The TWA Hotel at JFK Airport now sports a roller skating rink alongside its 1958 Lockheed Constellation “Connie” airplane-turned-cocktail lounge, and each weekend the tarmac transforms into a Roll-A-Rama for guests and visitors.
Since it opened its doors to the public in May 2019, the TWA Hotel has offered travelers restaurants, a rooftop infinity pool and observation deck overlooking the JFK flight paths, a 10,000-square-foot fitness center and more amenities.
The 44-by-56-foot outdoor rink blasts retro tunes, and even disco, as part of the TWA Hotel’s throwback theme. The hotel is the end result of a $265 million restoration project that transformed the landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center, which opened in 1962 and closed nearly 20 years ago, into a one-of-a-kind, 512-room hotel that pays homage to the Jet Age.
Roller disco had its heyday in the 1980s with rinks located across New York City.
“New York has played a major part in the history of roller skating,” said Nellie Anderson Lillie of the National Museum of Roller Skating in Lincoln, Nebraska. “The TWA Hotel’s new attraction represents another milestone: It’s the only roller rink at an airport.”
The Roll-A-Rama at the Runway Rink will welcome skaters on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m., weather permitting.
Admission to the rink can be purchased by credit card at the skate shack and is first-come, first-served; advance tickets are not available. One 50-minute skate session is $20 per adult and $16 per child under 12. Skate rentals are included. Individuals can bring their own socks or buy an official TWA pair at the rink.
Other throwback features at the TWA Hotel include a Twister Room, where guests can play a wall-to-wall version of the 1960s game; a Photo Room filled with snapshots from guests and visitors; and a booth to capture new memories.
The TWA Hotel also features 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space that can host up to 1,600 people.
For more information, visit the hotel’s website here.
