# Any roller rinks still open in your area? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2015, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692 "2015-02-03T10:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/1 "2015-02-03T10:29:46Z")
My kids like to roller skate and even play roller hockey. Yet sadly it seems, roller skating rinks are becoming increasingly rare. This is sad because they tended to give the youth an affordable and safe outlet to go out and have fun on weekend nights. Here is a [link](http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/23/local/la-me-world-on-wheels-20130623) to a rink closing in LA. Leaving the whole area with just one left. Now at the same time I’m seeing more ice rinks opening up. These have the revenue sources of not just roller skaters but also hockey teams and figure skaters. So I’d like to ask, in your area are there still roller skating rinks? Non-Americans, do you have roller skating rinks? Finally do you personally or know people who go there? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/2 "2015-02-03T11:01:07Z")
I think there are a couple left in Sydney. Someone at work mentioned that his son had recently gone to a birthday party at a roller skating rink. There were more of them when I was a child. The one in the next suburb was an occasional ‘treat’ during the school holidays. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/3 "2015-02-03T13:28:07Z")
At least one in [Rolla, Missouri](http://www.rollaskatezone.com/), and another one about 35 miles east in Sullivan, Missouri (no website). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/4 "2015-02-03T13:40:40Z")
This place is very popular in our little town: [http://www.magicelmskateland.com/inside/](http://www.magicelmskateland.com/inside/) I know quite a few people who go there. It’s one of the most popular birthday party places (for kids) around here. We don’t have an ice skating rink. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/5 "2015-02-03T14:01:59Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is basically an informal poll, it belongs in IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/6 "2015-02-03T14:03:00Z")
The internet tells me there are about 20 rinks in greater Miami. About half are roller, half are ice. Some complexes have both. In St. Louis where I used to live the story was similar. I agree with the OP’s contention that the net trend is away from roller and towards ice. But at the present rate it’ll be decades before the last roller rink closes. And odds are the present trend won’t last that long; present trends in anything never do. ---
**Author:** ![duncs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@duncs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncs)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/7 "2015-02-03T14:05:38Z")
My local roller rink, in the UK, closed down about 15 years ago due to the owners selling alcohol without a license. There were plans to re-open it but they have come to nothing. There are still road signs up directing people to it ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/8 "2015-02-03T14:09:18Z")
There are a few left around in the Chicago area. [Here’s a 2012 guide to them](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-peterson/chicago-roller-rinks_b_2149686.html). The ones in the Chicago area are mostly on the South Side and south suburbs, which are predominantly black and the skating culture is much stronger in the African-American community. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/9 "2015-02-03T14:26:00Z")
Columbia, MO, a city of about 100K people (excluding surrounding areas), has just [one](http://www.empirerollerrink.com/)as far as I know. That website takes you right back to 1998, doesn’t it? I have not been there, but now that you mention it, it might be fun to go there with my son. He got skates for Christmas… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/10 "2015-02-03T14:29:24Z")
There’s [Rollerama](http://www.rollarama.com/), about five miles from my house. They have open skating and book birthday parties and other events. [Guptil’s Arena](http://www.guptillsarena.com/) is about 15 miles away and still seems to be doing fine. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/11 "2015-02-03T14:38:56Z")
Looks like there are six or seven scattered around the Twin Cities. Plus, we have curling. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/12 "2015-02-03T14:41:29Z")
When I first moved to Chillicothe, Oh in 2000, there were two roller rinks. One was bought by a local contractor and turned into a private showroom for his vintage car collection. [Cavalier Skaing Rink](http://www.cavalierskatingrink.com/) remains open for business. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/13 "2015-02-03T14:44:33Z")
Two I believe around Pittsburgh PA – maybe about 4 or so left around Scranton. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/14 "2015-02-03T14:45:24Z")
There’s one less than 2 miles from my house (in the same building that housed my – now sadly defunct – racquetball club). It’s been open a long time, and still popular. MillCal used to go there with her friends. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/15 "2015-02-03T14:52:09Z")
wow–I haven’t thought about roller skating for 3 decades! It was fun as a kid. But that brings up an interesting question: Why did roller rinks fade away? When did they stop being fun? And why? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/16 "2015-02-03T15:34:11Z")
I was surprised to learn there are [several around the Atlanta area.](http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=roller+skating+rink&find_loc=Atlanta%2C+GA&ns=1&ls=9e9b591194654893) ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/17 "2015-02-03T16:21:15Z")
There’s one close to me in Belleville Illinois. I’ve been there a couple of times over the decades, but it’s not my type of fun. The place is busy though. [http://funspotrocks.com/](http://funspotrocks.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/18 "2015-02-03T19:44:17Z")
I’ve got 2 roller rinks within 25 miles and 2 more within 50 miles of me in Wisconsin. I haven’t been to one since the kids were young, though. Over 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/19 "2015-02-03T20:21:52Z")
One that I know of, here in Austin, and my son goes there all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692/20 "2015-02-03T20:26:27Z")
Drive by one on the highway almost every day. It’s like a lot of stuff here: you can see it, but getting to it by finding the right exit and then the right combination of turns to get back to the edge of the highway is tricky. It’s called “Ron-a-Roll,” gawdelpme. I assume someone named Ron is involved. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-roller-rinks-still-open-in-your-area/711692.md?page=2)