Courtesy of Susan Miller. Photo appeared taken in 1920s. Front door is actually up front with windows. left of the small burger stand in the photo. You can see people outside but also one inside where the parcels checked booth was (for Skaters bringing in their skate cases).
Courtesy of Majestic Pavilion. The interior. Notice how small and narrow it was? Can you spot the organist playing the organ? Yes, way in the back.
YouTube courtesy of NightFlyyer/Dave. Nice video! Showed more than just one rink history. Dave, thank you for defending the Constitution of the United States and I want to add, for our Faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. And Dave, I am sorry for your loss of your home, RC planes and that beautiful bike and antique automobile but also home, clothes, everything. I pray you are OK, Dave! Please help him. I think it is still ongoing gofundme raising funds for Dave and his wife. Check here: GoFundMe.
Courtesy of Susan Pell. The Majestic today.
Courtesy of the Majestic Pavilion. Yes, skaters, there is a bar! This showed the historic place on the wall! This is where the organ used to be located. Now a bar.
Arnolds Park Roller Rink 105 Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA (1912 to 1919)
Majestic Roller Rink 105 Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA (1919 to 1987)
Majestic Pavilion 105 Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA (Not a rink, an event venue).
This rink was a very interesting and historic rink in Arnolds Park, Iowa. It was part of an amusement park. This history about the amusement park is found here on Arnolds Park website. The beginning was further before the park was built. A reverend purchased the shoreline area in 1864 which later Wesley Arnold purchased that year.
But it was not till 1874 he started to built a business by opening up his home into an inn and outdoors tent parties. An event planning center if you will like to say that. Then in 1882 as ever expanding, he built a hotel to accommodate guests and parties indoors instead of outdoors under big tents. It was not officially called Arnolds Park until that evening Wesley's daughter and her friend came up with the name at dinner that evening after spending time outdoors. That name struck since.
Amusement park began in 1889 by constructing a 60 foot toboggan style water slide built with wood. This was the beginning of Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Slowly adding other attractions as well.
Fast forward to 1912 a roller skating rink was built and again 1919, the Majestic Roller Rink was built and opened to public in the amusement park replacing the 1912 version.
But by 1965, finally the amusement park was facing downhill starting with the 1965 college students riot. There were 700 drunken college students coming out of the bars at close time (2 AM). on July 4th weekend, wreaking havoc along their path from the bars to the Park’s beach.
The students and I am sure other people had looted, started destructive bonfires and vandalized police cars when the National Guard was quickly called in to assist in the middle of the night. The park faced damages.
What went further damaged was the June 13, 1968 Tornado damaged to many structures including the big ballroom called Roof Garden.
Finally in 1987, one of the last attraction at the park, the Majestic Roller Rink closes for good.
The amusement park hanged on but by 1996, a developer bought it and then sold it in 1999 to another developer who wanted to convert the amusement park into condos so the community and its leaders raised 7.25 Million Dollars to save the amusement park and it saw a revivalism and the amusement park lives on today under that same name, Arnolds Park.
And as for the Majestic that was closed reopened as the Majestic Pavilion which is still operational.
The Interior.
The 1912 original we do not know but the 1919 was the main one and that one had pretty narrow small Maple wood floor for a rink. Early photos showed it was and still is free-standing interior and it had beautiful ornate decorative ceiling above. It had pendants lights hanging up and they had on one end of the rink a stage for a band. Windows were found on one side (in the photo, it would be left side) but also ceiling wall windows as well. Some of those trims were dark wood while Maple wood was lighter colored. Benches were set up on each side of the rink. It was pretty tight space to skate. One of the most beautiful interior ever seen. Very decorative design.
The main door was on other end. When you walk in, you see the far end was where the organ was upon the stage.
The newer version in the YouTube when the Majestic was closed, it showed floor seen its expiration yet beautiful. Part of the floor was warped according to this skate expert. The walls were White and the trims Blue. Still, beautiful.
Then long after the rink closed, it was redone in 2000s to become Majestic Pavilion. They added the new band stage by moving from the end to the back side where there were no windows. The walls became wainscoting panels. It was becoming more plain than the original but modern beauty. It became a concert hall and party center for wedding receptions, parties, and Christmas parties. The organ side of wall was walled off.
But according to Facebook when they had it redone in 2015, it is beautiful once again! New Maple floor once again! This time it was much lighter coating on the floor. New coats of pants. Slight Ash White walls with Dark Wood Stain trims. New section where the former organ location with very decorative look. Is that a bar? Yes it is a bar because of the photograph was taken exactly where the old Black-and-White photo of skaters skating and the organ was in the end wall. It retains beauty yet a new beauty refreshed for 2010s and beyond. The ceiling looks similar to of old. I love that old ceiling. The light pendants was replaced but closely to the original.
The Exterior.
The exterior in early photo was very standard late 19th Century/Early 20th Century Art Nouveau look. Very stylish and complex design. It is Gabled with Flat roof. There were wording painted large on the building including this different Amusement park name on-Bennets. The Majestic Rink sign way above was shown as well. The main door was actually close to the corner on front side with windows. Yes, there was a rule back then on the exterior wall saying, "Parcels checked". Meaning those skaters bringing in their skate boxes which were to be inspected. Very old rule still stands today anywhere else.
The Stats: (Majestic)
Rink Size: Appx 5,000 SF Floor: Maple (twice replaced). Floor Layout: LOG.
Building Size: 5,000+ SF Built: 1919 Demolished: Still standing! Heavily renovated.
Type of Building: Free Span Wood Pavilion Building.
