Exact location of the former Pla-Mor Roller Rink and Dance Hall. The front door is likely where the garage door on the right side of the building. It is currently lofts apartments. What is sadder is that they do not have exposed brick interior!
Pla-Mor Roller Rink, 132 South Dakota Street, Sioux Falls, SD
Pla-Mor Roller Rink, 132 South Dakota Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This rarely heard rink was in Sioux Falls opening on July 27, 1943, in the Brooks Building at the northeast corner of 10th and Dakota. The short lived rink was in a different building than what you see on Map Google now. It was located on one of the upper floors, not ground floor. It was located cross the street from the Library.
The building was an old brick building and originally the entrance was on the 10th Street which is also known as I-229B. The main doors were facing the library which is still standing.
It appeared the building was demolished and rebuilt according to visual evaluation from my own understanding. it is currently a loft apartment building. I love brick lofts interior but funny thing is that those lofts have plain boring walls, not bricks. I love exposed bricks.
The current building address is as 132 South Dakota but the rink entrance was on 10th Street so it may have had an address for that but I do not have that proof but using present address for your stake to view on the map where that place is.
It had beautiful Maple Hardwood floor that Fred W. Bang, the owner/operator put in on upper floors. If that was the same building as you see in photo above, then it would be one of those upper two floors. It had early night club lighting and RCA sound system with Hammond organ installed there for skaters to hear music.
It was not just a roller rink but a night club as well. Dancing the night way with music and bands as well. It was funny that on the rink's opening night, they had stiff competition from Louis Armstrong and his orchestra playing at the everlasting popular 20th Century club called Arkota Ballroom at the same time. By the way, that club is still operational.
Unfortunately, Pla-Mor did not dent Arkota or any clubs (night clubs or big band ballrooms) in the area.
I do not know the original size of the rink but Fred Bang had to add 1,500 Square Feet to the floor because of popularity of dancing and skating in that building. Fred expanded just months in the same year! It was November he expanded after opening in July! 4 months! Clearly Fred (and the owners of Arkota too) had to expand the floors because of increased popularity during War time and post-war eras.
But in February 1944, once again the rink was expanded again by adding 750 square feet to make more room and the amount of the floor was 5,000 Square Feet. Feet X Feet is unknown though. If it was 85 feet wide, then it would be 59 feet long. Small but still big by their standards at the time. They had to add 108 more skate rentals pairs to their stock of rentals that month as well. More Hammond Organ music selections were added as well. Quite smart to start small and expand little by little to bring risk to a minimal. New skate operators, listen up, please re-read this again for your business plan.
Not only that, because of World War II, there was a new Air base established near Sioux Falls that solders and their wives or girlfriends would come to dance or skate. Also it was needed for War-effort factory workers.
In fact because of soldiers were young men, and the bunch of Rosies from factories were there, the ad which really interests me. The ads from Pla-Mor pitched a very modern gimmick-hundreds of charming girls would be skating there. It worked.
On Dec. 31, 1944, the Argus Leader had articles that the Pla-Mor was designated for black soldiers based there for the duration of War and the rink was leased for war times. Due to the racist purposes at the time, which was unusual for South Dakota, not the Deep South/Bible Belt, it was organized by USO, and not endorsed by the City of Sioux Falls. Before the base was stationed there, the diversity was equal in that city. This is coming from the article in Argus Leader.
This is what Argus Leader writer has to say that it was quite interesting:
"The rink’s hours of operation were expanded to 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to attract swing shift workers – employees whose hours were from afternoon to midnight. Bang’s ad said, “No matter when you work, you still have time to skate!” He also increased the musical selection to include less traditional music in the ASCAP library like boogie-woogies from Tommy Dorsey. Skating games played included ensemble skates, bell-trios, gentlemen’s tag, topsy-turvy trios and couples waltzes, among others."
He made it more flexible for workers who worked second shift or later shifts. Remember those days unions were young and the hours were quite long.
This place was quite active with many different activities at Pla-Mor. But after the war, it really changed the American landscape. The returning of GIs, new suburbans, Leviitown-type of developments, and changing lifestyle. Pla-Mor was in center of the city. So, by October 1945, the lease lapsed and the business was sold to became Smitty’s Pla-Mor Club, a dining and dancing establishment open to members only on the first floor. The second floor was not really opened at all and the vibe was not the same because Smitty's had only open for membership only, a private club. So, a year later, it went belly up for good.
I do not have any old or antiqued photos of the place. Unfortunately.
Rink Size: Original: 2,750, added 1,500 SF to 4,250 then add 750 to tops at 5,000 SF.
Floor: Non-painted, Maple Floor Layout: N/A Made for dancing and roller skating.
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Multistory. 4,250 Renovated: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Multistory brick building.
Roof: Flat
Operated: (overall) -- 27 July 1943 to October 1946.
Pla-Mor: July 27, 1943 to October 1945.
Smitty's Pla-More Club and Restaurant: October 1945 to October 1946.
