Cost: $9, includes traditional roller skates
Rollerblades: $2
Feel free to bring your own skates or blades! Check out www.richlandskate.com for more information and special deals. HISTORY
The Rollarena Skating Center was built, owned and first operated by Howard and Grace Bacon starting in 1953. Howard Bacon constructed the distinctive barrel roof of the facility that has been a landmark in the T
ri-Cities for 60 years. He and his wife Judy continue to operate the facility along with third-generation family members. Many changes have occurred in the rink’s history, from the music to the skates to the skaters. The music changed from the organ dance music of the ‘50s and ‘60s to the disco beat of the ‘70s and ‘80s, to the contemporary sounds of today. The music was first played from reel-to-reel tapes, then 45s, compact tapes, CDs, and now by digital programming. All skates in the ‘50s were traditional quad skates. In the ‘90s inline rollerblades became popular. In the ‘50s, many young adults met their future spouse at the rink. Multitudes of girls came in the ‘50s and ‘60s when they had few options to play school sports. Today, children’s birthday parties are extremely popular. Besides the roller skating, many people remember the weekly teenage dances in the late ‘50s and ‘60s. The Rollarena was on one of the best dance circuits in the U.S., featuring such groups as Fats Domino and Paul Revere and the Raiders. No matter what decade, the main reason people continue to come back has always been the same: a great time with family and friends
