The Rink at Thompson’s Point will make its much anticipated return by the end of December with a slightly bigger and much more reliable ice surface.

Rather than a temporary rink on top of the slab at the Depot Pavilion, now there’s a full refrigeration tubing system – miles of tubing – under the oval rink.

“It has been a big construction project,” said developer and co-owner Chris Thompson, explaining that the rink was closed last season to focus on designing, permitting and building the site for the long term. “Permanent refrigeration and a better insulation system will make a huge difference in the ice quality.”

Admission will remain $10 per person, $6 for skate rentals, $7 for sharpening or skating aids. Rental skates – both hockey and figure – will be new this year.

During “student nights,” high school or college students can skate for $10 including rentals. While it’s primarily a rink for public skating, skating lessons, adaptive skating and pond hockey tournaments are on the developer’s wish list.

“Warm-up concessions” like coffee, cocoa, hot toddies, soups and pizza slices will be available at an event tent.

This year’s season will be a short one – “by the holidays” until late February or early March – but in future years, the already-refrigerated rink could open by Thanksgiving.

“A lot of things that we put up every year will now be permanent, including a shed for the Zamboni,” Thompson said. “For our new warming shed, we found a piece of old architecture from the old railyard and will bring that down and rebuild the roof.”

For hours, special events and weather-related closures, go to thompsonspoint.com/therink.

REMNANTS OF HISTORY

The peninsula now known as Thompson’s Point is a few minutes by car from downtown Portland, right off Interstate 295, where the Fore River meets Casco Bay. This little “point” of land was a thriving railroad port terminus in the 19th century and a busy transfer point between rail cars and Portland shipyard in the early 20th century. But, with the decline in rail shipping, this part of Portland was relegated to industrial manufacturing and storage.

Many of the rail yard buildings were demolished. In fact, the demolition of Union Station on St. John Street just down the road was the impetus for the founding of Greater Portland Landmarks, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve historic features of the city. Union Station’s Depot Pavilion was salvaged and moved to Thompson’s Point. For decades, it was used as a workshop or storage.

Jed Troubh and Chris Thompson (whose last name is just coincidental) started developing the already-named Thompson’s Point in 2009 and bought the property in 2013. Thompson and Troubh have recreated the property as a destination – for concerts, dining, community events, museums, mural art and, of course, skating.

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ALSO ON THE POINT

Thompson’s Point is pay-to-park 24/7 at a rate of $2 per hour. If you use the Passport Parking app (passportparking.com), all of Thompson’s Point is Zone 1213. Or you can pay at a parking kiosk with cash or a card.

Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine

You can’t miss this playfully designed three-story attraction built in 2021 – and if you’ve got kids with ages in the single digits, you shouldn’t. There’s a giant indoor playscape, a MakerSpace, an observation beehive and a room-size sculpture where you can engineer a ball roller coaster and observe the power of gravity. Favorites include aquariums and touch tanks, children’s literature-based programming and a kid-scale neighborhood with a train, a jetport, a firetruck and a lobster boat. Maddy’s Theatre on the ground floor is the home of the nation’s continually run children’s theater.

250 Thompson’s Point Road, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Wednesday through Sunday. kitetails.org

International Cryptozoology Museum

Yetis, Bigfoot, lake monsters, and sea serpents – these are the stuff of cryptozoology and this quirky two-story museum. It all started with the cabinet of curiosities home collection of Loren Coleman, representing five decades of field research gathering native art, foot casts, models and other cryptozoological samples from around the world. The price of admission to this nonprofit museum covers the opportunity to gawk and wonder at an 8-foot-tall Crookston Bigfoot sculpture, P.T. Barnum’s FeeJee Mermaid and a life-size model of the coelacanth discovered in North America in 1938, some 66 million years after the supposed extinction of the “fossil fish.”

32 Resurgam Place, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. cryptozoologymuseum.com

Color Me Mine

This paint-your-own pottery workshop makes it easy to create one-of-a-kind mugs, bowls, vases, planters, bird houses and a wide variety of seasonal décor. Just pick an item, paint it and pick it up a week later when it comes out of the kiln bright and shiny.

16 Van Aken Way, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday. portland.colormemine.com

ArtMap

Northern Light Mercy Hospital recently teamed up with Thompson’s Point to commission three murals to encourage visitors to be mentally and emotionally present. Life’s just a little lighter when you walk by a mural that says “It’s a beautiful day when we’re together” on your way to the Rink. Signs with QR codes will direct you to an ArtMap with all the public art on the Point.

thompsonspoint.com/artmap

Bissell Brothers

This spacious warehouse-style brewery and restaurant has an impressive list of brews available on tap or for takeout, as well as Artifact hard cider, Apres hard seltzer, a rotating wine list and craft sodas. The menu features wings, fries, salads and sandwiches made with local produce and meats and responsibly harvested seafood, as well as vegan options and a kids’ menu. The City of Portland recently named Bissell Brothers its Business of the Year, in part because it gives $50,000 annually to Maine charities and organizations.

4 Thompsons’ Point, noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. bissellbrothers.com

Coming soon

Biddeford-based brewery Sacred Profane is opening a second location at Thompson’s Point in the space where Stroudwater Distillery was located. The owners hope to be open and serving their Czech-style beers, burgers and small plates before the new year. And Leisure Time Cocktail Co., led by Kai Parrott-Wolfe, is opening a cocktail bar and lounge with small-batch craft cocktails on tap as well as pierogis and house-made sausages. Leisure Time is aiming for a winter opening.

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