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Brookline rink an open-air delight

Boston skyline provides a backdrop for skaters at Larz Anderson Park

Jonathan Wiggs/GLOBE STAFF FILE
A skater got ready to go on the ice.Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff

BROOKLINE – The little girl in the ladybug wings glided along with her father on the beginners’ ice at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, but kept her eyes glued on the big rink just out of reach behind the boards.

Skaters of all sizes and abilities were sharing the public skating session on a sunny Saturday at the Jack Kirrane Skating Rink, where 4-year-old Matilde Zanini trailed patiently behind her dad.

Perhaps not so patiently, actually.

Even as Matilde graduated from Michele Zanini’s steadying hands to a red triangular frame of metal to practice the push-and-glide on her own up and down the little ice sheet, she wanted more.

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Within minutes, the girl in the pink parka, red-and-black polka-dotted wings, and watermelon-green helmet had traded in the push frame for a set of milk crates and then, finally, freedom. For the next hour, she zipped along, sometimes even in a straight line, between her dad, her mom, Loduvica, and her two older sisters.

“It is Matilde who brought us here,” said Michele Zanini, whose family resides near the park. “She said, ‘It is wintertime. It is the weekend. Let’s go skating!’ ”

Matilde zipped by again with another set of rink-supplied milk crates.

“We come every season,” Zanini said. “It is such a beautiful location.”

The Kirrane skating area sits at the high point in Larz Anderson Park, the sprawling 64-acre former estate of a local socialite, Isabel Weld Perkins, and her diplomat husband, Larz Anderson. After her death in 1948, the estate — along with her husband’s collection of rare automobiles — was donated to the town. The mansion burned and was demolished in 1955, the same year the rink was built in the property’s Italianate garden.

Matilde Zanini, 4, skated at the Jack Kirrane Skating Rink at Larz Anderson Park.Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff/Globe Staff

Skating at Larz Anderson has been a tradition ever since, said Lisa Paradis, director of the town’s Recreation Department.

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“Anyone you ask in Brookline has a very fond memory of skating at Larz Anderson as a kid,” Paradis said.

The rink, which has been upgraded over the years to include outdoor lights, a pavilion with changing area and lockers, skate rentals, bathrooms, and a snack bar, overlooks the park’s sculpted gardens and the Boston skyline. A Bay State Skating School branch offers lessons there.

The property dates to the Revolutionary War and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Where the Weld family had played polo in the 1800s when the estate was known as Windy Top, Brookline now has athletic fields more likely to host youth soccer. Visitors can still stroll the gardens and view the signature Temple of Love along the pond, tour the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, and go inside the Colonial-era one-room Putterham School,which was built about a mile away in 1768 and moved into the park in 1966.

The hilltop is so popular for sledding that the town wraps trees on the slope with hay bales.

The rink was renamed in 2010 after local hockey celebrity Jack Kirrane, who in 1960 captained the first US Olympic hockey team to win a gold medal. Kirrane and crew defeated powerful Canadian and Russian squads en route to the finals against Czechoslovakia and won handily, 9-4.

“Jack is still alive and lives around the corner from the rink,” Paradis said.

The rink frequently hosts Brookline Youth Hockey skaters and a local men’s league, as well as the boys’ and girls’ hockey teams from Brookline High. Boston College recently held a practice at Kirrane under the lights, Paradis said.

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Mirabelle Brunswick (left) and Cynthia Coull (right) skated at the Jack Kirrane Skating Rink at Larz Anderson Park.Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff/Globe Staff

“Lots of hockey teams want to come practice here. It is such a cool thing to practice on this outside ice,” she said. “Everyone today plays inside their fancy, modern rinks, but no one has anything like this, with such a beautiful view, too.”

But it was the chance to get their twins on ice skates at the same time as their hockey-playing son Calum, 7, that brought Jen Royal and Christie Swett from Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood to Larz Anderson.

“This is great,” Royal said while lacing up skates for 3-year-olds Isla and Aisling in the heated pavilion. “We heard they have a separate area for the little ones.”

Outside, first-timer Cynthia Chu wobbled on rented skates as part of a group from the nearby Showa Boston Institute of Language and Culture, just over the city border in Jamaica Plain. The 22-year-old from Shanghai was dressed for the cold and liked the sun, but clung to the boards. Her friends laughed.

“It’s fun, but I am afraid of falling down,” Chu said.

