Did you know that October is National Roller Skating Month? It’s time to dust off your old roller skates or rollerblades and take a spin around the Twin Cities. A roller skating rink is a great place to spend an afternoon with the family or a big group of friends. Here you will find the best roller skating venues and skate parks in the area. This article was originally written several years ago by 10-year-old, Andy. While we have lost some of his favorite roller rinks over the years, we have been gaining skate parks. Skate parks tend to be geared to skateboards and BMX bikes, but they are often open to anyone on wheels.
3 Cool Twin Cities Indoor Roller Skating Rinks
While their popularity is not what it was in the 70s and 80s, roller rinks are still fun place for some family recreation all year round. These three indoor rinks are open year round for indoor public skating. They offer great music and arcade games and the quintessential roller rinks atmosphere.
201 S. River Ridge Circle, Burnsville, MN 55377
Phone: 952-890-0988
When: Public Skate Times – Monday nights, Wednesday nights, Friday nights & Weekends. Find the Current Schedule Here.
Ages: All ages. There are other adult skate times.
Cost: $7-$8/pp
Skate rental: $3.00.
Details: Andy went there for a b-day party, and LOVED IT! Sunday is a great day to bring the whole family, Fridays are more teen/tween. Live DJ on Tuesday nights.
3075 Coon Rapids Blvd, Coon Rapids, MN 55433
Phone: 763-427-8980
Best Times: Throwback Thursdays • 5pm-8pm; Family Fundays are Sundays from 1-4pm and 5-8pm.
Ages: All Ages. Adult skates are also offered.
Cost: $6.99 Admission to skate or bounce; $7.99/both.
Skate rental: $4.49-$5.49 – Quad Skates, Roller Blades & Light-Up Razor Scooters.
Details: Great for families because kids who aren’t ready to skate can choose to hang out in the bounce house area instead. Cheap Skate also offers skate lessons. We highly recommend signing up for their app, where you will get regular Kids Skate Free passes as part of the Kids Skate Free program. Look for tiny tot skates perfect for toddlers, preschoolers and young grade school kids learning to skate.
Save by Joining the Kids Skate Free Club.
For an small annual fee ($4.99 in 2024), kids receive weekly coupons to skate free on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings. Learn more here or sign up at the rink.
Skatin’ Place 3302 Southway Dr. St. Cloud MN 56301
Phone: 320-252-8123
Best Deal: Friday Night Unlimited Skate Night – Ongoing Fridays • 6-9:30pm
Ages: All ages, children under 12 need to be supervised by responsible person
Cost: $18.11 ($6.99-$8.49 during other skate times); Skate rental $4.00.
Save by Joining the Kids Skate Free Club.
For an small annual fee ($4.99 in 2024), kids receive weekly coupons to skate free on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings. Learn more here or sign up at the rink.
Details: Yes, St. Cloud is a bit of a drive, but if you plan to visit the area, this can be a nice family outing. Friday Night Unlimited Skate Night includes roller skating, unlimited pizza and pop (from 6-9pm), and laser tag.
Birthday Parties at Roller Rinks
Twin Cities Birthday Parties for Kids: Active Play & Sports
What’s better than a party? A party where kids get to have fun and get active! Here’s a guide to fun and sporty active birthday parties in the Twin Cities area. Pack some action into your birthday kid’s party! Swim, climb, tumble, skate – in other words, wear them out with tons of fun and
3 Indoor Skate Parks
While roller rinks are getting harder to find indoor skate parks, which were created for mostly for skateboards are beginning to open around the Twin Cities. Instead of a round skating floor, skaters have a bowl-shaped floor with obstacles. Bigger kids and teens, in particular, have a blast at these venues:
3rd Lair Skate Park
850 Florida Avenue S, Golden Valley, MN 55426
Phone: 763-797-5283
Cost: $15.00/session. Members: $5/session.
Details: Special Events throughout the year, including bike-only nights and Saturday Morning Sk8 camps. Small group lessons based on experience from brand new beginners to advanced. Saturday mornings have traditionally been reserved for beginners and those who like to go slow and stay low. Complimentary instruction is offered during this time as well.
