It’s an opening 20 years in the making: After two decades, Santa’s Village iconic Polar Dome in East Dundee will officially reopen Friday.
The suburban amusement park teased the return of the Polar Dome on social media earlier in January, saying opening day was set for 6 p.m. Friday, Jan, 17.
The Alpine Room will also open, according to social media posts, which includes a full service bar, kitchen and gaming options.
“Come get a sneak peek at the this iconic rink brought back to life.”
The rink will host hockey, figure skating lessons, special events and public skating, the website says.
Comments on a Facebook post announcement the ice rink’s comeback drew several nostalgic comments from users.
“I’m so excited for this,” one commenter wrote. “I used to take lessons there 30 years ago.”
“I worked in the snack bar one winter in the mid-1970s,” another said.
The 40,000 square-foot Polar Dome first opened in Feb. of 1963. It gained national attention at the time, as the largest air-supported dome stadium in the world, the ice rink website says, “holding up to 4,000 people, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.”
According to the site, the Polar Dome went on to host a variety of events, including wrestling matches, concerts, roller derby events, and Chicago Blackhawks practice sessions and exhibition games.
A storm damaged the dome in 1966, the site said, with a flat roof repair in 1967. The Dome continued to operate seasonally, the site said, until it closed in 2005.
While the space was used by various short-term businesses, it was revived beginning in 2024 to once-again serve as an ice rink, the site said.
More information about the Polar Dome Ice Rink, including rental prices, dates and times, can be found here.
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