Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Both mascot/logo. The Pied Piper and the female, Betty Piper.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. The 1950s photograph of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. This is a better view of how it really looked. It was a T-shaped structure. When looking at the blueprints, it was a T-shaped.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Old 1970s photograph of The Pied Piper of Hamlin. Even original logo of the piper.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Taken in the 1970s when it was The Pied Piper of Hamlin.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. As most recent, The Pied Piper Skatery. Now closed. I like this version of the piper because it does look more lively and really to charge like a Deer mascot was changed to make it look more like it was charging. Yes, did you know that they changed the Deere Deer? Yeah, no, you did not have a Mandela Effect. Anyway, this piper has roller skates on while the original was just standing and had no skates.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. At night. They added more lights and more effects.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. See the before and the after. Yes, even the before the shutters were removed and you can see how the sun bleached on the wood. The after looked like new wood. That is because they sanded it down and restained.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Yeah, quite an odd to see that wall cutting off the rest of the small space. And yeah, the piano was left there. Remember those days dances and old roller skating days in pre-disco era were organ and piano music.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. My, my, see how narrow the door to the bathroom was? They said it was 2 feet wide! That was so narrow. And the bookcase there. Bookcase? For what? Was it for skate rentals?
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. You see the front door in the background? Yes, it was. It became snack bar and eat area while you had to put on skates up there and walk the steps down to the rink. Yikes! 3 steps! I would not even survive that and would not be able to get a T-shirt that says, "The Pied Piper Skatery. I survived the stairs!" Yes, they had those T-shirts.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Now you see the bathroom door? More normal and they took out the bookcase. Carpeted floor and dinettes for eating area. I believe the snackbar was behind the photographer.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Bathroom is to the right, eating area, lockers and the open door frame on the left was where you can go down to take the stairs, yes, stairs down to the rink floor!
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. Yes, this is the stairs going down to the rink is what I was talking about. Back wall you saw was perhaps the stage where the band used to play. Looked awfully small for a big band to play back the day in 1935.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. The before and after. The After looked better because its brighter and gives you good mood there rather than dark depressive and yes, dinky ceiling and black mold on the bottom logs you can see in the photo. The photo belowed showed the same spot but panned toward right. They must have turned on the wall mount TV showing orange background on. That covered up the windows. Again brightness.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. An evening session with nice colors.
Courtesy of The Pied Piper Skatery. All four T-shirts. The two T-shirts on the left are the Skatery's logo. The top right is the original The Pied Piper of Hamlin. Bottom right is the I survived the Stairs, see photo number 11 to see why. Andy why I said I would be scared of trying to walk the steps down on skates. (Answer is to walk on skates sideways with front toes facing the wall one, step at a time and hang on to the rail!)
The March Inn Dance Pavilion 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
The Pied Piper of Hamlin 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
The Rustic Ballroom 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
Pied Piper Skatery 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
The Pied Piper of Hamlin 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
The Rustic Ballroom 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
Pied Piper Skatery 4454 M-75, Walloon Lake, MI
In the beginning, it was The March Inn Dance Pavilion, then Pied Piper of Hamlin and later, Pied Piper Skatery were held at a beautiful real log cabin building on 4454 M-75 in Walloon Lake, Michigan. Those logs as I read were actually from trees in the same area! A local forestry and they built it. This is the second log cabin building I have worked on that was a rink in a week! What are the chances!? Were there more log cabin lodge as a rink? Possible!
This is word for word from The Rustic Ballroom Facebook page. They clearly explains everything I wanted to explain. One thing to note, I attempted to find that Facebook page, it was no where to be found. Good thing the Pied Piper Skatery found that and added this. So here you go and read it. Slightly modified for this site.
