Attended my nieces ice skating competition today. First time to the super rink and now I know why…read moreit's called the super rink! It's HUGE! The revenue has over 4+ rinks. A great snack and food area called the hat trick. I got a hotdog which was good. They even have real chick fil sandwiches available to buy! Mind blown. The place was very comfortable and it wasn't too cold. Lots of fun vendors selling stuff too.

Before the pandemic I was playing men's league hockey every Sunday night. We played for over 10…read moreyears before they locked up the building and everything stopped. We had a great run coming up here to skate. This past weekend was my first time back at the rink in over 3 years. For hockey again however this time to watch my nephew who was in town with his team for a Showcase. It was good to get back to the rink and watch some hockey. We can now also say that generations of is have skated on these rinks. A total of 8 rinks. This is quite the complex. I know they have soccer fields and other events however we were always here for hockey and in the State of Hockey, this will always be a popular place.

My husband and I went to the adult lessons tonight and it was great. We are both at different…read morelevels and it was nice that they break people up into beginner, intermediate or advanced. For sure recommend!

Things to know:…read more 1)There's a a fee to enter and another to rent skates. Because I was accompanying kids and didn't plan to skate, there was no entry fee. 2) There's an online schedule showing the different event times, and when applicable target ages. We brought my partners kids on a Thursday during the 5p-7:30p slot because 8-10p was 21+ (that day). The 5p slot didnt list ages, but tuns out it was mostly little kids. Additional teens and older people started showing up later, but still seemed younger age focused (with group games like hula hoop). 3) There's a decent number of arcade games for the space. If you don't have quarters, you can use the change machine. While the assortment of games was good, my gripe is that we counted 84 tickets won playing. However their ticket counting machine only accounted for 66. While the experience was okay, I think it's a nice option with a good selection of music, decent sized rink, fair pricing (cant speak for concessions) and a nostalgic feel. Check it out for yourself.

Had a good time ice skating here. I rented skates and spent maybe an hour going around. The loop is…read morenot super long but seems to be well maintained and is in a cute area.

Great fun on a most unique loop of refrigerated ice. Free to skate. Rental skates cost, but not too…read moremuch. Parking lot and nearby street parking is also free.

Newer ice arenas don't often impress, you know, function over fashion. This is a really, really…read morenice new ice arena. One remarkable plus at the C.R.I.C. is the second sheet of ice, refrigerated ice OUTSIDE next to the main building. This outside ice allows for a unique playing experience. The main arena is huge, with some neat photos of the local hockey heros who went on to play in college or pros. The stands, are all on one side. This is a big arena with a large amount of seating. This would be a rocking place when full and loud for a rivalry game. There is a large heated lobby with concessions and a small yet useful skate shop. Wood beams inside make this place feel special. From this common area there is a glass view of one end of the ice. The building has rooms for meetings and birthday parties and other events. There is ample parking. Outside ice sheet next to arena is a major draw and pretty cool! Well done C.R. hockey people!

Neighborhood park in Blaine (north of Northtown Mall). There's a nice playground. It also offers…read moreball fields, a basketball & tennis court, skating rink, and picnic tables. There's a walking/bicycle trail as well. They have a "parking lot" for parking since most of the park has 'no parking' in the park-side of the street.

Two sheets of ice, decent concessions, on site hockey equipment retail store, ample seating in both…read morerinks and a rich history of hockey in this community earn this arena 4 stars. There is main entrance indoor common area w framed photos of local champion teams and access to Rink One and Rink Two. Neither rink is breathtaking, but both are unique enough, and have a lot of seating, including a heated upper level windowed viewing area in Rink Two. My only negative is parking is limited. History of Anoka Ice Arena, from http://www.anokaicearena.com "Prior to 1981 most local area ice activities were outside or at distant arenas, Columbia being the closest. A number of Ice Hockey enthusiasts tried on 3 separate occasions to get a voter referendum passed to build a municipal Ice Arena, all three efforts failed. In 1980 another group formed to try and build an arena privately. This group was made up of an all-volunteer group of ice hockey parents and supporters. A group of 70+ parents were charged with raising the necessary funds through donations and pledges from ice hockey parents, fans and local businesses. After a successful campaign and a donation from Anoka County, who was getting significant pressure to build another county rink, the project was given an o.k. Most of the money was raised from local area residents who were clearly willing to commit financially due to a total lack of available indoor ice. Another group was charged with building the arena. Volunteers worked every weekday night until 10:00 pm or later and on Saturday from 6:00 am till 10-11 pm. The entire arena except for the steel structure was built with outstanding dedicated volunteers (painters, plumbers, electricians, block layers, and general labor for the unskilled). The project received very favorable press from both Minneapolis and St. Paul papers and local T.V. This type of volunteer project was unique in Minnesota. Most arena's are municipal sponsored (thus taxpayer supported) but the Anoka arena is one of a very few that is Ice Arena Association member owned and operated. Ground was broken in July 1981 with a grand opening in November 1981(A truly exceptional performance). It became only the 3rd arena in Anoka County, Columbia and Coon Rapids being the others. Financing was always a day to day problem because the funds only came from donations thus were limited. Needless to say every dollar had to be spent wisely. Many very hard decisions had to be made such as natural ice vs. artificial ice (big cost difference). On a number of occasions the entire group was called together to decide on a continuation or stop. Material was scrounged from many sources. Initial rubber came from a Taconite plant in Northern MN, bleachers from a school in Iowa. Outside fire escape was on a truck to a dump. The local sheriff stopped the truck and asked where the steps were going, after being advised the dump, he commented follow me (thus the rink's fire escape). There are many stories like these. To those who were there in the early 80's this was a palace, a gem and theirs to use. Would an upscale arena be preferable, yes but without taxpayer source of funding, there were no options or flexibility. Every dollar got maximum use. It is important that the history of the initial ice arena not be forgotten. It is a great story and the arena has served our local youth for now over 20 years. Without the value and equity of the initial arena, there would not be a second rink. That original group should always be thanked for their efforts and wise use of the very limited funds they had to work with."

Went here for my cousins swearing in ceremony (to become a cop). I think we were in a room called…read morethe something garden. I liked that when you walked in the building they had a sign telling you which room the events were in so you didn't have to stop and ask anyone. The space was really nice and the ceremony went great. After they did cake and coffee in the back and right outside of the room it looked like there was a park and maybe a small garden or something. We were able to walk over to the police station which is next door to tour as well.

Awesome facility, friendly and helpful staff. I visited here for a special Zumba event in one of…read morethe grand rooms, a,nd it was awesome! The instuctor was on stage with a microphone. There were equiiptment such as light weighted weights to use for the exercises. The bathrooms, vending machines and water fountain nearby the event room. Wonderful!

This arena is basic. Single sheet of ice. Stands on one side and player bench area on the other…read moreside. Thing to note is that this arena is almost always cold. Really. There is a heated room at the north end with a decent view of the ice where you can stand in relative warmth, eats or drink from vending machines, and see team photos from the local youth leagues. In a state of awesome arenas, this is a perfectly functional arena in a convenient (for those in the north burbs at least) convenient easy to find location on Hwy 96. Added local bonus: great library across the street; indoor pool and water park at nearby Shoreview Community Center; a handful of restaurants within 1-2 mile drive. Bring gloves, a hat, and a seat cushion.