"Back in the day" there was no more fun place to spend a Saturday night than at the local roller skating rink.  Many medium size towns and villages had these rinks, more than 50 across Upstate New York at one time.  Today, that number has decreased a bit, but the fun has not diminished at all.

This gallery looks at 17 top roller skating rinks across Upstate New York.  They can be found from the Hudson Valley through Central New York and out to Buffalo.  While the basics haven't changed since the baby Boomers first discovered roller skating in the 1950s ( I mj=ean, seriously, it is a large wooden floor and, well, you skate on it) but all the extras at the rink today are limited only by your imagination.

Today it is easy to find a roller rink that also offers (as you will see in this gallery) activities like laser tag, bounce houses, party rooms, game arcades, and so much more.

Today's roller rink has come a very long way from the rink of my day, as far as music is concerned.  In the 1950s, I attended a small roller rink in Delaware County in Upstate New York where we skated to the accompaniment of a real person playing an organ over the loud speakers!  Today's skating music is nothing if not -state-of-the-art with all the bells and whistles.

Take a look at this gallery, and if your favorite roller rink isn't on here please visit us on our Facebook page and give it a shout out!

These 17 Upstate New York Roller Skating Rinks Are As Popular As Ever!

I am here and happy to announce that roller skating is alive and well in Upstate New York. Where once "going to the rink" was a major source of fun on a Friday night (or Saturday) for Baby Boomers of all stripes, the idea of skating waned in the minds of newer generations who found the new "sexier" wonders of computer games and the internet. But skating rinks are back bigger than ever. This gallery takes a look at 17 fun rinks all across the broad spectrum of Upstate New York, from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo. And remember, if your favorite skating rink didn't make this list, please give us a shout out over on our Facebook page. We want to hear from you!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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