Welcome to The Local Barn
The Local Barn is a community-powered hub for hockey players across North America. Whether you're looking for a place to skate, checking ice conditions before heading out, or managing your own facility, this guide covers everything you need to know.
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Creating Your Account
To get started, click Login and then switch to the Create Account tab. Your password must be at least 8 characters and include an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, and a number.
After signing up, check your email for a confirmation link. Once confirmed, you can set a Display Name in your account settings — this is the name other users will see alongside your contributions.
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Finding Rinks
Use the Rink Directory to search for rinks by name, city, or zip code. Results are displayed on an interactive map so you can find the closest rink to you. You can filter results by:
Distance — Use the distance slider to narrow results by how far you're willing to travel (5–100+ miles).Facility Type — Indoor (Year-Round), Indoor (Seasonal), Outdoor (Refrigerated), or Outdoor (Natural).Amenities — Skate Rental, Equipment Rental, Sharpening, Warming House, Pro Shop, Concessions, and Restaurant/Bar.Programs — Open Skate, Stick & Puck, Shinny, Drop-in Hockey, Learn to Skate, Figure Skating, League programs (Youth, Men's, Women's, Coed, Travel), and more.Clicking on a rink opens its full detail page with live ice conditions, reviews, schedule, and more.
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Rink Detail Page
Each rink has its own page with the following sections:
Address & Links — The rink's address is displayed at the top. Click the location pin to open directions in Google Maps. If the rink has a website or social media (Facebook, Instagram), those links appear directly below.
Current Conditions — For outdoor rinks, you'll see the current outdoor temperature pulled from weather data. Community-submitted ice condition reports show the latest status (Frozen, Slushy, Unskateable, Closed, Open, or Permanently Closed) with a timestamp.
Overview Tab — A summary of the rink's amenities and available programs. This is the quickest way to see if a rink has what you're looking for.
Schedule Tab — Upcoming events and sessions at the rink. For rinks with multiple ice sheets, you can filter by sheet using tabs at the top of the schedule. Events are color-coded by type (Open Skate, Stick & Puck, Hockey Practice, Learn to Skate, Figure Skating, Drop-in Hockey, etc.).
Reviews Tab — Read reviews from other skaters, or leave your own star rating and feedback.
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Submitting Ice Condition Updates
Anyone with an account can submit an ice condition report by clicking "Update Ice Condition" on a rink's page. You'll choose a status and optionally add notes (e.g. "freshly flooded" or "large crack in the north corner").
For rinks with multiple ice sheets, you can specify which sheet your report applies to.
After submitting, there's a 30-minute cooldown before you can submit again. This prevents misuse and keeps reports meaningful.
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Suggesting Edits
Notice outdated information on a rink page? Click "Suggest Edits" to propose changes to the rink's name, address, description, website, social links, amenities, or programs.
Your edit becomes a Pending Community Edit visible on the page. Other users can confirm or deny the change. Once it receives 3 confirmations, it goes live automatically. If it receives 3 denials, it's rejected.
Edits that are confirmed contribute to your reputation score.
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Reviews & Ratings
Leave a review on the Reviews tab of any rink page. You'll provide a star rating (1-5) and a written explanation of your experience. Reviews help other users decide where to skate.
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Favoriting Rinks
Click the Favorite button on any rink page to add it to your favorites. Your favorited rinks appear on your Account page under Favorite Rinks Schedule — an aggregated view of upcoming events across all your favorite rinks.
The Favorite Rinks Schedule includes filters for:
Rink — Filter events to a specific rink.Event Type — Show only certain event types (Open Skate, Stick & Puck, etc.).Sheet — If events span multiple ice sheets, filter by sheet name.Search — Free-text search across event titles, rink names, and notes.---
Reputation System
Your reputation score reflects your contributions to the community. You earn reputation points by:
Submitting ice condition reports.Having your suggested edits confirmed by other users.Having your ice condition reports confirmed by others.Your reputation level is visible on your profile and shows how active and trusted you are in the community.
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Badges
As you contribute to The Local Barn, you'll unlock badges that appear on your profile. Badges are awarded automatically for milestones like:
Submitting your first ice condition report.Having your first edit confirmed.Reaching reputation thresholds.Reviewing multiple rinks.Badges are displayed as icons on your account page and serve as a visible record of your community involvement.
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Submitting a New Rink
Know of a rink that isn't listed? Click "Submit a Rink" on the Rink Directory page. You'll provide the rink's name, address, type, and whether it's public or private. After submission, the rink is immediately listed and open for community edits.
The Local Barn