Friday’s reopening of the former Polar Dome indoor ice rink at Santa’s Village in East Dundee is being marketed as a “frosty” comeback.
For locals like Tonna Warren Holtz and Tim Hurst, though, the relaunch comes with the warm glow of nostalgia.
“It feels like revisiting an old friend,” said Holtz, a Carpentersville resident. “It’s more than just a rink. It’s a place where family memories, community and ice skating all come together. … For us, it’s a touchstone for our past and a symbol of moments that made us who we are.”
The Polar Dome made its debut in February 1963, four years after Santa’s Village’s opened, and it was a big deal.
“(Construction of) the Polar Dome began in 1962 as part of a major development at Santa’s Village. To make room for the 40,000-square-foot ice arena, part of the original park had to be moved,” according to a website for the ice rink, polardomedundee.com. “At the time, it was the largest air-supported dome stadium in the world, holding up to 4,000 people, according to the Guinness World Book of Records.”
A flat roof was added in 1967 after a storm damaged the dome’s inflatable cover and from there on it operated seasonally from September through April until 2005.
Over those years, it doubled as the location for many events, including the International Showtime Circus with Don Ameche, Mark Wilson’s Magic Land of Allakazam and the National Olympic Speed Skating Competition, which was filmed for ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” The Chicago Black Hawks held practice sessions and exhibition games there and there were “countless ice-skating revues, hockey leagues, wrestling matches, concerts and roller derby events,” the site said.
Paintball Explosion, an indoor paintball and laser tag venue, took over the space in 2010 and operated there until 2022.
That’s when a plan to restore the ice arena emerged. The rink has been completely refurbished, its logo now featuring Chillster, a yeti/abominable snowman mascot.
“Outside of the ice rink, we will also offer private room rentals along with the remodeled Alpine Room, which will feature a full-service bar, restaurant and gaming options,” spokeswoman Lindsay Kosanovich said.
The venue already has a slate of programs scheduled, including skating and hockey lessons, freestyle ice sessions, private ice rentals, adult recreational hockey leagues, drop-in hockey programs, public skating and birthday parties, she said. Its operating schedule after the initial opening will be autumn through spring.
That the ice arena is making a return warms the heart of Holtz, whose late father, J.T. Warren, held a few jobs at Santa’s Village when she and her siblings were young. One of their favorite memories is of him driving the Polar Dome’s Zamboni, she said.
“We have a few treasured photos of him in that role, keeping the ice smooth for skaters,” Holtz said.
Her father spoke frequently of Janet Lynn, an up-and-coming figure skater who practiced at the Polar Dome and went on to win a bronze medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, she said.
“Dad used to get so excited and say, ‘I knew her when she was a little girl,’ every time she was on TV,” Holtz said.
Holtz learned to skate at the Polar Dome and later spent countless hours watching her husband, Charlie, play hockey there.
“In 1996, we ended up buying a house just two miles from the rink, without at first realizing how close we’d be to such a familiar place,” she said.
Hurst, now a Gilberts resident, used to play hockey with Holtz’s husband at the rink. His memories go back decades as well.
His late father, Harold, worked for the Chicago Blackhawks and moved the family from Chicago to Elgin in the early 1960s when Hurst was 5 years old. Hurst’s dad played in a men’s league and coached a team at the Polar Dome.
“I would go out on the ice with them at practices,” he said.
When he was a player, the rink was surrounded by a fence rather than plexiglass boards, he said. “That wasn’t very giving,” Hurst recalled.
Hurst’s daughters, Rebecca and Jennifer, learned to figure skate at the Polar Dome and later Rebecca started playing hockey there. She was so skilled that she played college hockey for the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Hurst said.
“What I am hoping for the most is that the team Rebecca now coaches in the Hoffman Estates Park District’s Wolverines program will play some of their games at the Polar Dome,” he said.
Kosanovich said there are a legion of people in the area who have fond recollections of the rink’s original incarnation.
An aerial view of the 87-foot tall Polar Dome at Santa’s Village on the day it was inflated. It was the largest inflatable dome in the world and covered a 4,000 seat stadium complete with an ice rink, according to the park’s web site. The dome was ripped apart by a storm and replaced with a flat roof. (Chicago Tribune archive photo)
“We are truly honored to bring back such an iconic rink that holds so many cherished memories for those within the community, and we’ve really enjoyed seeing all the stories shared,” she said.
The venue’s doors open at 6 p.m. Friday. A public skate will be offered from 7 to 9 p.m. with admission costing $12 and skate rental $5.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
