The on-site café serves proper hot chocolate (think thick, creamy, and topped with marshmallows the size of your fist). Pair it with a sticky toffee pudding or a spiced winter cookie—energy recovery is essential. For a more grown-up treat, the temporary pop-up bar offers mulled wine and craft beer, perfect for warming up between laps. Post-skating, walk ten minutes to South Kensington’s many cozy pubs; the Queen’s Arms does a mean Sunday roast by an open fire.
Don’t forget the museum itself! The rink sits right next to the Huxley Building, so even a quick peek inside the Hintze Hall—home to that massive blue whale skeleton—is a humbling contrast to your wobbly ice skills. It’s a reminder that while humans may not be built for skating, we’re brilliant at creating moments of wonder.
Fun Little Facts to Impress Your Friends
Did you know the Natural History Museum’s ice rink uses over 30,000 liters of water to create its frozen surface? That’s enough to fill nearly two hundred bathtubs. The rink resurfacer—affectionately called the Zamboni—does its rounds every 90 minutes, so expect smooth ice even after a crowd of skaters.
Natural Ice Skating
Here’s a quirky one: the rink’s location was once a coach house for the Victorian-era Royal College of Science. So technically, you’re gliding over history—just with less horse manure and more Jingle Bells. And if you squint hard enough, you might spot a former Olympic skater among the crowd; the rink is a favorite practice spot for amateur figure skaters who love its aesthetic.
