Decaying Olympic-Sized Ice Skating Arena Is Sure To Make You Nostalgic
Most people fall victim to nostalgia from time to time, and it can be an incredibly powerful emotion. Nostalgia can easily take something that in reality might be decayed or out-of-date and turn it into a reminder of a happier, better time from the past.
We’ve all been there, whether it’s driving through the streets of our hometown, or going to a location that we once went to in our childhood. Some places hold treasured spots in our hearts and memories, and it can be strange to see them years later.
Nostalgia reminds us that this long-abandoned ice rink in Berkeley, California was once an amazing space filled with fun and happiness. One reason it’s such an incredible space is because it’s the size of an Olympic ice rink.
Check out the images below that were captured at the Berkeley Iceland rink, and make sure to watch the incredible footage on “Seeker Stories” YouTube channel that’s linked to at the end. This story will give you a serious case of the feels.
In 1940, the rink officially opened. Throughout its lifetime it hosted three US National Figure Skating Championships and the men’s Olympic skating team even trained here in 1994. It’s hard to imagine a rink with much more history than that, but unfortunately, those days are long gone.
Ice skating rinks are host to many special occasions. From romantic first dates to children’s birthday parties, there are a lot of beautiful moments that happen on the ice. This specific rink was a landmark in the community, and many people had those exact moments at the rink. Not to mention the professionals got a lot of use out of it as well with many Olympic skaters gracing the ice at Berkeley Iceland.
Nowadays most large properties in central locations are crammed full with big-box retailers and name brand franchises, but places like Berkeley Iceland remind people of a time when drive-in movie theaters and ice rinks brought people together.
Although the rink is deserted, it still has a lot of vintage ice skates and unique artwork littered throughout the building. If you’re looking for a pair of skates in California this might be the place to start! We’re not actually recommending you steal skates from Berkeley Iceland though…
Clearly, some people are still wandering through the building as many of the walls are populated with graffiti. The vandalism takes away from the image that Berkeley Iceland previously had, but it was bound to happen once the building was abandoned.
From the photo’s you wouldn’t know it, but Berkeley Iceland actually has a relatively happy ending to its story! To find out what it is, check out the YouTube video below. You won’t want to miss it!
Did reading about Berkeley Iceland make you feel nostalgic for your childhood years spent at the rink? Let us know in the comments, and share with a friend that you’ve known since childhood!