Ford Ice Center Bellevue

What to expect at Ford Ice Center Bellevue

Ford Ice Center Bellevue is a two-sheet ice facility on the west side of Nashville, operated by the Nashville Predators as part of the Ford Ice Center network. The Predators connection sets the tone: this is a program-driven building where public skating, Learn to Skate, figure skating freestyle sessions, and hockey all run on a shared calendar, managed through the same DaySmart online system the operator uses across its locations. Two sheets gives the building room to serve casual skaters and serious program families at the same time.

Bellevue runs on the modern Ford Ice Center playbook, and knowing it in advance saves you a wasted trip. The facility is cashless. Public skate sessions are online registration only, which means a DaySmart account is effectively your ticket, and you check in at the front desk before stepping on the ice. Rental skates are included with public skate pricing, and a Perani's Hockey World pro shop on site handles gear and sharpening.

Who is this rink for? The Bellevue family that wants lessons, practice ice, and hockey within one building, and the figure skating household drawn by the freestyle program hosted through the skating academy here. If your skating life has a weekly rhythm rather than a once-a-winter rhythm, this building is set up to carry it.

Public skating at Ford Ice Center Bellevue: cost, sessions, and what to know

Book first, skate second. The official Public Skating page states that public skate sessions are online registration only and that you must create a DaySmart account before registering, with a front-desk check-in when you arrive. Build that into your plan, because the walk-up-and-pay-cash visit does not exist here; the facility is cashless on top of the registration requirement.

Pricing is listed by session type rather than by age. The official page lists Matinee Public Skates at $10.98 plus taxes and Evening Public Skates at $13.73 plus taxes, with rental skates included if needed. For a family, that structure is friendly: everyone pays the same posted rate for the session, and nobody is paying extra at the rental counter.

For times, open the official DaySmart calendar, filter for the Bellevue location, and look for events labeled Public Skate. Open the event details to confirm the start time, the registration requirement, and any session notes rather than assuming a fixed weekly pattern. Arrive early enough to swap rental sizes if the first pair is wrong; plan for a snug fit with your heel seated back in the boot, re-tie once after you stand up, and wear long socks so the cuff does not rub.

Freestyle and figure skating ice

Figure skaters have a real path at Bellevue, and it runs through the academy. The official Ford Ice Center site describes freestyle figure skating sessions hosted by TPH Nashville Skating Academy at this location: 60-minute sessions that combine instruction with supervised practice. Posted pricing lists a 7-week option at $175 for one class per week across all locations, and an accelerated Bellevue option at $250 for two classes per week. Programs change, so confirm current dates and availability on the official registration link before purchasing.

One distinction worth understanding: sources reviewed did not confirm separate drop-in freestyle ice outside this structured program. So if you are used to rinks where you walk up and buy a freestyle session, verify before assuming. Open the DaySmart calendar, filter by Bellevue, and scan event titles for labels like "Freestyle," "Figure Freestyle," "Freestyle Ice," or "Figure Session." If the calendar view is busy, switch views or use the filters and search by session name rather than expecting a consistent weekly slot.

When you do get on figure-focused ice, the etiquette holds: skate with your head up, yield right of way to skaters in active lessons or run-throughs, and keep clear of the center circle and jump lanes when standing. Move to the boards to adjust equipment, and if you are unsure where spins, jumps, and stroking belong, ask the coach or staff. The skaters who ask early are the ones the coaches remember kindly.

Learn to skate programs

Learn to Skate is the entry point at every Ford Ice Center, and Bellevue is no exception. The operator maintains a dedicated Learn to Skate page with current registration details, and the progression is deliberately connected: group classes build the fundamentals, and the academy's freestyle program at this location gives developing figure skaters a structured next step without changing buildings. For kids who lean toward hockey instead, the same foundation feeds that path.

Two habits make lessons here work better. First, manage everything through the official pages and DaySmart, because that is where registration, dates, and changes live. Second, pair the weekly class with public skate sessions in between. Rentals are included in the public skate price, so practice ice is a modest add-on rather than a second tuition. A class teaches the skill; the public session the following Tuesday is where the skill actually sticks. Families who build that two-touch weekly rhythm watch their skaters pull away from the once-a-week pack within a season.

Hockey, stick and puck, and open ice

Hockey runs deep in the Ford Ice Center system, and Bellevue carries the programming you would expect from a Predators-operated facility. For current hockey ice, the DaySmart calendar filtered to Bellevue is your source of truth. Stick and puck and open hockey listings were not separately confirmed for this location in the sources reviewed, so check the calendar for those session types by name, or call the rink at 615-744-6640 and ask what drop-in hockey ice is currently scheduled.

If you are coming for hockey-style sessions, plan to bring your own gear, and confirm rental availability when you book, because the official pages verify rentals for public skate but not for every category of ice time. The on-site Perani's Hockey World shop is the practical anchor for hockey households here: the store listing notes a Bauer Prosharp skate sharpener at this location, though pricing and turnaround were not confirmed, so call the pro shop before you arrive if timing matters. Fresh edges and a real calendar habit cover most of what a rec hockey week requires.

Getting there: parking, location, and amenities

Ford Ice Center Bellevue sits at 7638 B Hwy 70 S in Nashville's Bellevue area, on the city's west side, reachable at 615-744-6640. The Highway 70 South location makes it the natural home rink for families west of town who would otherwise be crossing the city for ice.

On amenities, here is the verified picture: concessions are available, and the Perani's pro shop operates on site. Spectator seating, lockers, and beginner skate aids are not clearly published for this location, so call ahead if any of those would change your plans, especially seating if a grandparent is coming to watch or a skate aid if you are bringing a true first-timer. And carry the two house rules with you: cashless payments, and online registration with front-desk check-in for public skates.

A note for skating parents

Plan for the cold before you plan for anything else. An hour in an ice building feels fine for the first fifteen minutes, and then the chill starts working up through the floor and into whatever you thought was a warm enough jacket. Bring real layers, something insulated to sit on, and gloves for yourself, not just the skater. Veteran rink parents dress like they are attending an outdoor event in November, regardless of the Nashville weather outside.

Concessions are on site, so warm drinks are within reach, and the pro shop gives you somewhere to stretch your legs during resurfacing breaks. Because spectator seating is not clearly published for this location, ask staff on your first visit where parents usually watch from, then claim that spot early on lesson days.

You will also be the family's systems manager here: the DaySmart account holder, the session booker, the card carrier in a cashless building. It is quiet work that makes the skating possible. And then there is the part no app handles, the moment your kid lets go of the wall for the first time and glides three feet on their own. That is what the layers and the logistics are for. Settle in and watch for it.