Lincoln's Rinks

On March 2, 2026, the Lincoln Journal Star reported that our home city, Lincoln, Nebraska, might welcome a roller rink once more. You can read that story here.

We wanted to share a little history lesson on the rinks of Lincoln.

The most recent attempt at establishing a rink in Lincoln came from Cassie Stout. Stout led an alternative rink effort, the GoodLife Skate Center, which ran from 2021 to 2023. Alternative rinks, also called pop-up rinks, generally appear at various venues across the country for a limited time. A well-known example is Flipper's Boogie Palace, which alternates locations between the east and west coasts. Stout's effort included everything a traditional rink would normally offer, skate lessons, open skate times, parties, just without the brick and mortar building.

As for brick-and-mortar buildings, since Skate Zone, run by the Harstock family, closed in 2017, Lincoln has been without a traditional rink. Skate Zone, which had been open for over 60 years, was a place for the community to celebrate birthdays, host fundraisers, and let the good times roll. The rink, located at 300 N48th Street, actually had five different names and a few different operators through the years. Before it was known as Skate Zone, the rink was:

• Arena Skate Center (1954-1975), Seth and Betty Scott

• Arena Skate World (1976-1979), Seth and Betty Scott, along with Randy and Kay Hamilton

• Holiday North (1979-1996) and Holiday Skate World (1979-1996), Randy and Kay Hamilton

From 1996 to its close in 2017, Shirley and Richard Hartsock operated the rink as Skate Zone.

Lincoln has actually been through a series of roller rinks.

Seth and Betty Scott actually owned two other rinks:

• Holiday Skating Center South, located 5601 South 56 St Highway 2, from 1970 to 1985.

• Holiday West Roller Rink, North 1st Street and West Cornhusker in 1988.

Randy Hamilty also owned another rink in 1998, Holiday Skate World & Family Fun Center. This rink, located at 710 Hill Street, soon changed names to Galaxy Skate World, still owned by Hamilton, and continued to operate through 2000. It would then transform into A&R Skate Center under new owner/operators, Andrea McNulty and Rhonda Teten.

A&R Skate Center. This rink opened at the former Galaxy Skate World site (710 Hill Street) in 2001. Operating at the Hill Street location from 2001 to 2005, this rink technically shuttered its doors due to a lost lease. However, the owners of A&R Skate Center, Andrea McNulty and Rhonda Teten, persevered and opened another rink, also called A&R Skate Center, in south Lincoln at South 40th and Old Cheney. This rink would remain open from 2006 through 2009.

As far as Lincoln's oldest rinks....

There is Roger's Rink, which was located on what is known as the amusement park grounds at Capital Beach. See this photo from our friends at the Nebraska State Historical Society. It is unknown when exactly this rink operated, though we estimate around 1910.

One of Lincoln's first rinks was the City of Lincoln Roller Rink. This rink ran between 1877 and about 1920. It was located in the Academy of Music Building at 11th and O. Currently, the site of Hampton Inn.

One of Lincoln's longest operating rinks was LincolnRink, located at 1918 O Street. Many Lincolnites would recognize this spot as the landscaping lot where the former Graham/Goodyear tire building was located. This rink was operated by Tom and Mary Boydston from 1936 to about 1949. From there, Tom and Mary Boydston operated another LincolnRink at the former state fair grounds from 1949 to 1957. The Boydstons operated their last LincolnRink from 1957-1959 at 1316 47th Street, where Madsen's Bowling and Billiards now sits.

One more modern rink that Lincolnites should recall....

Starland (Starlite) Roller Rink. Located at 2310 1st St. N, one block north of 1st and Cornhusker Highway, Starland Roller Rink was owned and operated by Tim and Carol Hinkle in the 1980s.

Other Rinks:

Metropolitan Rink -- late 1880s.

Capital Beach Rink --- 1920s-1950s

Riviera Skating Place -- 1920s-1950s

Tent Rink at 48th and O -- 1930s

Tent Rink at Municipal Skating Pool -- Date Unknown