We've cried wolf on this a couple of times already, but skaters are finally hitting the ice at the National Gallery of Art's ice skating rink after a mechanical issue (literally) threw cold water on last month's grand opening.
The museum spends five weeks every fall transforming the Sculpture Garden fountain into a skating rink and had planned to open up shop Nov. 14. Warm weather initially pushed back the opening until the following week. Then, on Nov. 18, the museum announced the season was being postponed because repairs were needed.
So what went wrong? That frosty, perfect-for-skating slab of ice has to be kept at 14 degrees, but a problem with the refrigerant system meant the surface wasn't freezing. (Closures aren't unheard of; a mid-season problem with the Zamboni once temporarily shuttered the rink, and snowstorms and warm weather can also cause skating to be suspended.)
Contractors and staffers fixed the problem last weekend, and the rink opened earlier today. (I called, and sure enough, the recorded message says the rink is up and running.) The only bit of bad news is that the closing date won't change; the fun still ends in mid-March.
This Saturday and Sunday, skaters get a free cup of hot chocolate when they buy ice time or rent skates or a locker. The rates for a two-hour skating session are unchanged from 2008: $7 for adults and $6 for students, seniors aged 50 and over and children 12 and under.
While you're there, don't forget to look out for a new sculpture added to the garden in late October: "Graft," a stainless steel, tree-like figure by artist Roxy Paine. It is the first contemporary piece to be added to the Sculpture Garden since it opened 10 years ago.
-- Lavanya Ramanathan (Dec. 9, 2009)
The Buzz: The National Gallery's Sculpture Garden is one of the Mall's peaceful sanctuaries -- offering bench seating, lush landscaping and a view of 17 contemporary sculptures. A fountain marks the center of the garden for most of the year, but an outdoor skating rink takes its place from November until March.
The Collection: The garden's sculpture collection includes Sol LeWitt's "Four-Sided Pyramid," a blocky, geometric form, and Claes Oldenburg's "Typewriter Eraser, Scale X," which playfully depicts the antiquated object. Perhaps most striking is Alexander Calder's bright red abstract work, "Cheval Rouge (Red Horse)."
Background: In his original design for Washington, architect Pierre L'Enfant envisioned an oasis where the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden now stands. But the garden as we know it didn't officially open until 1999.
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation provided funds for the garden in 1996. A skating rink was incorporated into the design since one had been operating at the site since 1974.
Ice Skating: For information about Ice Skating costs and rentals, see the Skating Rink tab above.
Directions/Parking: Parking is scarce, but two- and three-hour parking can be found along the inside of the Mall. The closest Metro stops are Judiciary Square (Red Line), Smithsonian (Blue and Orange lines) and Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Yellow and Green lines). The Circulator bus stops at 4th Street and Madison Drive and at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
--Julia Beizer (July 10, 2007)
