Sculpture Garden ice skating delayed

Image by Flickr User "Ajay77"

Each year, hundreds of long-time residents and tourists alike flock to the National Gallery to enjoy the outdoor Sculpture Garden turned skating rink.  It’s a great way to view the garden during the off-peak winter season and also take in some exercise on your visit to the Gallery and Archives exhibits.

But this season’s unusually warm temperatures are starting to have an effect on holiday activities around town, including the delayed opening of the skating rink.

Originally scheduled for Nov. 14-15th, the Gallery has announced that the opening has been pushed back to Nov. 20-21st.  But with temperatures expected to stay near 60 degrees for the next week, it seems probable that the rink won’t open until the Thanksgiving holiday or after.  Updates will be posted on the gallery’s site – or interested groups can contact the staff at (202) 216-9397 or by e-mail at ngaicerink@guestservices.com.