Courtesy of Puget Sound Pipeline. This was taken in 1960s. The appearance of film is quite eerie because the photograph looks very recently although this was over 55 years ago! Ah, miss those parking meters! They don't always have those around anymore!
Viking Roller Rink, 1218 Commercial Street, Astoria, OR
This rink was once a theater, Astoria Theater which was built prior to 1922 which later was burned down in 1922. They rebuilt it and then renamed as Viking Theater. It was a movie theater. Then later, it became a roller rink.
The 1922 Great Fire burned down many establishments in that area including the theater, bank, stores, businesses. But they rebuilt it and in 1925, they placed 2/4 Wurlitzer (opus #1059) Organ but in mid-1930s, the theater went out of business and they moved the organ to another theater, Liberty Theater which was cross the street. The theater itself became a bank in that decade. The organs then was sold for 250 Dollars in the late 1940s and it was installed for another rink called, Blue-C Roller Rink.
The pipes from the Wurlitzer became part of the modified Hammond and later, an Allen console. Then in 1956, Bill, the owner of the organs went back to his Indiana where he came from and brought the organ with him. But two years later, in 1958 he returned to Astoria with the organ and installed it for a short time in the Viking Rink along with a 3/9 Marr & Colton he had purchansed while in Indiana.
Later, in 1960, Bill acquired the large 5/24 Marr & Colton from the Rochester Theatre, Rochester, New York. This instrument was installed at the Viking Rink and the Style B Wurlitzer was sold in 1961 to Laurel Ruby of Corvallis, Oregon. All this from Puget Sound Pipeline website. The Wurlitzer is in private hands since 1999.
What a travel for all those organs connecting to those rinks!
Now, the theater was converted into a rink. Owner Bill Blunk installed the organ and it was a rink around 1940s to 1964 when the building was sold and so on May 17, 1964, a final concert and skate was held. The rink building which was a Gable building as seen in photo. After it was sold, it was torn down and became a two story bank which remains where it is to this day as you can see on Google Map.
I do not have any interior. Only one exterior with the rink, not the theater. Although there was theater. Apparently the building must have been torn down before it became the rink. On that location, it was movie theater first, then burned, then rebuilt as theater, then bank, then rink, then torn down then became bank again. Will it become a rink again if this cycle happens? Haha. One can dream.
In the photo, its funny, the rink was shadowed by a larger two story bank! So, it was a competition of sort after the rink building was sold. Now that new bank is much bigger! Still two stories.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A. Sold in 1964, demolished, now a major bank branch.
Roof: Gable
Operated: 1940s to May 17, 1964
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding More photos of the rink itself both interior and exterior. Why sold?
Sources: PS-Pipeline on Astoria/Viking Theatre, PS-Pipeline on Viking Roller Rink, Astoria Fire of 1922, Cinemas Treasure,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
This rink was once a theater, Astoria Theater which was built prior to 1922 which later was burned down in 1922. They rebuilt it and then renamed as Viking Theater. It was a movie theater. Then later, it became a roller rink.
The 1922 Great Fire burned down many establishments in that area including the theater, bank, stores, businesses. But they rebuilt it and in 1925, they placed 2/4 Wurlitzer (opus #1059) Organ but in mid-1930s, the theater went out of business and they moved the organ to another theater, Liberty Theater which was cross the street. The theater itself became a bank in that decade. The organs then was sold for 250 Dollars in the late 1940s and it was installed for another rink called, Blue-C Roller Rink.
The pipes from the Wurlitzer became part of the modified Hammond and later, an Allen console. Then in 1956, Bill, the owner of the organs went back to his Indiana where he came from and brought the organ with him. But two years later, in 1958 he returned to Astoria with the organ and installed it for a short time in the Viking Rink along with a 3/9 Marr & Colton he had purchansed while in Indiana.
Later, in 1960, Bill acquired the large 5/24 Marr & Colton from the Rochester Theatre, Rochester, New York. This instrument was installed at the Viking Rink and the Style B Wurlitzer was sold in 1961 to Laurel Ruby of Corvallis, Oregon. All this from Puget Sound Pipeline website. The Wurlitzer is in private hands since 1999.
What a travel for all those organs connecting to those rinks!
Now, the theater was converted into a rink. Owner Bill Blunk installed the organ and it was a rink around 1940s to 1964 when the building was sold and so on May 17, 1964, a final concert and skate was held. The rink building which was a Gable building as seen in photo. After it was sold, it was torn down and became a two story bank which remains where it is to this day as you can see on Google Map.
I do not have any interior. Only one exterior with the rink, not the theater. Although there was theater. Apparently the building must have been torn down before it became the rink. On that location, it was movie theater first, then burned, then rebuilt as theater, then bank, then rink, then torn down then became bank again. Will it become a rink again if this cycle happens? Haha. One can dream.
In the photo, its funny, the rink was shadowed by a larger two story bank! So, it was a competition of sort after the rink building was sold. Now that new bank is much bigger! Still two stories.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A. Sold in 1964, demolished, now a major bank branch.
Roof: Gable
Operated: 1940s to May 17, 1964
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding More photos of the rink itself both interior and exterior. Why sold?
Sources: PS-Pipeline on Astoria/Viking Theatre, PS-Pipeline on Viking Roller Rink, Astoria Fire of 1922, Cinemas Treasure,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.