The hill at Old Woodward and Harmon is behind construction fencing this season. The City of Birmingham says Booth Park is closed until summer 2027. The closure covers the playground, the sledding hill and the Booth Park entrance to the Rouge River chip trail. The City's Parks and Recreation Bond page puts the reopening at June 2027.
The City's general winter sports page still lists Booth next to Lincoln Hills Golf Course and the Birmingham Museum as sledding spots. The park's own closure notice is the one to follow. With Booth out, each outdoor option depends on the weather in its own way. Lincoln Hills needs four inches of snow and the Barnum rink needs a steady cold stretch, while the indoor arena runs whatever the sky does. So the forecast now decides where to go on a given morning.
Two hills, and they open on different days
Booth was the easy default because it sat at the north end of downtown and worked on almost any snowy day. The two hills left on the City's list don't behave the same way.
The Birmingham Museum hill sits behind the museum at 556 W. Maple Road. The City lists the museum as a sledding location but doesn't post separate sledding hours or rules for it. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Those are hours for visiting the building, not a sledding schedule.
Lincoln Hills Golf Course at 2666 W. Fourteen Mile Road is the bigger outing, but it comes with a rule. The City says the course typically opens for sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing once there are at least four inches of snow on the ground. The course doesn't rent equipment, so bring your own skis and snowshoes. The City asks visitors to call Lincoln Hills at (248) 530-1670 for sledding hours and updates before heading over.
A two-inch dusting doesn't meet the Lincoln Hills minimum. A real storm opens Lincoln Hills, with room for skis and snowshoes as well as sleds.
Matching the morning to the place
| Conditions that day | Where it points | What to know first |
|---|---|---|
| Light snow, under four inches | Birmingham Museum hill, 556 W. Maple | No posted sledding hours; building open Tue–Sat, 1–4 p.m. |
| Four inches or more | Lincoln Hills Golf Course, 2666 W. Fourteen Mile | Call (248) 530-1670 first; bring your own skis or snowshoes |
| Several cold days in a row | Barnum Park outdoor rink, Pierce and Frank | Opens on the City's notice; hockey 8–10 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. |
| No snow, mild, or slushy | Birmingham Ice Sports Arena public skate | $5 for ages 17 and under and seniors 55+, $6 for adults, $3 skate rental |
Ice depends on a cold stretch, not a single cold day
The outdoor rink at Barnum Park is off Pierce near George, inside the park at Pierce and Frank. On its winter page, the City says the rink opens "once temperatures are consistently cold enough." It also tells residents to watch for City announcements of an official opening date. Skating depends on safe ice and the condition signs posted at the rink. Hockey is allowed from 8 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. daily. The rink also asks skaters to pitch in. City crews maintain the ice, and users are welcome to shovel fresh snow to clear a patch.
On a brown, mild December day, the City-run Birmingham Ice Sports Arena is the one option that doesn't depend on weather. Its fall and winter public skate schedule runs from September 8, 2026, through January 9, 2027. On Sundays, the only public session is 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. On the other days with posted sessions, they run 9:30 to 10:50 a.m. and 1:10 to 2:30 p.m. Check the schedule to see which weekdays carry each session. The current schedule also stops in early January, so look for a new one after the holidays. Admission is $5 for ages 17 and under and seniors 55 and older, and $6 for adults. Skate rental adds $3 a pair.
The museum hill comes with a building and a block of Maple
The museum hill gives a short sledding session somewhere to go next. The Birmingham Museum's 2026 exhibit, "History: It's Everywhere!", includes a special exhibit on Indigenous heritage and Anishinaabe basketry. There are also displays on the Peabody family, Martha Blakeslee and the Birmingham Eccentric. On Saturday, November 14, at 1 p.m., the museum hosts a hands-on basket-making workshop. It's for ages 12 and up, admission applies, and seating is limited. The workshop comes before most of the snow, so it's a good first visit to the museum ahead of the first sledding day there.
Café Origins sits farther east on the same road at 163 W. Maple. It roasts its own beans and serves soups, sandwiches, pastries and desserts. Here are a few other downtown places to warm up after a cold morning:
- St. Roger Abbey, 215 N. Old Woodward. The Detroit Free Press reported it open in October 2025, selling French pastries, baked goods and organic hot and cold coffee.
- Birmingham Roast, 525 E. Brown St. It's a coffee shop founded in Birmingham, with posted hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
- Commonwealth Cafe, 300 Hamilton Row. It serves breakfast and lunch, with coffee roasted in-house and pastries.
- Choco Mania Café, 280 E. Merrill St. The Birmingham Shopping District describes it as a European-style dessert stop for French crêpes and rolled ice cream.
December covers the days the weather doesn't
The holiday calendar fills some of the weekends that snow and cold won't. Several dates are close enough to plan around now.
- Sunday, November 1, at 8 a.m.: appointment registration opens for Santa House. Appointments are required only at certain times. Santa House is open November 28 and 29; December 4 through 6, 12 and 13, and 19 and 20; and December 24.
- Friday, December 4, at 6 p.m.: the tree lighting. The Birmingham Shopping District describes a 41-foot tree with more than 40,000 LED lights, plus Santa and caroling.
- December 4 through 6: the Birmingham Winter Markt around Shain Park. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The listing includes ice sculptures, carriage rides, the Kinderhaus and warming stations.
What the closed hill turns into
The City puts the reason for the closure plainly on its Booth Park page:
"The park will remain completely closed as crews work through the winter into the warmer weather on this major project."
The work is the Booth Park Entry Plaza and Trail Improvements project. Birmingham voters funded it with the Parks and Recreation Bond, which passed in November 2020 with more than 70% of the vote. When the park reopens, it will have an accessible seating and gathering area, a trail entry marker with signage, a restroom and native gardens. Grissim Metz Andriese Associates was chosen for the design work in March 2024.
The same bond is already paying for park upgrades that are open this winter. The West Lincoln Well and Pumphouse playgrounds are finished. Poppleton Park's fully inclusive playground, designed by Penchura, opened in late summer 2026. It has wheelchair-accessible play features, an accessible tower, swings, seesaws, solid safety surfacing, shade and seating. The Pembroke Park playground is under construction. Two Crestview Park concepts went to the Parks and Recreation Board on October 6, 2026, shaped by feedback from a public input session held in July. While Booth's trail entrance is closed, the City lists Rouge River Trail access from Shirley and Hawthorne at Linden Park.
The outdoor hills and rink will depend on how much snow falls and how long the cold lasts. The one firm date is June 2027, when the City expects the fencing at Old Woodward and Harmon to come down.
At Maxim Properties, we keep track of the park projects, openings and calendar changes that affect daily life in Birmingham, and we're glad to talk through how they fit your plans for the year ahead. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll bring the local detail to the conversation.
