go with friends and it's one of our favorite places in Denver. As for the facilities and staff, it is quite alright, sure the arena is not new and something requires fixing. But it can't spoil the fun. read more

I had never ice-skated in my life, yesterday went to Big Bear Ice Arena with friends. We decided to try something new, although some of them go ice skating from time to time but none of us had been to the Big Bear. There were a lot of people there. I didn't know this place was so popular. The ice was really nice and smooth and I appreciated it as a beginner ice skater. There are few minor flaws, such as the glass was not very clean and a bit scratched but I wouldn't count them as reasons not to choose Big Bear Arena. read more

Ice skating is fun! Took my kids there for their first time ice skating and we really liked it. There are ice skating lessons for kids available with skate rental and free passes for public skating included in the price of lessons. A great deal! Kids have fun and learn how to ice skate. All the staff are extremely responsible and treat their work very seriously so I don't worry about my kids safety. read more

I had a great time at this ice rink. I took a girl here on a first date last night and would do it again if given the chance. The employees were very helpful, and the ice and equipment was well maintained. I definitely will be back here soon! read more

As a teacher of children with Autism I was appalled by the treatment of the staff at this facility. As teachers we try very hard to set up field trips for our student's that are meaningful and spend time preparing them for it. We set this field trip up, visited the facility the night before and confirmed our reservation and the price. When we arrived they were very rude and tried to overcharge us by $100. The worst part is that when we had 15 minutes of skating time left they sent the zamboni out with no warning. This severely scared our students causing them sensory overloads. I am not sure who treats people this way but they should be ashamed of themselves. I really would give them no stars read more

Big Bear ice arena is in the center of the Lowry Housing Development...formally an air force base. The rink has 2 sheets of ice and hosts many adult hockey leagues of various levels. The ice always seems in good condition, although I haven't played in the summer yet. They have a cozy women's locker room, which is nice 'cause I like to choose the people who I see naked. It's miserable to unsuspectingly have it thrown upon you. It tends to get warmer in one rink than the other. My teammates tell me it's because they used to house nuclear weapons in the "Green Rink". I suspect the are f&%*g with me. I am gullible. read more

Well it's an ice rink. Not sure what others expect. The ice was freshly zambonied and they threw on some music which was nice. We used a Groupon so the price was right. The only complaint was with the rental skates. Dull as if they hadn't ever been sharpened. Bring your own skates and you'll be golden. read more