Another project that rose from the creativity of the Great Bend Youth Academy was the construction of a synthetic ice skating rink at Jack Kilby Square. The small rectangular rink constructed of synthetic polymer is maintained regularly by the Great Bend Parks Department. The rink is conveniently located south of the Barton County Courthouse off of U.S. Highway 281 (Main) in beautiful downtown Great Bend. The rink is open seasonally from November to February.

The rink uses normal ice skates. We ask that only ice skates be used on the surface of the rink. Ice Skates are available to check-out free of charge at designated times of the week: Thursday – Friday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Saturday from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm, Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm The rink is available for those with their own ice skates anytime.

A partnership between the City of Great Bend and an innovative group of youth in the community has resulted in several projects designed to enhance the active experiences of young people. The first project to result from that partnership was the development of a skateboard park at Brit Spaugh Park. The skateboard arena is located immediately northeast of Brit Spaugh Zoo.

The skateboard park is open during regular park hours (6:00 am to 12:00 midnight). Users must bring their own skateboards and safety equipment. Visitors to the park can enjoy several ramps and other trick props. Users of the park are urged to use the facility with extreme caution. The City of Great Bend accepts no liability for injuries that result through usage of the park.