After more than eight months of reconstruction, the 35-year-old Casper Ice Arena, 1801 E. Fourth St., will open its doors to the public at 1 p.m. Friday.
The project, which began in March, included relocating the ice plant from the Casper Event Center to the arena and replacing the arena’s 35-year-old ice rink refrigeration system.
Arena rink supervisor Chad Green said the former sand-based rink was completely renovated with more than 13 miles of new refrigeration piping and enclosed within a layer of concrete.
The ice plant from the Events Center is big enough to chill a second sheet of ice. Earlier this year, hockey enthusiasts and Casper City Council members discussed adding a second sheet in a larger building that would attract hockey tournaments.
The Casper Ice Arena’s 35th anniversary will feature numerous public skating events during the weekend including specialty sessions for local hockey players and figure skating enthusiasts to practice their moves.
The arena will offer a public skate session on Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.