Courtesy of Roller Skating Museum. Original location. Please notice the billboard. Huge billboard above the rink for skaters to see where the rink was. I am not talking about the neon sign, the big one on rooftop. Notice other interesting features in photo. The 2 other billboards too! And a mechanic garage was next door sandwiching between the rink and the White Castle early franchise restaurant. (ironically, now this location is a Goodyear store, a different mechanic garage!). I included the restaurant because they were the first fast food restaurant chain in America. And oldest still operational. Usually a skating rink would have a fast food or fast casual next door or cross street for skaters to go eat after skating. I can name too many rinks on this site that had a "supportive tier" system for each other.
Courtesy of Lincoln-Journal Star. For a time, LIncolnRink was at the fair. Nebraska State Fairgrounds that is. It was in, what I believed was that long narrower building parallel to the Larger building in center of photo. That larger building still stands today as main offices for a controversial development that residents were against having the fair moved to present site in another town. There was a lawsuit.. long story. They lost. Well, the rink ran from 1949 to 1957 at that location. The building has long since demolished. Including the photo was a ticket they used back the day (on the left) and a membership card on bottom.
Courtsey of Roller Skating Museum/Lincoln-Journal Star. A newsletter volume 1, number 2. Second newsletter printed! For a time they had newsletters. Rarely rinks today has them.
Courtesy of Lincoln-Journal Star. A group for Halloween costume skate party. I had to include this because it is so funny! See how they dress for Halloween in 1950s!? No monsters, no evil creepy people. Nothing of sort! Clean fun costumes! Can you figure out what they are dressed as? And you have to say what gender! Hahaha! Yesss. Look carefully! Haha.
Answers are at bottom.
Answers are at bottom.
Courtesy of Lincoln Star, September 3, 1944. More detailed on dates of location. Activities happening at the rink. It even said about the servicemen and women skated during the War in early 1940s to mid-40s.
Courtesy of Google Map. Noticed now that it has changed quite a bit. Sad the rink is gone, so was the burger chain. Hmm. Anyway, noticed on the rooftop? Only thing left was the billboard for the rink that sign supporter is still there. So was the garage part is still there.
Courtesy of Google Map. Noticed it is gone as of July 2009? This is the State Fair location where the old rink used to be. it turned into a parking lot. Making this state fair smaller and fewer. But some newer building... But.. look at this now. Exact location in 2019 (see below).
Courtesy of Google Map. Third location which now a bowling alley-billiard hall is located.
LincolnRink 1918 O Street, Lincoln, NE (Original location)
LincolnRink Transformation Drive, State Fairgrounds, Lincoln, NE
LincolnRink 1316 47th Street, Lincoln, NE (Final location)
That is correct spelling, LincoInRink. It is a play on its name. Lincoln In Rink and merge that into LincoInRink. Originally it was on 1918 O Street in Lincoln, Nebraska owned by Tom and Mary Boydston from 1936 to 1949. I have no reason why they relocated. I see modern map that it is on the edge of the city itself. It was in a Dark Red Brick building that had a style on the roofline although Flat roof with Hip toward rear of the building.
They had strict rules back the day including dress code. By World War Two came around, they had a lot of military personnel attended the rink since they were close to the Army Air Base. I am sure many dressed in their military attire going out to skate as many did to dance auditoriums and halls.
After the war, they relocated in 1949 to the State Fairgrounds. Why the fairgrounds? No idea why. But many states at the time had rinks at the fairgrounds. Perhaps they were losing money and needed to lease so they perhaps did at the State fairgrounds. They ran it till 1957. I looked on the map for their State Fairgrounds and it is now some college's development center.
They had a new rink built to be opened in 1958 and ran only for two years before they closed for good. Did the relocation kill the business? Relocation in my opinion can close the business. I have seen other kinds of business relocate and they risked it and ruined. For example, a restaurant party G-store next door to the former Empire Skates after Empire closed, well, the store relocated from DeWitt to North Syracuse sort of did hurt their business and closed. Several restaurants I know relocated and did get hurt because of relocation. A night club did the same thing and they closed for good.
Relocation may have done putting nail in coffin but I am not sure what happened and why the owners, Tom and Mary Boydston relocated twice. Another skating rink must have felt the same problem in the same state in the same region! They relocated and the relocation huts (See A&R Skating Center) but not always. I know of a department store that used to be in a mall walking distance from my home as a teenager then they relocated to a competing mall a few minutes drive away. They stayed opened till Last year September as part of chain wide closing toward closure of the company.
When LincolnRink closed, many skaters went to a rink at State Fair Park. Now, the State Fair Park perhaps had a rink after LincolnRink left the Fair in 1957 which became more like a skate park rather than a rink. But I am not sure. This was not enough information. This was according to a former skater from LincolnRink in this article, Lincoln-Journal Star.
The 1918 O Street, Lincoln, NE Location -- (Original)
The Interior.
