The Ice Box

This was a fun night! I went to see the Lincoln Stars versus Fargo hockey game with my brother and sister in law. Great entertainment watching the game and all the things done in between plays and intermission. They really get the crowd involved here! Best of all...Lincoln won! Definitely would come to more games and highly recommend others to experience if you're in the area!

The Ice Box feels like it's an old cattle barn or warehouse that's been converted into a hockey arena.It's a charming place. Cozy too. I recommend getting seats around center ice and about 3/4 of the way up in the stands. Regardless of where you sit, you shouldn't have any trouble tracking the puck. I don't think there's a bad seat in the house. Concessions are a bit basic. Hot dogs, chicken tenders, nachos, etc... Beer and spirits are available too. Nothing crazy, but they'll get the job done.I recommend purchasing tickets before the match through the Lincoln Stars website. The venue does have a couple of small box office booths however a line will quickly form and back up depending on the size of the crowd. You'll have to pay a couple of extra dollars buying online however I think it's worth it.

Parking is a bit of a rip off. You have to pay to park your car. As if Paying for your ticket, food and drinks wern't enough. I suggest showing up early for the parking or else the line gets very long and holds out a little bit to the highway. The fact the Ice Box serves hard alcohol here is freaking awesome. Its pretty pricey but it comes in a 32oz plastic cup. The bathrooms were clean each time I used them. The energy from this place is unbelievable. I attended my first hockey game and I can assure you that I cannot wait to return for my next. The regulars that have season tickets included my friends and I and really gave us the best night possible. I would recommend to anyone to come out and enjoy a game.

Hmmmmm not that great, honestly. It's just plain small and doesn't really have any outstanding character or history of any kind. It's literally a big box with ice in it.Wow, that sounded kinda harsh. At any rate, it's about all there is in Lincoln as far as places to see hockey games go. The Lincoln Stars, an amateur team, play here. If I had to rate them, I'd probably give them 2 stars as well, at best. Now I will say that while neither the Ice Box nor the Lincoln Stars are special in any way, they are still kind of entertaining. Let me just say that I've been to hockey games at the amateur, college, semi-pro and professional levels, and the most enthusiastic announcer I've ever heard is at the Ice Box. No joke! This kind sounds like some heavy metal lead singer when he calls out the names of the players. The Lincoln Stars may hardly be able to stand up in their skates, but they put on one hell of a show when it comes to fights. If you thought a missed shot on goal was grounds for a brawl in the pros, just watch these guys. LITERALLY every time someone mad a run towards the goal, whether they scored or shot wide, a fight broke out. Good times.The good thing is that tickets are cheap and concessions ain't that bad either. So yeah, not that great a venue at all, but it's what they got here in the Star City. And it is kinda entertaining to go to every now and then.

The Ice Box is a nice place to have in a growing city such as Lincoln. That being said, the seating arrangement for watching the Stars play is awful. The seats are too close in all directions. There's no room in front for leg space and there is no room side to side. The lack of cup holders leaves the potential for slosh city from neighboring beverage drinkers and over zealous fans. Having to hold the beverage in an already cold atmosphere is less than appealing as well. If I didn't feel so uncomfortable being on top of strangers, this would have gotten 4 stars. If they remodel, I'll be sure to check it out. Until then, I'll keep my visits sparse.

This place might not look like much, but with it's history and great staff, they're taking steps in the right direction!

A lovely place to go to for a hockey game with a great environment!I'll start with the negatives first, even though there are only a couple.First of all, you probably wouldn't even know that this place was a hockey stadium/ice rink, because, unless you're standing right in front of the building, there's almost no sign or giveaway telling you so. As a person who's lived in Lincoln their whole life, I genuinely didn't know this place was a hockey stadium/ice rink until I went to my first Lincoln Stars game there. They should definitely put an LED sign or something that would let you know that.Secondly, it isn't really much to look at in general. The stadium is pretty small, and almost looks kinda makeshift for the inside of a sports complex. I've been to the Viaero Center in Kearney (where the Tri-City Storm play), and that stadium looks really, really nice and open compared to this.Moving on to the positives. I feel like the stadium's small size helps improve its atmosphere. I would DEFINITELY recommend going to a game on a Friday night or weekend, especially if the Stars are playing a team like the Omaha Lancers, then you'll hear how intense the place can get.The Stars' team intro is also sweet, and a really cool sight to see. Parking is also pretty easy because it has a fairly decent sized parking lot.The concessions are really good, and have a wide variety. The team store is also easy to find and has some pretty cool stuff (I wish they had an online store, though).Lastly, the bathrooms do not discriminate, the men's restroom is PLENTY big enough, and there aren't 8,000 women's restrooms and only one men's restroom, which is nice because guys have to go, too.Overall, while the looks lack a little bit, the experience and environment greatly make up for it, and I would highly recommend going!