Guptill's Roller Skating Arena — Local services in Town of Colonie

TL;DR -- You can't go wrong with Guptill's. Great fun for young and old skaters of all skill levels. No judgement, just great vibes!!!

I finally made it here after nearly two years since falling in love with skating. This place is great. There is so much room on the floor that you never really feel crowded (although keep your head on a swivel for little skaters crisscrossing the floor!). It truly is a great place to go for skaters of all ages and skill levels.

I specifically went to check out their skate shop. I got a tremendous deal on some Riedell's I've been looking to upgrade to and keep as my indoor skates. Charles was super accommodating, patient, and knowledgeable. At no point did I feel rushed or burdensome. After my purchase, I was invited to break them in a bit and skate for a while (which I certainly did!).

They really do have skates for every skater and will work with you to get the right fit whether buying or renting. Do be aware that they only rent out quad skates, but they sell both rollerblades and quads.

There are technically three rinks. They have a section where you can "warm up" or practice getting comfortable if you are feeling a bit wobbly at first. They have the main floor (again, it's huge!). And they have another rink on the other side meant for little-little kids, so they don't get intimidated or potentially hurt as they learn the sport.

I also enjoyed the music selection they had playing. Other roller rinks seem to strictly play DJ/Club mixes (which is fine), but here they included more pop and light rock selections which made it even more fun listening to while cruising around.

There's food in the building which I didn't try, but seems like standard American fare. You can also rent lockers to secure your belongings, which I didn't need to this time but am glad for the future. The ice cream building is outside, adjacent to the main skating rink -- I've also heard it rocks!

Overall, you can't go wrong for an afternoon or evening (or both on Saturdays!) of fun. I can't wait to go back and bring my partner...

This was a total waste of money. First of all, I've grown up skating in rinks and I was even on a Roller Derby team briefly in my 20s. I'm a decent skater and I love skating. My kids and I were super excited about trying this place out. 100 dollars later and we lasted exactly 40 minutes.

I hated every minute that we were here. First issue was that they charged my husband the 20 bucks as an entry fee even though he cannot skate because of a knee injury and he was just going to be helping our our 5 year old around the practice rink. OK....that's fine, 100 bucks for entry is a little steep but I'm sure it's worth it right?

Right?

No, not even a tiny bit. At the door, we were told that our 5 year old had to remove his hat to skate. Ok..sure we will follow the rules. So no hats, BUT we saw kids skating with backpacks (got hit a few times by those), kids skating WHILE playing video games on their phones, kids skating in a line and blocking the entire way (which is a feat considering the size of the place), kids with giant headphones on, kids attempting to skate while filming videos, etc.

It was insanely crowded. Not to be too nostalgic, but back in the 90s the middle was for figure skating, the inner ring was for people who knew how to skate, and the outer ring was for newer skaters and there were refs policing this. I'm not sure if there was a single employee on the floor. This was utter chaos. Keep in mind....I've done ROLLER DERBY and this chaos was to much for me. My 5 year old lasted 2 times around the floor and my teens and I made it for a few more before we got sick of being cut off and ran into by the throngs of people. Never again.

Update for the owner: There was a sign up that said "All Adults Must Pay for Entry". When we went, they counted us and each of us needed to have a ticket. Other places we have gone used a wristband system to make sure that skaters had paid. This was a ticket collection right next...

OK, it's the biggest roller rink in the United States, and quite possibly the world, plus it feels like it -- but don't let that intimidate you! Guptill's Arena sends out a heavy vintage America vibe, but that floor is world-class, and the layout is so generous, you really can't go wrong. What's different (one aspect among many) is that two additional, smaller spaces sit on either side of the vast main floor, and skaters can use them for practice. It's a little less of a spotlight than hanging out in the middle, plus friends can sit nearby. The amount of seating, for resting skaters as well as non-skating parents and chaperones, is a huge bonus. (Can't really comment on how Guptill's caters to children, but I will say that every kid I've ever seen here looks like they're having a total blast) This is a family-friendly joint (complete with uniformed -- but unobtrusive -- floor guard!) for sure, but not the kind of place where you can't really skate, for all the squalling children and ice cream cones sprawled everywhere. If you came to skate, you can definitely get your skate on, and good skaters certainly make the scene. Downsides? Sound system is kept to conversation-tolerant volume, and music spans multiple generations (Bon Jovi to Pharrell). Basically, the downsides are also the upsides -- something for everyone to enjoy, and talk about without going deaf. But dedicating specific nights to specific music genres /eras would be fun. Very nice snack bar, game room, cheap (operational!) lockers, and pro shop. Plus the affiliated ice cream place next door boasts it's own, separate and formidable, reputation. For me, the real charm is the space, decor, community, and generous feeling. Guptill's really is something you...