In 1935, Ray and Addie March built this log ballroom and christened it The March Inn Dance Pavilion. The building was constructed of logs harvested from the Walloon Lake area and the 50 foot long clear span logs used for the roof trusses were transported by truck through downtown Petoskey from the virgin pine forest of Indian River to the Village of Walloon Lake. The March Inn was billed as "the finest floor in the largest rustic building in Northern Michigan". As with many Big Band Era ballrooms, The March Inn doubled as an indoor roller skating rink. As the sounds of the swing movement faded, the dancers left the floor to the sole use of the roller skaters.
In 1956, ownership was transferred to Marcelyn & Harold Hamlin, daughter and son-in-law of Ray and Addie March. They renamed the ballroom The Pied Piper of Hamlin and operated it as a skating rink until 1991, hosting an occasional Disco Dance during the 1980's. Many local residents have happy memories of dancing at The March Inn and roller skating at The Pied Piper.
Reopened in June, 2007, The Rustic Ballroom was the home of the Up North Big Band and the Saturday Nite Dance Series. The Rustic Ballroom closed its doors in 2010.
In 2011, it was purchased by Angie and Jeff Marshall. The Pied Piper Skatery was purchased on December 2nd, 2011 by Angie and Jeff Marshall. A lot has been changed with the building and a lot will need to be fixed so that it can re-open. It is projected to re-open in 2014.
The Pied Piper Skatery was purchased on December 2nd, 2011 by Angie and Jeff Marshall. A lot has been changed with the building and a lot will need to be fixed so that it can re-open. It is projected to re-open in 2014.
They did open up around 2014 but they closed for good once again on November 11, 2017 at 10 PM. That was Singles Day.
The Interior.
True log cabin feel. It is originally a ballroom and roller rink. Real small rink. It has pine logs that you can see inside and the floor originally pine parquet because entire place was pine made locally from a forest in the immediate area. The renovation totally modernize the place by adding ceiling panels in the eating area, admission, etc. But kept original open ceiling with true log trusses above.
The 2014 renovation had it more colorful but had Sand Tan colored tables and benches dinettes to closely match to the logs. I believe they had second floor but for something. Since I was never there but they had stairs for skaters. The reason I said that because of the T-shirts saying, "I survived the stairs" Walking up and down the stairs on skates? Oh man! NO no noooo. Dangerous!
The Exterior.
This was an actual log cabin with local Michigan Pine cut in the local area by the cabin. 50 feet long to make as truss. It was cut, logged, and, shaved, and set up on site. Very much Colonialism built (thicker concrete between logs) or round logs, not cut like modern log homes built. This is actual log cabin built. Designed for the dancing hall and roller rink. It has two stories.
Original color may have been Forest Green trims but the 2014 edition of the renovation, they replaced windows and frames and shutters and painted Industrial Light Blue. Sort of that color. They had logo changes on front and the latest was being The Pied Piper Skatery.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: (original) Michigan Pine, (Newer) Maple.
Floor Layout: Original- Parquet, newer (2014)- Straight
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1935. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Log Post Truss Barn-like Log-Cabin Building.
Roof: Gambrel (Barn like)
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A.
The March Inn Dance Pavilion: 1935 to 1956.
The Pied Piper of Hamlin: 1956 to 1991.
Gone fishing between 1991 and June 2007.
The Rustic Ballroom: June 2007 to 2010.
Gone Fishing again between 2010 and 2014.
Pied Piper Skatery: Friday September 9, 2014 to November 11, 2017 at 10 PM.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
The March Inn Dance Pavilion: N/A.
The Pied Piper of Hamlin: N/A.
The Rustic Ballroom: N/A.
Pied Piper Skatery: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Facebook - The Rustic Ballroom (no link found); Facebook - The Pied Piper Skatery;
Northern Express - Article about rinks;
Date of issue: 1 April 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
This is word for word from The Rustic Ballroom Facebook page. They clearly explains everything I wanted to explain. One thing to note, I attempted to find that Facebook page, it was no where to be found. Good thing the Pied Piper Skatery found that and added this. So here you go and read it. Slightly modified for this site.
