Then and Now: Tiffany's Skate Inn

Jesse Tinsley, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·2 min read

Jan. 21—Businessman Richard F. Robertson of Kirkland, Washington, built Tiffany's Skate Inn, a $700,000 roller-skating rink at 708 W. Boone Ave. that opened in 1968, offering the Lilac City another entertainment option. It was named for Robertson's baby daughter. The 30,000-square-foot center had a 100-by-200-foot maple skating floor, a snack bar, pro shop and stage with theatrical lighting and dressing rooms. The managers were Jerry and Joan Peltier, certified skating instructors from the Seattle area.

The new center was a hit, attracting people from around the region. The center brought teams from other skating rinks for races and other competitions.

The typical week had private parties on Mondays and Tuesdays, open skating on Wednesdays and Thursdays, then Friday and Saturday night dances for adults and high-schoolers over the 10th grade. Daytime hours on Saturdays and Sundays were filled with lessons and two-hour blocks of open skating.

The center also advertised when popular singers and groups would appear, usually on Friday or Saturday nights. Singer Merrilee Rush sang her 1968 hit "Angel of the Morning" there in 1969. Same with the Box Tops, who had a string of Top 40 hits through the 1960s, including "The Letter."

Spokane passed an ordinance to try and ban outdoor rock concerts and amplified music in city parks in reaction to the massive Woodstock festival in New York in 1969. The newspaper said city authorities were worried about the lewdness, excessive noise and drug used that could accompany "hip type" events. After the ordinance, the local Jaycees moved dances from Shadle Park to the center.

Tiffany's roller center was held up as an example of clean, orderly recreation. After a March of Dimes Telerama fundraiser there brought in almost $2,300, the local March of Dimes director wrote, "We like the strict discipline maintained at the Skate Inn and appreciate the 'no foolishness' rules of your establishment."

Ownership passed to a partnership that included Dennis A. King, who also built a skating center in Puyallup, Washington. The Spokane group sold the business to the Peltiers in 1973, but the bank foreclosed in 1975 and the place was shut down.

Thrift store giant Value Village opened a large store there in 1975. A Social Security Administration office filled part of the property.

The Spokane Public Facilities District, which operates the Spokane Arena, ONE Spokane Stadium, the Podium sports complex and other properties, bought the venerable thrift store in 2022 to provide additional parking for patrons of downtown venues. The building was torn down last year.