I have no information regarding to this location or photos of interior. However, this location was in a long narrow building. Apparently the admission was on side door as the middle doors were set to open. If you look at the photograph carefully, that was what they did. This reminded me very clearly at another rink called, Hayloft Skate Center that they had center doors open large and wide with the left side door. I believe it was under the same management or similar owners as this one. Either that or the owners of Hayloft Skate Center copied it because that rink perhaps opened in later years before it became a museum.
Both of them were long and narrow as you can see. It had likely floating Maple. I am not sure.
The Exterior.
The design for this exterior was more decorative than Hayloft did yet both have similar blueprint front elevation that they both had truck-size large garage doors fold open. Some modern entertainment centers and bars/night clubs do have garage doors to open up the place. Well, I believe that is the case here with LincolnRink. Perhaps at Hayloft too. They had Flat roof with Hip-style rear toward back to rundown rainwater from the roof. The front Brick which was likely Dark Red Bricks as I am familiar with antique buildings everywhere. The design to show faux roof/wall-line was just a facade to show its style and trendy look back the day.
It had large windows to bring lights in the front part of the facility. Hard to see if they had many small windows on the sides. Today Google Map does not go that far back. It is currently a tire store.
After they moved out, other businesses were in that site before currently Goodyear Tires is located.
By the way, next door, you would see in photo, it was a White Castle. I believe it was a White Castle. Not White Tower.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Liely floating Maple, polished Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: Heavily remodeled both exterior and interior. Now a tire store.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Storefront Dark Red-Brick Building.
Roof: Flat with Hip at rear end of building.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1936 to February 1944/1949
Reason for Closure: Relocated to the fairgrounds location. Reason for move is unknown.
The Fairgrounds Location --
The Interior.
I do not know what it was like. Might be concrete floor since atypical fairgrounds are poured concrete floor to hold hundreds of people, animals, and equipment each week as they have different events including their annual fair. I am sure they had exposed brick walls to have as natural appearance interior.
The Exterior.
The Red Brick building with the Arched-Curve building was sitting parallel to the old larger Brick building that still stands today. That building housed the rink till the owners relocated again to their third and final location. There are no close up photos. The Google Map of 2009 showed old grounds before they were reconfigured for the new college campus. The corners are not 90 degrees right angles. They were 45 degrees corners.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: N/A (Sometimes after 1957 but before 2009)
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Arena style Dark Red-Brick Building.
Roof: Arched-Curved (D-shaped)
Acres: N/A
Operated: February 1944/1949 to 1957
Reason for Closure: Relocated to the 47th Street location. Reason for move is unknown.
The 1316 47th Street, Lincoln, NE Location -- (Final location)
The Interior.
I have no idea what the interior was like. Again, the main entrance was at one end of long building.
The Exterior.
This time, a smaller rink than at the fairgrounds. From small, to larger, then back to small. This final location had
The Stats:
Rink Size: 70' X 150' Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: Still standing, now a bowling and billiard hall.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse like Building with mix materials (Sheet metal and flatstone veneer). Likely cinder-block.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1957 to 1959.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos! Yes, photos of all places. Inside and out, exact dates, why they moved and closed.
Sources: History of Nebraska State Fair, Lincoln history on roller rinks in Lincoln-Journal Star,
Three Google Maps, Lincoln-Journal Star(a Skater researcher/author), Billboard, October 15, 1955, page 105., (for date Feb. 1944: The Lincoln Star newspaper, September 3, 1944);
Answers to the funny Halloween costume photo. From Left to Right Rear: MALE, Raggy Ann; MALE, a busty housewife with large saggy chest, odd clothes and mini hat on over wig; MALE, pipe smoking dirty faced man; Male, an early form of a Pirate of Caribbean/Jack Sparrow; both MALES, as maids; BOTTOM ROW, Left to right: FEMALE: as painter; FEMALE, as fairy? And FEMALE as male drunk.
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
LincolnRink Transformation Drive, State Fairgrounds, Lincoln, NE
LincolnRink 1316 47th Street, Lincoln, NE (Final location)
That is correct spelling, LincoInRink. It is a play on its name. Lincoln In Rink and merge that into LincoInRink. Originally it was on 1918 O Street in Lincoln, Nebraska owned by Tom and Mary Boydston from 1936 to 1949. I have no reason why they relocated. I see modern map that it is on the edge of the city itself. It was in a Dark Red Brick building that had a style on the roofline although Flat roof with Hip toward rear of the building.
They had strict rules back the day including dress code. By World War Two came around, they had a lot of military personnel attended the rink since they were close to the Army Air Base. I am sure many dressed in their military attire going out to skate as many did to dance auditoriums and halls.
After the war, they relocated in 1949 to the State Fairgrounds. Why the fairgrounds? No idea why. But many states at the time had rinks at the fairgrounds. Perhaps they were losing money and needed to lease so they perhaps did at the State fairgrounds. They ran it till 1957. I looked on the map for their State Fairgrounds and it is now some college's development center.