Roof: Mixed- Gable with limited Flat.
Acres: N/A
Operated:
Original building: 1912 to 1919
The Majestic Skating Rink (main): 1919 to 1987.
The Majestic Pavilion: N/A to present.
Reason for Closure: Decline? No one knows why. Not even the museum experts can answer.
The pavilion is still operational.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates and why they closed!
Sources: Arnolds Park History website, Youtube, Facebook, Dickson County News,
Okoboji website, Arnolds Park homepage, KIWA Radio, Another Okoboji-(photos unable to load)
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Majestic Roller Rink 105 Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA (1919 to 1987)
Majestic Pavilion 105 Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA (Not a rink, an event venue).
This rink was a very interesting and historic rink in Arnolds Park, Iowa. It was part of an amusement park. This history about the amusement park is found here on Arnolds Park website. The beginning was further before the park was built. A reverend purchased the shoreline area in 1864 which later Wesley Arnold purchased that year.
But it was not till 1874 he started to built a business by opening up his home into an inn and outdoors tent parties. An event planning center if you will like to say that. Then in 1882 as ever expanding, he built a hotel to accommodate guests and parties indoors instead of outdoors under big tents. It was not officially called Arnolds Park until that evening Wesley's daughter and her friend came up with the name at dinner that evening after spending time outdoors. That name struck since.
Amusement park began in 1889 by constructing a 60 foot toboggan style water slide built with wood. This was the beginning of Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Slowly adding other attractions as well.
Fast forward to 1912 a roller skating rink was built and again 1919, the Majestic Roller Rink was built and opened to public in the amusement park replacing the 1912 version.
But by 1965, finally the amusement park was facing downhill starting with the 1965 college students riot. There were 700 drunken college students coming out of the bars at close time (2 AM). on July 4th weekend, wreaking havoc along their path from the bars to the Park’s beach.
The students and I am sure other people had looted, started destructive bonfires and vandalized police cars when the National Guard was quickly called in to assist in the middle of the night. The park faced damages.
What went further damaged was the June 13, 1968 Tornado damaged to many structures including the big ballroom called Roof Garden.
Finally in 1987, one of the last attraction at the park, the Majestic Roller Rink closes for good.
The amusement park hanged on but by 1996, a developer bought it and then sold it in 1999 to another developer who wanted to convert the amusement park into condos so the community and its leaders raised 7.25 Million Dollars to save the amusement park and it saw a revivalism and the amusement park lives on today under that same name, Arnolds Park.
And as for the Majestic that was closed reopened as the Majestic Pavilion which is still operational.
The Interior.
The 1912 original we do not know but the 1919 was the main one and that one had pretty narrow small Maple wood floor for a rink. Early photos showed it was and still is free-standing interior and it had beautiful ornate decorative ceiling above. It had pendants lights hanging up and they had on one end of the rink a stage for a band. Windows were found on one side (in the photo, it would be left side) but also ceiling wall windows as well. Some of those trims were dark wood while Maple wood was lighter colored. Benches were set up on each side of the rink. It was pretty tight space to skate. One of the most beautiful interior ever seen. Very decorative design.
The main door was on other end. When you walk in, you see the far end was where the organ was upon the stage.
The newer version in the YouTube when the Majestic was closed, it showed floor seen its expiration yet beautiful. Part of the floor was warped according to this skate expert. The walls were White and the trims Blue. Still, beautiful.
Then long after the rink closed, it was redone in 2000s to become Majestic Pavilion. They added the new band stage by moving from the end to the back side where there were no windows. The walls became wainscoting panels. It was becoming more plain than the original but modern beauty. It became a concert hall and party center for wedding receptions, parties, and Christmas parties. The organ side of wall was walled off.
But according to Facebook when they had it redone in 2015, it is beautiful once again! New Maple floor once again! This time it was much lighter coating on the floor. New coats of pants. Slight Ash White walls with Dark Wood Stain trims. New section where the former organ location with very decorative look. Is that a bar? Yes it is a bar because of the photograph was taken exactly where the old Black-and-White photo of skaters skating and the organ was in the end wall. It retains beauty yet a new beauty refreshed for 2010s and beyond. The ceiling looks similar to of old. I love that old ceiling. The light pendants was replaced but closely to the original.
The Exterior.
The exterior in early photo was very standard late 19th Century/Early 20th Century Art Nouveau look. Very stylish and complex design. It is Gabled with Flat roof. There were wording painted large on the building including this different Amusement park name on-Bennets. The Majestic Rink sign way above was shown as well. The main door was actually close to the corner on front side with windows. Yes, there was a rule back then on the exterior wall saying, "Parcels checked". Meaning those skaters bringing in their skate boxes which were to be inspected. Very old rule still stands today anywhere else.
The Stats: (Majestic)
Rink Size: Appx 5,000 SF Floor: Maple (twice replaced). Floor Layout: LOG.
Building Size: 5,000+ SF Built: 1919 Demolished: Still standing! Heavily renovated.
Type of Building: Free Span Wood Pavilion Building.
Roof: Mixed- Gable with limited Flat.
Acres: N/A
Operated:
Original building: 1912 to 1919
The Majestic Skating Rink (main): 1919 to 1987.
The Majestic Pavilion: N/A to present.
Reason for Closure: Decline? No one knows why. Not even the museum experts can answer.
The pavilion is still operational.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates and why they closed!
Sources: Arnolds Park History website, Youtube, Facebook, Dickson County News,
Okoboji website, Arnolds Park homepage, KIWA Radio, Another Okoboji-(photos unable to load)
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.