BIG hosts 450,000+ visitors per year including 25 special events drawing people from Minnesota, the U.S. and Canada; and is home to Jefferson high school hockey and the Bloomington Amateur Hockey Association. Here are some BIG highlights from over the years:
1970: Bloomington Ice Garden opens with its first rink.
1974: Soviet national ice hockey team practices.
1975: Rink 2 added.
1976: Dorothy Hamill skates at BIG.
1978: St. Louis Blues shoots commercial.
1979: The movie “Ice Castles” hits the rink, and actor Robby Benson learns how to skate.
1980: U.S. National Team scrimmage.
1981: Wayne Gretzsky and the Edmonton Oilers practice.
1993: Rink 3 added.
1994: First electric Zamboni purchased.
2007: Renovations completed to Rink 1 for new cement floor, energy-efficient refrigeration system, extended players’ boxes and seamless glass.
2009: Hosts U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships practices.
2010: Hosts the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships.
2016: Host to U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
2017: BIG takes second place in the third annual, Kraft Hockeyville U.S.A. competition. Minnesota Wild hold team practice.
2024: Hosts 2025 Winter Warm-Up youth hockey tournament.
March 2025: Closes for a major renovation.
September 2025: Soft opening with ribbon-cutting to celebrate the partially renovated facility.
November 2025: Newly renovated BIG hosts a grand reopening celebration.