Belle Creek Roller Rink
35294 County 8 Blvd, Goodhue, MN 55027
Phone: 651-380-7602
Cost: Open Skate $10.00
Details: While they refer to themselves as a roller rink, this space is built like a small indoor skate park. Open skate times allow roller skates, roller blades and tot toys on the floor.
Help Boardshop Skatepark and Skate Shop
7399 Bush Lake Rd Edina, MN 55439
Phone: 952-217-4228
Cost: $5.00/session. Members: FREE.
Details: An indoor skate board park with attached store. Look for Intro to Skateboarding courses. Three open sessions per day, Monday through Saturday.
Familia Headquarters
835 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: 612-379-3080
Cost: $15.00/session
Details: Daily open skate sessions.
Outdoor Skateparks
A growing number of park systems are adding outdoor skating facilities. These skate parks are free and open to the public and great exercise, too. Here are a few of our favorites:
Valley View Playfield, Bloomington
Shoreview Community Center, Shoreview Commons Park, Indoor Playground and Waterpark
Shakopee Community Center
Round Lake Park, Eden Prairie
Riverview Park, Coon Rapids
Prairie Park, Otsego
Plymouth Creek Park, Plymouth
Ojibway Park and Skate Park, Woodbury
North River Hills Park, Burnsville
New Hope Civic Center Park
Neill Park, Burnsville
Maple Grove Community Center
Elliot Park, Minneapolis
Crystal Community Center & Crystal Cove Aquatic Center
Central Park, Saint Anthony Village
Carpenter Park / Skippy Field, St. Louis Park
Burnsville Lions Skate Park
Burnsville Civic Center Park
Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center and Ice Arena
Brackett Field Park, Minneapolis
Bottineau Field Park, Minneapolis
Bde Maka Ska Park (f/k/a Lake Calhoun) and Beaches, Minneapolis
Augsburg Park, Richfield
3rd Lair SkatePark, Golden Valley
28th Street Totlot Park, Minneapolis
Where Did My Favorite Roller Rink Go?
Closures during the pandemic were hard on small businesses and roller rinks were not immune. We lost a couple of our favorites.
Wooddale Fun Zone – Permanently Closed
2122 Wooddale Dr, Woodbury
Unfortunately, Wooddale Fun Zone closed permanently in May of 2020.
Roller Garden – Closed Permanently
5622 West Lake Street, Saint Louis Park
We lost the Roller Garden in May of 2021.
Saints North Family Skate Center – Permanently Closed
1818 Gervais Court, Maplewood
We had hoped that Saints North would re-open in 2021, but it appears to have closed permanently.
Related Articles
- Looking for Ice Skating Rinks? Skate the Twin Cities: Where To Find Free Outdoor Ice Rinks.
- Find More Ways to Keep The Family Active Year Round on our Twin Cities Family Sports & Fitness Calendar
- Roller Derby with Kids
by Andy Kingston (at age 10)
and is updated as required
Awesome post! I’m always on the lookout for new roller skating spots in the Twin Cities, so this was super helpful. I’ll definitely be checking out some of these rinks and skate parks soon. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. Come back to tell us about your favorites.
Don’t forget about Twin Cities Skaters. We do events all around town, we bring the rink and rental skates to you. We also do lessons and performances. No website yet, but we have Instagram and Facebook: Twin Cities Skaters
#comerollwithus #makeamericaskateagain
Thanks for the heads up, James. We’ve added links to your social media pages to the article. Please submit any FREE, Family-friendly events to our calendar.
Andy, thank you for sharing the information! Roller skating is a practical kind of aerobic exercise ideal for children. The open skating facilities in twin places mentioned are a terrific area for children of all ages to practice and have fun. Skating, I feel, can improve mood and possibly alleviate symptoms of anxiety and despair.
Agreed! Roller skating is a great mood lifter.
Wrong video for Saint’s North. That’s Skatedaze in Omaha, NE.
Hey Bud. The video that you are referring to is not a video for any particular skating rink. It is a montage made by our 10-year-old contributor. If you watch the video, you’ll see that photos are correctly identified either in the photo itself or with a caption.