After Oct. 30, Skating in Waldorf Switches to Ice and Ends Earlier in the Evening

Waldorf Skating Center at 3410 Leonardtown Road will close for good after Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. That same Friday, across town, Capital Clubhouse begins the next session of its Learn to Skate program. Waldorf will still have a place to skate in November. Two things change: the surface goes from wood to ice, and the sessions run on an earlier schedule. Friday and Saturday nights lose their 7-to-10 p.m. roller skate, and nothing in town replaces it at that hour.

That shift affects anyone who has planned around the Leonardtown Road rink, from birthday parties to teenagers' Friday nights. The rest of this post covers the rink's remaining weeks and what is actually available after them.

What the Rink Said, and What It Left Out

The center posted the news on social media, and The BayNet reported it on Sept. 8. The post looked back on "years of music, laughter, friendships, birthday celebrations, family nights, and unforgettable memories" before saying the doors would close for good.

"The skate may end, but the memories will last forever."

The announcement gave no reason for closing and didn't mention any special events before the last day. The BayNet also reported that the whole 20,000-square-foot building, which went up in 1974, is being advertised for lease as a former roller rink with plenty of parking. Nobody has said what will go in next. So far, no farewell night, new tenant, or other update has been announced.

To find out about a final-night event, follow the rink directly. You can reach it at 301-645-4422 or [email protected].

Twenty-Four Sessions Left

Starting with Tuesday, Oct. 6, and assuming the regular schedule holds, the rink has 24 public sessions left. The count comes from the weekly schedule on the rink's website: it's closed Mondays and Wednesdays, open one evening session on Tuesday and Thursday, and runs two sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. October 31 falls on a Saturday after the closing date, so this month has three weekends of skating left, not four.

Walkers cost $5 for a full session. The rink requires anyone under 25 to wear skates the whole time they're inside. The $10 spectator fee applies on Friday and Saturday nights. Families who want to watch from the side should plan around those rules.

Tuesday is the cheapest night by $5, and there are four of them left. The Friday, Oct. 30, session would normally run 7 to 10 p.m., but The BayNet suggested calling ahead to confirm the hours for that night.

The Same Week on the Ice

Capital Clubhouse at 3033 Waldorf Market Place runs public ice skating, so Waldorf won't be left without a rink. The schedules are where the two places differ. Its public skate calendar for Oct. 6 through Nov. 4 compares with the roller rink like this:

Every session at the roller rink lasts three hours. The ice sessions run about 75 to 90 minutes. On Friday, the ice session ends around the time the roller session would be getting started. On Saturday, the ice rink's only public session is at lunchtime, and nothing on its calendar overlaps with the 7-to-10 p.m. roller skate. The ice rink also has public skating on weekday middays, which the roller rink never offered. That fits homeschool families and anyone with a flexible daytime schedule.

On cost, the Capital Clubhouse page lists $13 admission per skater, $5 skate rental, and $10 for a skate helper. It also shows a $14 public skate rate on its online registration card and says rink prices may vary. Check the total at checkout. If a skater needs rentals, a visit costs a few dollars more than a $15 roller session in exchange for half the time on the floor. Calendars at both places can change, so check Capital Clubhouse's public skating page before you go.

Oct. 30 Is Also the First Day of Lessons

For families whose kids learned to roller skate on Leonardtown Road, the timing of the ice lessons is the most useful detail. Capital Clubhouse runs Learn to Skate all year for ages 3 through adult. Each course is seven weeks of 30-minute weekly lessons, and rental skates are included. Here are the next posted sessions:

1. Fall 2026 Session #5: Oct. 30 to Dec. 18. Registration opened Sept. 13.
2. Winter 2026 Session #6: Nov. 1 to Dec. 20. Registration opened Sept. 14.
3. Winter 2027 Session #1: Jan. 3 to Feb. 14. Registration opens Nov. 8.

Sunday classes are grouped from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and homeschool classes meet Fridays from 1:10 to 2:10 p.m. That means the Oct. 30 session begins the afternoon before the roller rink's last evening. If the roller rink keeps its usual Friday hours that night, a child could take a first ice lesson after lunch and go to the final roller skate in the evening. Every Learn to Skate participant needs a $17 annual Learn to Skate USA membership. The course fee itself didn't appear on the page we reviewed, so ask the front desk.

Roller Skating Means a Longer Drive

Waldorf's ice rink fills the gap for some families, but not for everyone who prefers wheels. Ice skates aren't roller skates, and skaters who loved the wooden floor have three places to look, all well outside Charles County.

• Leonard Hall Recreation Center, 23145 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown. St. Mary's County Recreation & Parks ran Friday Summer Skate in the indoor arena from June 26 to Aug. 14, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission was $5, and skate rental was $2.50. In November 2025, The BayNet reported Family Skate Sundays there from 2 to 5 p.m. at the same prices. Before driving down, confirm that the Sunday sessions are running this fall.
• Laurel Roller Skating Center, 9890 Brewers Court, Laurel. It offers public skating and says it's open Tuesday through Sunday.
• The Cavalier Family Skating Center, 1920 Richmond Highway, Stafford, Va. It posts an open skate schedule on its site.

Each of these takes a real drive and fits better as a planned outing than as a weeknight habit. For Waldorf families, a casual Tuesday discount night won't be a short trip anymore.

A Seasonal Option to Check Before You Plan On It

Gaylord National in National Harbor has its 2026 holiday event scheduled from Nov. 14, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. The resort is at 201 Waterfront Street. Gaylord has run an outdoor ice rink in past seasons, but the skating hours on its ticket site are still from 2023. Check that the rink is open this season before you promise it to anyone.

Waldorf Skating Center's last day is Friday, Oct. 30. A regular Friday session runs 7 to 10 p.m., so call 301-645-4422 to confirm the hours for that final night.

If you have questions about the rink building at 3410 Leonardtown Road or anything else changing along that stretch of Waldorf, Theresa Shoptaw is happy to share what she knows and check on details for you. Let's Connect.