Visitors strap on skates for frozen fun at local treasure, Menominee Zoo

A beautiful, sunny week was brought to a close after just over seven weeks of winter fun at the Menominee Zoo’s skating rink, which finished a second chilly season of operation. Unable to operate during the warm winter season last year, the deep ice created by this year’s frigid weather was a thrill for outdoor skating lovers who were finally able to get out on the rink. 

Jenny McCollian, the Revenue Facilities manager of the Oshkosh Parks Department, treasures the positive winter run the rink has had.

“It has been a really great season and people have enjoyed it,” she said. 

The rink is constantly at risk due to unpredictable weather conditions. McCollian is grateful that recent cold fronts allowed the rink to reach a wider audience this season. 

“This year we had 814 people who skated,” she said. “Two years ago when we were able to do it, we really only got three weeks and then it wasn’t safe ice anymore.”

Skaters who came to the rink during their open hours could enjoy a snack and a hot drink inside the Lakefly Cafe, where skate rentals were provided by local after-school organization, Dr. Eric’s Skate Club. 

Dr. Eric Smiltneek, who first began the program back in 2014 as a way to provide children with a way to be active during the winter, remembers the process of acquiring skates to lend to local children, and eventually adults. 

“There was a company called Lake Placid skates that we were able to buy a large lot of them from,” he said. “We got some grants from the Community Foundation, ThedaCare and US Venture.”

The community-driven project found purpose in helping younger skaters get their ice fix in a safe and positive environment. 

“The idea was to have enough skates to be able to do after school programs and field trips, and we would have a variety of sizes to make that happen,” Smiltneek said.

The small, after school crowds quickly grew as public interest increased, resulting in a few additions to the skate rentals.

“When the city wanted to open it up to the public, we added more adult sizes to our collection,” Smiltneek said.

The skates were available on weekends, while the rink was open, free of charge. By the end of the season, the number of people who had utilized the rentals totaled almost 200. 

In addition to the warming shelter and skate rental, visitors could also visit the rest of the zoo, which is typically closed to the public during the winter months.

“This is the first year ever we had winter hours at the zoo itself,” said McCollian. 

The change is part of a plan to provide more outdoor activities for the community, as well as to bring activity to the park during the slow season. This also gives much needed traction and donations to the zoo, which often aids in rehabilitating injured animals and preserving Native Wisconsin wildlife. 

The novelty of the zoo and outdoor location is, without a doubt, an attractive quality. 

“I was looking up, are there other zoos that you can skate in? I could only find two,” Smiltneek said. 

The unique and local qualities of the Menominee Zoo’s skating rink continue to draw quite a crowd through the later winter months. This sets the humble Menominee Zoo apart from its larger competitors.

“There was one in Chicago and one in Nashville, but both of them had actual rinks,” Smiltneek said. “They aren’t a permanent part of the zoo, so we’re unique in that we have that resource.”

by Grey Zahner

Published March 17th, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue VI