They had a new rink built to be opened in 1958 and ran only for two years before they closed for good. Did the relocation kill the business? Relocation in my opinion can close the business. I have seen other kinds of business relocate and they risked it and ruined. For example, a restaurant party G-store next door to the former Empire Skates after Empire closed, well, the store relocated from DeWitt to North Syracuse sort of did hurt their business and closed. Several restaurants I know relocated and did get hurt because of relocation. A night club did the same thing and they closed for good.
Relocation may have done putting nail in coffin but I am not sure what happened and why the owners, Tom and Mary Boydston relocated twice. Another skating rink must have felt the same problem in the same state in the same region! They relocated and the relocation huts (See A&R Skating Center) but not always. I know of a department store that used to be in a mall walking distance from my home as a teenager then they relocated to a competing mall a few minutes drive away. They stayed opened till Last year September as part of chain wide closing toward closure of the company.
When LincolnRink closed, many skaters went to a rink at State Fair Park. Now, the State Fair Park perhaps had a rink after LincolnRink left the Fair in 1957 which became more like a skate park rather than a rink. But I am not sure. This was not enough information. This was according to a former skater from LincolnRink in this article, Lincoln-Journal Star.
The 1918 O Street, Lincoln, NE Location -- (Original)
The Interior.
I have no information regarding to this location or photos of interior. However, this location was in a long narrow building. Apparently the admission was on side door as the middle doors were set to open. If you look at the photograph carefully, that was what they did. This reminded me very clearly at another rink called, Hayloft Skate Center that they had center doors open large and wide with the left side door. I believe it was under the same management or similar owners as this one. Either that or the owners of Hayloft Skate Center copied it because that rink perhaps opened in later years before it became a museum.
Both of them were long and narrow as you can see. It had likely floating Maple. I am not sure.
The Exterior.
The design for this exterior was more decorative than Hayloft did yet both have similar blueprint front elevation that they both had truck-size large garage doors fold open. Some modern entertainment centers and bars/night clubs do have garage doors to open up the place. Well, I believe that is the case here with LincolnRink. Perhaps at Hayloft too. They had Flat roof with Hip-style rear toward back to rundown rainwater from the roof. The front Brick which was likely Dark Red Bricks as I am familiar with antique buildings everywhere. The design to show faux roof/wall-line was just a facade to show its style and trendy look back the day.
It had large windows to bring lights in the front part of the facility. Hard to see if they had many small windows on the sides. Today Google Map does not go that far back. It is currently a tire store.
After they moved out, other businesses were in that site before currently Goodyear Tires is located.
By the way, next door, you would see in photo, it was a White Castle. I believe it was a White Castle. Not White Tower.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Liely floating Maple, polished Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: Heavily remodeled both exterior and interior. Now a tire store.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Storefront Dark Red-Brick Building.
Roof: Flat with Hip at rear end of building.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1936 to February 1944/1949
Reason for Closure: Relocated to the fairgrounds location. Reason for move is unknown.
The Fairgrounds Location --
The Interior.
I do not know what it was like. Might be concrete floor since atypical fairgrounds are poured concrete floor to hold hundreds of people, animals, and equipment each week as they have different events including their annual fair. I am sure they had exposed brick walls to have as natural appearance interior.
The Exterior.
The Red Brick building with the Arched-Curve building was sitting parallel to the old larger Brick building that still stands today. That building housed the rink till the owners relocated again to their third and final location. There are no close up photos. The Google Map of 2009 showed old grounds before they were reconfigured for the new college campus. The corners are not 90 degrees right angles. They were 45 degrees corners.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: N/A (Sometimes after 1957 but before 2009)
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Arena style Dark Red-Brick Building.
Roof: Arched-Curved (D-shaped)
Acres: N/A
Operated: February 1944/1949 to 1957
Reason for Closure: Relocated to the 47th Street location. Reason for move is unknown.
The 1316 47th Street, Lincoln, NE Location -- (Final location)
The Interior.
I have no idea what the interior was like. Again, the main entrance was at one end of long building.
The Exterior.
This time, a smaller rink than at the fairgrounds. From small, to larger, then back to small. This final location had
The Stats:
Rink Size: 70' X 150' Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: Still standing, now a bowling and billiard hall.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse like Building with mix materials (Sheet metal and flatstone veneer). Likely cinder-block.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1957 to 1959.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos! Yes, photos of all places. Inside and out, exact dates, why they moved and closed.
Sources: History of Nebraska State Fair, Lincoln history on roller rinks in Lincoln-Journal Star,
Three Google Maps, Lincoln-Journal Star(a Skater researcher/author), Billboard, October 15, 1955, page 105., (for date Feb. 1944: The Lincoln Star newspaper, September 3, 1944);
Answers to the funny Halloween costume photo. From Left to Right Rear: MALE, Raggy Ann; MALE, a busty housewife with large saggy chest, odd clothes and mini hat on over wig; MALE, pipe smoking dirty faced man; Male, an early form of a Pirate of Caribbean/Jack Sparrow; both MALES, as maids; BOTTOM ROW, Left to right: FEMALE: as painter; FEMALE, as fairy? And FEMALE as male drunk.
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.