Postcard courtesy of Doling Park Museum/Springfield-Greene County Library District. The rink with all four walls at the time with the arched roof in its heydays. Beautiful building!
Courtesy Google Map. And that is what remains the former rink. Why closed if it was popular? And should have kept it running because many private rinks folded due to insurance and expenses. This would have updated with new technology such as LED lighting and sound system that would cut cost. Can we have it rebuilt with the original wall up? Why not!
Courtesy of Richard Crabtree (on Facebook). A typical group of skaters in their attire of its day. Taken in October 1938. See how nice they dressed up? Where did that go? This is only evidence I can see it has Fan style floor format-to see it, look at the girl sitting on the floor in white blouse, look below that and see the line of turns goes up toward this man in white with dark stripes shirt with dark tie on.
Courtesy of Doling Park (taken from brochure). This organ was used for the roller rink, I believe otherwise it would have been for the ballroom cross the park (see map)
Courtesy of Doling Park Brochure. I apologize for the blur. It was a very large map and I had to reduce to fit on my screen to capture snipshot to save it then upload it on here and thats the result I get. To get better view, please click here: Doling Park Map.
Google Map. Aerial view of the former rink. You can see the fence lined up exactly where the former rink used to be. Only the wall still stands. The grass was where the rink itself was. The red roof part is the museum. The field is used now for concerts, picnic, meets, etc.
Doling Park Roller Rink, Doling Park, 301 East Talmage Street, Springfield, MO
This rink is one of true historic rink that had a very rich and long history. Very resourceful information regarding this rink that a library has seven pages talking about this in its website. A website has more and today, just the front facade still stands and the former rink walls was replaced by a chain fence to give park visitors an idea of what it was like. But also the grass on the ground is quite flat as a reflexion of former skating rink once housed there.
Doling Park was a local suburban amusement park which was quite common in late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Usually set up by a trolley company. Many parks were owned by trolley companies. Doling Park was one of them. It housed not just a roller rink, it had 15 amusement park rides, an arcade, dance hall, an auditorium, and more. It was a park-like setting with rides.
The original rink was built in between 1907 and 1929. Then a new permanent rink was built in 1930 after the original was burned down. The new one was where the original Giboney cabin was erected according to Springfield, MO Library. It was all stone with an arched roof almost Quonset Hut-like but it was truly common everywhere with this style roof building. W.W. & Lillian F Morrison leased the rink from 1929 to 1977. The burned down rink was quickly rebuilt and opened in March 1930.
The rink was expanded and renovated between 1930s and 1950s to accommodate more skaters as it was becoming popular. Once again, renovated in 1972. However, as many suburban amusement parks were declining and closed up in 1970s. Doling Park was one of many victims due to more highly successful theme parks (think Disneyland, Disney World, Universal, etc.) and regional amusement parks (think Sea World, Darien Lake, Six Flags, Enchanted Forest-Water Safari, Great Adventure, Hershey Park). The rink felt that effect as well and closed in 1978.
But in 1978 the Old Northview Center was opened in the former skating rink building however, in 2003, they built the new and current New Northview Center which is still in operational just south of the old rink building and they torn down the building but kept the front facing wall and built a sideline style Curved building with some amusement park rides preserved. It is a museum on that spot. It has a map of the old park on the wall where the old main entrance of the frontage. It is clearly seen on Google Map right up close! See photos. I am not happy with the Google Map like to blur out some signs or whatever. That was wrong of them. Have you ever heard of preservation, Google Map department? Have you ever heard of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of History preservation? Go back and fix it all and NOT blur them, Google!
The building since 1929 to its demolished had Maple hardwood floor, with beautiful all-stone veneer building with the Arched roof with windows in it. The rink appeared to be large. They should have not torn it down by their state historical society because it would have reached that status at 100 years of age. That is the rule. Unfortunately, it did not reach the 100 years of age to qualify.
However, the interior did not show stones. It was plastered flat walls as seen in a photo. I assumed it was White walls. The stones were just in front of the building. This is why that is preserved. The rest were wood. They had theater style seating, and a balcony for spectators to watch skaters skate according to the Billboard newspaper in May 31, 1947.
Today, you can visit the park to see it and take pictures and enjoy seeing. This is why I have the address for you to find it on your phone and get there!
