Both photos courtesy of Google Map. First is the wide view of the plaza and the second is the former rink section.
Courtesy of SkateLyfe. This was a reunion for the skaters from The Crystal Palace at another Memphis rink. Wow! See this video! And their site, www.skatelyfeco.com!
The Crystal Palace Southwest Shopping Center, 3364 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN
This rink has similar name to the one in Las Vegas and it did appear Vegas-style signage for this cute Memphis, Tennessee rink. However, it has nothing to do with the Crystal Palace chain in Vegas.
The Crystal Palace was first opened in 1981 in this shopping plaza called Southwest Shopping Center and it ran for a good 36 years until they closed for good in 2017. It was operated by a couple and they had the rink even featured in a motion picture! Hustle & Flow was the movie made by Craig Brewer. It was filmed outside on the parking lot where The Crystal Palace was. This has nothing to do with the rink but it was notable in the movie anyhow. It made famous for the rink. Because of its distinctive appearance and design, this rink exterior and parking lot were also featured in music videos, and other film projects. Anthony Anderson (Blackish, Law & Order, and The Departed, among other roles) was on set.
The shopping plaza was originally as a department store and The Crystal Palace because of the panoramic photo you can see above showed the footprint of a former department store.
Sadly the rink had negative viewed by the media because of violence on the parking lot as well as in the rink. This might have a little effect of why it was closing down. There were violence inside as well. There is an article stating several crimes occurred between 2010 and 1016. The biggest hit was the mother of 4 kids shot two teenagers and shooting at the rink. She spend six rounds at the kids and the rink because of a fight in the rink. This forced the rink to change policy and type of session from teenage session to family session to welcome parents in but also children must come in vehicles instead of walking. Apparently those two victims who were hospitalized were walking home after the rink was closed. The owner and management had to change hours as well so that the district attorney does not shut down the rink.
Maybe that is why the owner decided to say he is retiring and decline business in order to get out before any more mess.
Three separate major shooting incident related to the rink. First one was in 2010 shooting of two rink employees (shooter was charged with attempted murder), the mother of kids shot two kids was also charged with attempted murder and another shot a boy at a C-store that the fight began at the rink.
It was located at Southwest Shopping Center.
The Interior.
I have no idea what it was like inside. Unfortunately there is not much to explain. I was able to see a photo of skaters by the rail and the floor was clear coated Maple Wood lay on the rink. Wall colors, murals, the layout, none that I know of. Zero.
The Exterior.
This part is more famous when they filmed this movie on the parking lot. It had Faded Red awing and Off-White walls. It was part of a shopping plaza. They had a very large parking lot that fits 500 cars!
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Clear Polyurethane coated Maple Wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 95,564 SF (Skating rink business section is unknown) Built: N/A
Demolished: Still standing, part of dead Plaza.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel (?) Shopping Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: 12.60 acres
Operated: 1981 to October 2017
Reason for Closure: Retiring, lack of business (less patrons). Shopping plaza is pretty dead itself.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, exact dates of open and closed.
Sources: Memphis Blotspot, Commercial Appeal, WMC 5 Upsetting at Closure,
WREG 3 Closing of Rink, Facebook 1, 2 (showing just a car and a model), Yelp,
Flickr, Commercial Appeal For Sale up, Loopnet, Skate Lyft,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
This rink has similar name to the one in Las Vegas and it did appear Vegas-style signage for this cute Memphis, Tennessee rink. However, it has nothing to do with the Crystal Palace chain in Vegas.
The Crystal Palace was first opened in 1981 in this shopping plaza called Southwest Shopping Center and it ran for a good 36 years until they closed for good in 2017. It was operated by a couple and they had the rink even featured in a motion picture! Hustle & Flow was the movie made by Craig Brewer. It was filmed outside on the parking lot where The Crystal Palace was. This has nothing to do with the rink but it was notable in the movie anyhow. It made famous for the rink. Because of its distinctive appearance and design, this rink exterior and parking lot were also featured in music videos, and other film projects. Anthony Anderson (Blackish, Law & Order, and The Departed, among other roles) was on set.
The shopping plaza was originally as a department store and The Crystal Palace because of the panoramic photo you can see above showed the footprint of a former department store.
Sadly the rink had negative viewed by the media because of violence on the parking lot as well as in the rink. This might have a little effect of why it was closing down. There were violence inside as well. There is an article stating several crimes occurred between 2010 and 1016. The biggest hit was the mother of 4 kids shot two teenagers and shooting at the rink. She spend six rounds at the kids and the rink because of a fight in the rink. This forced the rink to change policy and type of session from teenage session to family session to welcome parents in but also children must come in vehicles instead of walking. Apparently those two victims who were hospitalized were walking home after the rink was closed. The owner and management had to change hours as well so that the district attorney does not shut down the rink.
Maybe that is why the owner decided to say he is retiring and decline business in order to get out before any more mess.
Three separate major shooting incident related to the rink. First one was in 2010 shooting of two rink employees (shooter was charged with attempted murder), the mother of kids shot two kids was also charged with attempted murder and another shot a boy at a C-store that the fight began at the rink.
It was located at Southwest Shopping Center.
The Interior.
I have no idea what it was like inside. Unfortunately there is not much to explain. I was able to see a photo of skaters by the rail and the floor was clear coated Maple Wood lay on the rink. Wall colors, murals, the layout, none that I know of. Zero.
The Exterior.
This part is more famous when they filmed this movie on the parking lot. It had Faded Red awing and Off-White walls. It was part of a shopping plaza. They had a very large parking lot that fits 500 cars!
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Clear Polyurethane coated Maple Wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 95,564 SF (Skating rink business section is unknown) Built: N/A
Demolished: Still standing, part of dead Plaza.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel (?) Shopping Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: 12.60 acres
Operated: 1981 to October 2017
Reason for Closure: Retiring, lack of business (less patrons). Shopping plaza is pretty dead itself.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, exact dates of open and closed.
Sources: Memphis Blotspot, Commercial Appeal, WMC 5 Upsetting at Closure,
WREG 3 Closing of Rink, Facebook 1, 2 (showing just a car and a model), Yelp,
Flickr, Commercial Appeal For Sale up, Loopnet, Skate Lyft,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.