The students were led by some resident assistants, including Ashley Gilbert, 25, of Dallas, and Mary Popeo, 22, of Swampscott. Gilbert topped her layers of clothing with a Texas sweatshirt but gave her gloves to Popeo.

“I need them more than she does,” Popeo insisted. “She’s a better skater than I am and I’ve lived here my whole life!”

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“I’m still getting used to it. I’m sure I’ll fall down a few times before the day is over,” Gilbert said.

A third resident assistant, Jill Meleedy, 26, of Lakeville, looked warm in her matching hat and leg warmers but had a confession to make. “I hate winter. I hate the cold,” Meleedy said, breaking into a smile. Still, she added, “It’s actually not that bad once you get skating.”

For more information on the Jack Kirrane Skating Rink, which is scheduled to be open through March 8, call 617-739-7518 or visit www.brooklinerec.com.

OUTDOOR RECREATION SPOTS WEST OF BOSTON

Whether you prefer skis, skates, or sleds, there are many places to enjoy winter activities west of Boston.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Rocky Woods, Medfield: Old logging trails in the 491-acre reservation are perfect for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and routes around Chickering Pond and the Bridle Trail are suitable for families with young children.

Noanet Woodlands, Dover: With 17 miles of trails across 700 acres, Noanet is ideal for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with the added bonus of wonderful views of the Boston skyline.

Callahan State Park, Framingham: Totaling 7miles, marked trails are available for cross-country skiing and are also used for hiking and mountain biking, so be cautious. 508-653-9641

Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle: With 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing, Great Brook Farm should be a destination for anyone who loves the outdoors. 978-369-6312

Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer: With parking at Ayer trailhead, right near the Ayer Commuter Rail stop, this paved, 12.5 mile trail is convenient and great for cross-country skiing. 978-597-8802

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Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle: With about 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing, Great Brook Farm should be a destination for anyone who loves the outdoors. 978-369-6312

Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton: Ten miles of marked trails at Hopkinton State Park allow for cross-country skiing, hiking and a great time. 508-435-4303

ALPINE SKIING

Nashoba Valley Ski Area, Westford: This popular ski lodge offers beginner, intermediate and expert Alpine ski slopes along with 13 snow tubing lanes. 978-692-3033

Weston Ski Track, Leo J. Martin Golf Course, Weston: Open seven days a week, the ski track has manmade snow for classical skiing, skate skiing, and snowshoeing, so patrons can keep active even when snow is not in the forecast. 781-891-6575

TUBING AND SLEDDING

Ski Ward, Shrewsbury: For snow tubing, Ski Ward offers six lanes with two lifts and affordable prices for two-hour passes. It also has nine alpine skiing trails. 508-842-6346

Spy Pond Park, Arlington: Small hills make this location great for young kids who want to enjoy the snow.

Warren Park, Wellesley: Wellesley’s most popular sledding hot spot always draws a crowd when there’s snow on the ground.

Nashawtuc Road Hill, Concord: With available street parking, it’s no secret this hill is one of Concord’s most popular.

Cedariver, Millis: A more hidden reservation, Cedariver boasts an excellent sledding hill close to the parking lot.

SKATING

Ed Burns Arena, Arlington: Operated by the Town of Arlington, the indoor facility is for all to use during public skating times. 781-316-3882

The John Toland Memorial Rink, Sudbury: Brand new this month, the outdoor rink has public skating hours and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Hyde Playground, Newton: Newton continues its tradition of making its own rink with ice provided by the Fire Department. The area is always open for public skating.

New England Sports Center, Marlborough: With six indoor rinks, the center offers public skating hours in three-hour sessions. 508-229-2700

Emerson Field and Rideout Field, Concord. The temporary rinks are back and open to the public, though they are not lighted, so they are available for daytime skating only.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Leo J. Martin Golf Course, Weston: The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will host its Universal Access Program for individuals with disabilities on Jan. 25, Feb. 1, 8, 16 and 22 and March 1 from noon to 4 p.m. Activities include cross-country skiing, kicksledding and snowshoeing. If there is no snow or ice on the golf course, hiking, nature walks and other programs will be offered. Pre-registration required by calling Stavros Outdoor Access at 413-259-0009.

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard . The museum hosts its WinterFest on Saturdays and Sundays through March 29 from noon to 5 p.m. Sled, snowshoe or cross-country ski on the hills and in the woods on the property. Admission is free for members and $5 for nonmembers. www.fruitlands.org; 978-456-3924, ext. 292.


Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.