Rockefeller Center and Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace to Bring Roller Skating to Iconic Rink
TICKET INFORMATION
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace at The Rink at Rockefeller Center tickets start at $20 USD for adults and $12 for children under 15, not including skate rentals, and are available beginning Tuesday, March 15 at flippers.world.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday — 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Thursday, Friday — 10:00 am to 12:00 am
Saturday — 8:00 am to 12:00 am
Sunday — 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
New York, NY (March 15, 2022) – Tishman Speyer and Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace announced today that a new roller skating rink will open at The Rink at Rockefeller Center on April 15, 2022. This latest element of Rockefeller Center’s campus-wide redevelopment is a revival of the Los Angeles-based roller rink and legendary cultural hotspot of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s run by Ian “Flipper” Ross. It is being revived this year by his daughter Liberty Ross, in partnership with an impressive roster of collaborators. Flipper’s will operate at Rockefeller Center through October.
The introduction of the new roller skating rink coincides with a reopening of The Rink Level following extensive work to restore it to the vision of the original architects. The Rink Level will now serve as a grand entrance from the Plaza and Channel Gardens, allowing circulation through the entire Center on both street and Rink Level. Glass doors encircle The Rink, restoring the ability to easily walk in and out and view the skaters in the Plaza, while flooding the indoor Rink Level with light and air. The sunken plaza will transform into a gathering space with tables, chairs, and green spaces that allow the public to flow into Rockefeller Center’s shops and restaurants. Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace will be smaller than the traditional ice rink, allowing room for the public to watch the skaters and sunken plaza activity from a few feet away, in addition to the view from above via the Esplanades and Plaza on the upper level.
The completion of this architectural transformation is timed to welcome Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace in April as a warm weather counterpart to the traditional ice rink that has operated since 1936. This is the first time since a short season in 1940 that the Rockefeller Center rink will feature roller skating in the warmer months.
“Roller skating at Rockefeller Center will be a quintessentially New York moment,” said Rob Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer. “We are thrilled to welcome Flipper’s as a partner in transforming the Rink Level at the Center, and can’t wait to see everyone out there.”
“Our goal is to build world-class spaces where everyone is welcome; spaces where connection and self-expression roll free, without judgment or prejudice,” explains Liberty Ross, Co-Founder, Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace. “It’s my hope to support the amazing roller skating community and the future of the sport, while welcoming the curious to the freedom and fun that is roller skating. Flipper’s is—and always has been—a place for individuality, experimentation, joy and respect.”
Originally opened by Ross’ father, the legendary Ian ‘Flipper’ Ross in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, the family-owned roller rink was, for just three years, a mecca of uninhibited fun, where a generation of eccentrics and outsiders gathered to experience roller skating. Fast-forward to 2022: Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace returns with the mission of uniting people through the joy of roller skating. The new venture comes from Liberty Ross, Co-Founder and Creative Director, and Kevin Wall, Co-Founder and Chairman, in partnership with Usher, and encompasses the world of roller skating, with roller rinks, lessons, community events, performances, merchandise, and apparel, alongside social content that spotlights the talented, diverse rolling skating community, stateside and beyond.
The Rink Level is now once again a truly open area, easier to navigate and home to new places to gather, walk, shop, dine, and enjoy the beauty of this living landmark. Through a newly installed glass perimeter, light, music, laughter, and the energy of New York City enters from all sides via a direct open-air connection to The Rink. INC Architecture and Design have seamlessly drawn from the iconic textures, shapes, materials, and motifs of the Center, and even preserved extraordinary historical features, including skylights discovered during the renovation, original columns, and other decades-old building blocks.