Photo courtesy of Home Leisure Direct. This is perhaps the very similar kind of model Seeburg Select-O-Matic at Skateland. It is called Seeburg M100A model which can hold 100 different albums. Likely it was 78 rpm.
This was the area where Ames Skateland used to be located. It was demolished after the tornado damaged the building in 1968. This photo taken in November 2007 before the current businesses are housed there now (a BBQ restaurant, an auto parts store, and another store). Photos of the Skateland is appreciated!
Ames Skateland 527 South Duff Street, Ames, IA
Ames Skateland was first opened in September 9, 1949 after it was constructed by Ben Cole and Son. They had organ music and was doing well however they closed in 1968 when a tornado that tore off the roof, and that exposure, the beautiful Michigan Maple flooring ruined by rain, debris, etc.
The rink was built to the cost of 75,000 USD (adjusted for inflation in 2020 is US$ 815,161.76) and the cost at the time was standard cost about the same adjusted for today at the cost of 800 thousand dollars. A little low end though. Most rinks today would tune to 1 to 2 million dollars to built.
Friday August 1, 1952 after they renovated and re-finished the Maple floor, they had reopening that day.
From seeing one of the photos, they also had a bowling alley in the same building. A multiple entertainment complex.
This is interesting history that this rink was one of only 5 rinks in the United States to have a famous Seeburg brand that plays melodies. Seeburg Jukebox played that music. It was a Seeburg Select-O-Matic System. A rarity because often rinks purchased other brands to play organ music. This one was similar to the jukebox Seeburg produced in the 20th Century. I feel bad and sad that Seeburg is no longer producing Jukeboxes. You can buy collectibles though and refinished models as well. I do not know what model year this Seeburg Select-O-Matic Jukebox it had. This was one of the first 5 and only rinks to have a DJ-less and Organ-less (sometimes) but the rink had organ player to play music. Only when the organist needed break, they had the Seeburg playing music for skaters.
To modern skaters and 1950s fans, they should be aware that skating rinks were not what many people pictured it. the media painted that all 1950s places including drive-ins, diners, and rinks had jukeboxes. That is Hollywood. ONLY FIVE rinks had such jukeboxes out of thousands of rinks during 1950s. And architecturally, they were not Googie's or Mid-Century Architecture look. This rink had.
After the tornado totalled the rink building with roof torn off and damaged the floor, they torn the building down and now sits a BBQ restaurant that was built in 2010s on the same property according to Google Map. In 2007, it was empty and for lease sign was up. Was it something there AFTER the rink building but BEFORE the famous roadhouse restaurant?
Noticed the sign that looked very 1950s to 1970s? Was it the Skateland sign? I doubt but never know. Anyone know what was there after Skateland was torn down? The grass in that 2007 GM photo showed freshly torn down. All businesses in that photo I show above are gone. All new ones are there in the present photo.
The Interior.
The Michigan Maple skating floor ran the full length of the building which is 150 feet long and was over 60 feet wide. 60 feet by 150 feet. It was rather a small rink in comparative to NHL rink size. Apparently the entire floor was actually built with Maple wood that was very thick. It took six carpenters 17 days to finish the floor and sand till its correctly smooth.
They had excellent air ventilation as they were smart knowing that rinks do give that sweat smell. They had installed two huge fans to circulate the air to keep it fresh.
A full quarter mile of tubing of lights in 5 different colors: Red, Blue, Green, White, and Gold on their ceiling full of White foam ceiling boards with Black trims (Yes, they had them way back then!) They had to have 25 transformers and a mile-and-half long wiring for the lights for entire rink.
The operators, John and Romona Muse, who owned Ames Skateland rink worked right to the end when the tornado destroyed the rink and they saved money again and opened up by building a new rink in 1972 and named it Skate West and became successful multi-rink chain with Skate rinks (Directions such as Skate North, Skate South, Skate West, and Skate East.) They also purchased former Skate Country and turned into Skate North.
The Exterior.
The building was measured 90 feet wide by 150 feet long with 12 inch thick concrete block walls and had an arched roof. It had many windows around the rink. In later years, they had Tan colored wall with light colored brick wall by where the front doors were. They changed their paint colors eventually from time to time.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 60' x 150" Floor: Michigan Maple. Floor Layout: Fan.
Building Size: 90' X 150' Built: N/A Demolished: 1968 by deadly May 15, 1968 tornado.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel 12-inch thick Cinderblock Building. (very strong!)
Roof: Arched-Curved.
Acres: N/A
Operated: September 9, 1949 to May 15, 1968
Reason for Closure: Deadly May 15, 1968 tornado.
Wanted: Information regarding any photos of the rinks both exterior and interior, and photos of damage by the tornado.
Sources: Ames History Museum, Tornado Iowa 1968 in Wikipedia, Skateland chain,
Jukebox History,
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