Ice skating at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago is a beloved holiday and winter tradition for many people. This year, however, skaters are in for a special treat.
Through a partnership between the Chicago Park District and the Immersive Van Gogh Chicago art exhibit, the ice skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is now adorned with van Gogh-inspired visuals on the ice. Skaters will be able to “glide across sunflowers and starry night brushstrokes as they take part in a unique and exciting winter experience for all ages,” the promotional team for Immersive Van Gogh Chicago told TravelAwaits. Sunflowers and Starry Night are, of course, two of van Gogh’s most famous paintings.
Interestingly, the van Gogh-inspired visuals are printed on vinyl, which lays under the ice, so they show through the ice, the promotional team explained.
A Historic Park
The 20-acre Maggie Daley Park sits on what formerly was the Daley Bicentennial Plaza in Chicago’s Loop community and offers magnificent views of Chicago’s skyline. The park, named after the wife of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, is connected with Millennium Park via the BP Pedestrian Bridge. In addition to the ice skating ribbon, the park offers a children’s playground, a climbing wall, mini golf, picnic groves, tennis courts, and a formal garden.
Reservations for ice skating are not required, however, they are strongly encouraged because the ribbon does get crowded. Indeed an estimated one million people visit the ice skating ribbon each season. Reservations are available through March 13 on a rolling basis.
The ice is open 7 days each week. Prices begin at $16 for skate times Monday through Thursday and $20 for holidays and Friday through Sunday. That price includes a skate rental, but if you have your own skates, admission is $5.
You can learn about operating hours, ticket prices, and make reservations to skate on Maggie Daley Park’s ice ribbon here.
Immersive Van Gogh Chicago
One of the world’s most well-known artists, Vincent van Gogh is famous for oil-on-canvas paintings including Starry Night and Sunflowers. The Dutch post-impressionist painter’s work is noted for his bold colors, thick brushstrokes, and liberal amounts of paint to create landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits.
The “Immersive Van Gogh” experience made its world premiere in Toronto, where it is still impressing crowds. The experience uses 500,000 cubic feet of high-def digital projections, including 60,600 frames of video, along with music, so art lovers can “step inside” van Gogh’s works. The installation includes The Potato Eaters, Starry Night, Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and other works.
The Immersive Van Gogh Chicago experience runs through February 6. The exhibit is at the Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago venue inside the landmark Germania Club Building.
You can find more information about Immersive Van Gogh Chicago, including ticket options, here.
Be sure to read the rest of our Chicago coverage, as well as all of our Art coverage. You can also learn about other Immersive Van Gogh exhibits here.