In 1935, Ray and Addie March built this log ballroom and christened it The March Inn Dance Pavilion. The building was constructed of logs harvested from the Walloon Lake area and the 50 foot long clear span logs used for the roof trusses were transported by truck through downtown Petoskey from the virgin pine forest of Indian River to the Village of Walloon Lake. The March Inn was billed as "the finest floor in the largest rustic building in Northern Michigan". As with many Big Band Era ballrooms, The March Inn doubled as an indoor roller skating rink. As the sounds of the swing movement faded, the dancers left the floor to the sole use of the roller skaters.
In 1956, ownership was transferred to Marcelyn & Harold Hamlin, daughter and son-in-law of Ray and Addie March. They renamed the ballroom The Pied Piper of Hamlin and operated it as a skating rink until 1991, hosting an occasional Disco Dance during the 1980's. Many local residents have happy memories of dancing at The March Inn and roller skating at The Pied Piper.
Reopened in June, 2007, The Rustic Ballroom was the home of the Up North Big Band and the Saturday Nite Dance Series. The Rustic Ballroom closed its doors in 2010.
In 2011, it was purchased by Angie and Jeff Marshall. The Pied Piper Skatery was purchased on December 2nd, 2011 by Angie and Jeff Marshall. A lot has been changed with the building and a lot will need to be fixed so that it can re-open. It is projected to re-open in 2014.
The Pied Piper Skatery was purchased on December 2nd, 2011 by Angie and Jeff Marshall. A lot has been changed with the building and a lot will need to be fixed so that it can re-open. It is projected to re-open in 2014.
They did open up around 2014 but they closed for good once again on November 11, 2017 at 10 PM. That was Singles Day.
The Interior.
True log cabin feel. It is originally a ballroom and roller rink. Real small rink. It has pine logs that you can see inside and the floor originally pine parquet because entire place was pine made locally from a forest in the immediate area. The renovation totally modernize the place by adding ceiling panels in the eating area, admission, etc. But kept original open ceiling with true log trusses above.
The 2014 renovation had it more colorful but had Sand Tan colored tables and benches dinettes to closely match to the logs. I believe they had second floor but for something. Since I was never there but they had stairs for skaters. The reason I said that because of the T-shirts saying, "I survived the stairs" Walking up and down the stairs on skates? Oh man! NO no noooo. Dangerous!
The Exterior.
This was an actual log cabin with local Michigan Pine cut in the local area by the cabin. 50 feet long to make as truss. It was cut, logged, and, shaved, and set up on site. Very much Colonialism built (thicker concrete between logs) or round logs, not cut like modern log homes built. This is actual log cabin built. Designed for the dancing hall and roller rink. It has two stories.
Original color may have been Forest Green trims but the 2014 edition of the renovation, they replaced windows and frames and shutters and painted Industrial Light Blue. Sort of that color. They had logo changes on front and the latest was being The Pied Piper Skatery.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: (original) Michigan Pine, (Newer) Maple.
Floor Layout: Original- Parquet, newer (2014)- Straight
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1935. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Log Post Truss Barn-like Log-Cabin Building.
Roof: Gambrel (Barn like)
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A.
The March Inn Dance Pavilion: 1935 to 1956.
The Pied Piper of Hamlin: 1956 to 1991.
Gone fishing between 1991 and June 2007.
The Rustic Ballroom: June 2007 to 2010.
Gone Fishing again between 2010 and 2014.
Pied Piper Skatery: Friday September 9, 2014 to November 11, 2017 at 10 PM.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
The March Inn Dance Pavilion: N/A.
The Pied Piper of Hamlin: N/A.
The Rustic Ballroom: N/A.
Pied Piper Skatery: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Facebook - The Rustic Ballroom (no link found); Facebook - The Pied Piper Skatery;
Northern Express - Article about rinks;
Date of issue: 1 April 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.