Where can you find information about the Riverview roller rink?

Answer 1

Riverview roller rink

• My friends and I skated there every Friday night, then went straight into the "Park" and went on rides until closing time, around midnight. Then we walked about two miles home up Clybourne Ave to the Projects where we lived. You could do that then.

• My father worked as a guard at Riverview in the 60's until when it burned down. I have photos of the fire. I remember as a kid seeing the smoke from Horner Park while playing little league. We thought WGN was burning. After we drove to fire it turned out to be the rink. If there is interest leave a post. I'll send the pictures to the Hub web page. I also found some photos of the inside of the rink in my father's collection. Maybe they will put them on their web site. They do keep track of the yearly Hob, Axle Riverview reunion.

• I grew up skating at Riverview every Thursday, Friday, Sat and Sunday night and every Sat. Sunday matinee. I knew Bill Rebel, Tim Buckwinkler and many others - Theresa and Cheryl (the twins)...anyone from the rink interested in communicating please let me know. I also have pictures of the fire courtesy of Tim Buckwinkler. Unfortunately I never had the chance to attend any of the reunions Tim ran - wish I had.

• Yeah, I remember Riverview Roller Rink! I spent some of the best Fri and Sat nites of my life there in the late 60's. I remember the twins, Spanky, Bruce and Chick. I hung around with Judy, Kim and Isabelle. I believe Judy and Bruce got married after high school. Russ was the best organist EVER. I just loved listening to him play. Several years ago I had been in touch with his daughter.She was living in California. Unfortunately, we somehow lost touch and I haven't been able to find her again. She has tapes of her dad's playing his wonderful music.

• There is a video tape available that has about 10 minutes of silent home film of the roller rink. It shows the outside of the rink, footage of people skating on the inside and of the fire.

I found it in my dad's collection along with some audo tapes labeled Russ Young. I assume it is recordings of him playing. I believe it is put out by Chuck Wlodarczyk. My copy is on beta. Maybe they have added more footage on the current version that is listed at 2 hours.

• My girlfriends Nancy and Pam and myself used to skate the matinee's on Saturday and Sunday. Following on Sunday'a we were so called teachers that for an hour had four to six people in our group. We would teach dance steps. Such as the Fox Trot...Waltz...Romp and many more. There were many teacher's and you really thought that you were something else if you passed the test to become one. I remember you were something special if you were asked to skate by any one of the guards. There was also a rivalry between Riv and the Hub.

• I started skating riverview since i was 4 years old, to the day it was burnt down. I started as a pain in the back side to the floor guards, so they all got tired of sitting on the bench. So they adopted me as my little brother. I skated there probly 5 times a week. I worked in the court room, skate room, the baby rink as a floor guard, then finally the big floor. By this time we were all family. Guys like Tim Buckwinkler, Mike Buckles, Al Rebel, Jody, Gary, Don, Steve, and many more. I new everybody at riverview. 33 years later, I can still walk to the bottom of the bridge, walk in the front door, know exactly where to pay to get in,walk down the isle around the organ pass the first aid room add back to the guards room.

• There is a site that lists the parts of the Riverview organ parts that were integrated into a Wurlitzer in Mesa, Arizona. At least part of the rink lives on in sound.