Reason for Closure: Lease lapsed for Pla-Mor, Sold to new operator for Smitty's, private club hurt second floor business and then closed entirely a year later.
Wanted: Information regarding photographs of the building and interior as well. exact date sold and closed.
Sources: Argus Leader
Google Map,
Date of issue: 2019 Updated: 09 December 2021.
For office only: 1.
© Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 16.
The building was an old brick building and originally the entrance was on the 10th Street which is also known as I-229B. The main doors were facing the library which is still standing.
It appeared the building was demolished and rebuilt according to visual evaluation from my own understanding. it is currently a loft apartment building. I love brick lofts interior but funny thing is that those lofts have plain boring walls, not bricks. I love exposed bricks.
The current building address is as 132 South Dakota but the rink entrance was on 10th Street so it may have had an address for that but I do not have that proof but using present address for your stake to view on the map where that place is.
It had beautiful Maple Hardwood floor that Fred W. Bang, the owner/operator put in on upper floors. If that was the same building as you see in photo above, then it would be one of those upper two floors. It had early night club lighting and RCA sound system with Hammond organ installed there for skaters to hear music.
It was not just a roller rink but a night club as well. Dancing the night way with music and bands as well. It was funny that on the rink's opening night, they had stiff competition from Louis Armstrong and his orchestra playing at the everlasting popular 20th Century club called Arkota Ballroom at the same time. By the way, that club is still operational.
Unfortunately, Pla-Mor did not dent Arkota or any clubs (night clubs or big band ballrooms) in the area.
I do not know the original size of the rink but Fred Bang had to add 1,500 Square Feet to the floor because of popularity of dancing and skating in that building. Fred expanded just months in the same year! It was November he expanded after opening in July! 4 months! Clearly Fred (and the owners of Arkota too) had to expand the floors because of increased popularity during War time and post-war eras.
But in February 1944, once again the rink was expanded again by adding 750 square feet to make more room and the amount of the floor was 5,000 Square Feet. Feet X Feet is unknown though. If it was 85 feet wide, then it would be 59 feet long. Small but still big by their standards at the time. They had to add 108 more skate rentals pairs to their stock of rentals that month as well. More Hammond Organ music selections were added as well. Quite smart to start small and expand little by little to bring risk to a minimal. New skate operators, listen up, please re-read this again for your business plan.
Not only that, because of World War II, there was a new Air base established near Sioux Falls that solders and their wives or girlfriends would come to dance or skate. Also it was needed for War-effort factory workers.
In fact because of soldiers were young men, and the bunch of Rosies from factories were there, the ad which really interests me. The ads from Pla-Mor pitched a very modern gimmick-hundreds of charming girls would be skating there. It worked.
On Dec. 31, 1944, the Argus Leader had articles that the Pla-Mor was designated for black soldiers based there for the duration of War and the rink was leased for war times. Due to the racist purposes at the time, which was unusual for South Dakota, not the Deep South/Bible Belt, it was organized by USO, and not endorsed by the City of Sioux Falls. Before the base was stationed there, the diversity was equal in that city. This is coming from the article in Argus Leader.
This is what Argus Leader writer has to say that it was quite interesting:
"The rink’s hours of operation were expanded to 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to attract swing shift workers – employees whose hours were from afternoon to midnight. Bang’s ad said, “No matter when you work, you still have time to skate!” He also increased the musical selection to include less traditional music in the ASCAP library like boogie-woogies from Tommy Dorsey. Skating games played included ensemble skates, bell-trios, gentlemen’s tag, topsy-turvy trios and couples waltzes, among others."
He made it more flexible for workers who worked second shift or later shifts. Remember those days unions were young and the hours were quite long.
This place was quite active with many different activities at Pla-Mor. But after the war, it really changed the American landscape. The returning of GIs, new suburbans, Leviitown-type of developments, and changing lifestyle. Pla-Mor was in center of the city. So, by October 1945, the lease lapsed and the business was sold to became Smitty’s Pla-Mor Club, a dining and dancing establishment open to members only on the first floor. The second floor was not really opened at all and the vibe was not the same because Smitty's had only open for membership only, a private club. So, a year later, it went belly up for good.
I do not have any old or antiqued photos of the place. Unfortunately.
Rink Size: Original: 2,750, added 1,500 SF to 4,250 then add 750 to tops at 5,000 SF.
Floor: Non-painted, Maple Floor Layout: N/A Made for dancing and roller skating.
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Multistory. 4,250 Renovated: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Multistory brick building.
Roof: Flat
Operated: (overall) -- 27 July 1943 to October 1946.
Pla-Mor: July 27, 1943 to October 1945.
Smitty's Pla-More Club and Restaurant: October 1945 to October 1946.
Reason for Closure: Lease lapsed for Pla-Mor, Sold to new operator for Smitty's, private club hurt second floor business and then closed entirely a year later.
Wanted: Information regarding photographs of the building and interior as well. exact date sold and closed.
Sources: Argus Leader
Google Map,
Date of issue: 2019 Updated: 09 December 2021.
For office only: 1.
© Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 16.