Rink Size: 80' x 190' (15,200 SF) Floor: Maple, clear coated, special coating Floor Layout: Fan
Building Size: N/A Built: 1929-30 and is torn down Original was 1910s. Rebuilt 1929-30.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cobberstones Building (final)
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A (part of a park)
Operated: (1910s) April 21, 1929 to 1929 (burned down) and rebuilt and reopened in March 1930 to 1978
Reason for Closure: It says in the brochure, "the park was on a decline, but skating remained popular" but still why did it closed? Was it the park committee's decision to close it because they wanted different vision for the park itself? Insurance rising? Trouble? What?
Wanted: Information regarding why it was closed? Building size? More interior photos and better one to see what the interior was like.
Sources: FRRF, Doling Library, Facebook. The History of Doling Park. Park Board Brochure
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved
This rink is one of true historic rink that had a very rich and long history. Very resourceful information regarding this rink that a library has seven pages talking about this in its website. A website has more and today, just the front facade still stands and the former rink walls was replaced by a chain fence to give park visitors an idea of what it was like. But also the grass on the ground is quite flat as a reflexion of former skating rink once housed there.
Doling Park was a local suburban amusement park which was quite common in late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Usually set up by a trolley company. Many parks were owned by trolley companies. Doling Park was one of them. It housed not just a roller rink, it had 15 amusement park rides, an arcade, dance hall, an auditorium, and more. It was a park-like setting with rides.
The original rink was built in between 1907 and 1929. Then a new permanent rink was built in 1930 after the original was burned down. The new one was where the original Giboney cabin was erected according to Springfield, MO Library. It was all stone with an arched roof almost Quonset Hut-like but it was truly common everywhere with this style roof building. W.W. & Lillian F Morrison leased the rink from 1929 to 1977. The burned down rink was quickly rebuilt and opened in March 1930.
The rink was expanded and renovated between 1930s and 1950s to accommodate more skaters as it was becoming popular. Once again, renovated in 1972. However, as many suburban amusement parks were declining and closed up in 1970s. Doling Park was one of many victims due to more highly successful theme parks (think Disneyland, Disney World, Universal, etc.) and regional amusement parks (think Sea World, Darien Lake, Six Flags, Enchanted Forest-Water Safari, Great Adventure, Hershey Park). The rink felt that effect as well and closed in 1978.
But in 1978 the Old Northview Center was opened in the former skating rink building however, in 2003, they built the new and current New Northview Center which is still in operational just south of the old rink building and they torn down the building but kept the front facing wall and built a sideline style Curved building with some amusement park rides preserved. It is a museum on that spot. It has a map of the old park on the wall where the old main entrance of the frontage. It is clearly seen on Google Map right up close! See photos. I am not happy with the Google Map like to blur out some signs or whatever. That was wrong of them. Have you ever heard of preservation, Google Map department? Have you ever heard of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of History preservation? Go back and fix it all and NOT blur them, Google!
The building since 1929 to its demolished had Maple hardwood floor, with beautiful all-stone veneer building with the Arched roof with windows in it. The rink appeared to be large. They should have not torn it down by their state historical society because it would have reached that status at 100 years of age. That is the rule. Unfortunately, it did not reach the 100 years of age to qualify.
However, the interior did not show stones. It was plastered flat walls as seen in a photo. I assumed it was White walls. The stones were just in front of the building. This is why that is preserved. The rest were wood. They had theater style seating, and a balcony for spectators to watch skaters skate according to the Billboard newspaper in May 31, 1947.
Today, you can visit the park to see it and take pictures and enjoy seeing. This is why I have the address for you to find it on your phone and get there!
Rink Size: 80' x 190' (15,200 SF) Floor: Maple, clear coated, special coating Floor Layout: Fan
Building Size: N/A Built: 1929-30 and is torn down Original was 1910s. Rebuilt 1929-30.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cobberstones Building (final)
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A (part of a park)
Operated: (1910s) April 21, 1929 to 1929 (burned down) and rebuilt and reopened in March 1930 to 1978
Reason for Closure: It says in the brochure, "the park was on a decline, but skating remained popular" but still why did it closed? Was it the park committee's decision to close it because they wanted different vision for the park itself? Insurance rising? Trouble? What?
Wanted: Information regarding why it was closed? Building size? More interior photos and better one to see what the interior was like.
Sources: FRRF, Doling Library, Facebook. The History of Doling Park. Park Board Brochure
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved