Review Visit: December 9th, 2012…read more The place where I almost shattered my jaw. That's right. I nearly shattered my jaw while ice skating at the Owens Recreational Center. Matt, Erin, and I decided to stay in the local area and see what we could do without having to drive far to see something new. My friend Adam was a big time hockey fan and suggested I check out the Owens Recreational Center for an evening of fun ice skating. Something new and something fun? Sign me up. We arrived and paid for our skates. Erin declined to take a chance on the ice, so it was just two goofy friends slipping and sliding out on the ice. As a kid, I had a ton of experience rollerblading around my neighborhood. The concept of ice skating had to be familiar to rollerblading, right? It turns out... yes... and no... While the concept is the same, the fact that you are on slippery ice adds a whole new aspect to it. Matt and I had many 'oh crap' moments while getting our bearings but once we got going, we held up pretty well. That's when the trouble started. I got cocky. I got over confident. My ability to adapt and attune myself to whatever it is that I am doing is good and bad. It wasn't long before I was speeding around, zipping and swerving around others. This lasted for quite awhile and I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. Ice skating required a lot more physical activity than I expected. During one of my breaks, Erin urged caution since I was still a newbie and I was going faster than I thought. I took her advice at first but in the heat of the moment and the adrenaline of speeding over ice, I was got going a little too fast and ended up banking a turn a little too sharp. My skate got caught up on the ice and I slammed down hard. Not only did I slam down hard but I landed on the right side of my jaw first and then the rest of my body hit the ice. For a long few seconds, I laid there with the worst going through my mind. All my dental work was destroyed. My jaw was going to be broken. I was going to be on a liquid diet for months while cleaning the wires that held my jaw in place. As I slowly got up and Matt came over to see if I was alright, a wave of relief washed over me. A few wiggles of my jaw and probing of my teeth with my tongue, I knew I was lucky to avoid a trip to the hospital. I didn't get completely lucky as my jaw did swell up a bit, there was a gash on the inside of my cheek and I was sure that I was going to kick myself in the backside super hard later for having the night of skating end a bit early. Yes, after that hard fall I decided to call it quits. We did get to skate for maybe 30 minutes in total which doesn't sound like much but that's more than enough if you aren't trained for skating at all. Aside from my jaw being tender the next day, I remember my ankles and calves were super sore, in a good way. The Owens Center does offer other activities. Obviously after nearly shattering my jaw, I wasn't too keen on exploring the rest of the facility but check out their website below to see if there is anything there that might interest you. And that's how I nearly shattered my jaw.

the people there are amazing and super supportive. It make me feel like we really are one big…read morefamily. Their supper skates program is great for those trying to learn and the amount of coaches and open availibility is unparalleled. I, personally have be going to the owens center for 5 years and the entire time ive never had a bad experience. Alsoif you want someone funny ask for josh- he's awesome. And about their skates, yes they may be a bit worn but its not their fault. low funding makes it difficult to maintain ice quality and skates. 10/10 would recccomend for anyone

CJ is a really cool owner and it is a very nice place to skate. We have been going there every sun…read morefor the 2 to 4 hour skating.

We go here every weekend it's a great place for family, have had many Birthday Parties and good…read moretimes, thank you for getting us back together and on a Roll!!

The problem is have with this rink is the music it child music i mean they have the leave after 9…read morebut the mucis needs to be music you can skate to ..

An indoor oval skating rink with cool lighting and a bunch of disco balls, good for large parties,…read morebirthdays, etc. They have skate rental and food too. I'm a bit surprised that there isn't a tip jar for the food servers.

Upon entering it wasn't clear where to begin. I thought the girl to my right said something upon…read moreentering but the lobby was quite noisy. After standing and looking for a couple minutes we discovered we needed to pay where the person to the right of the entrance was standing. She gave my child dirty looks as I was paying. Already off to a great start. Public skate began at 1130 & within 40 minutes of opening we were ushered off the rink for the Zamboni. We decide to look for a bathroom & start wandering where it says "accessible locker room". We were quickly met by a staff member who said "are you looking for something?" I said restrooms & she directed us toward the front. When I got closer I said hey sorry first time we've ever been here & she didn't even look or respond. If you're looking for rude staff then you've come to the right place.

Came here to ice skate when it was open to the public and had a pretty good time. We had about an…read morehour to skate before it was closed to hockey practice. The workers seem utterly bored to be there and all the greetings were dreary. Bathroom's are clean, so thats a plus.

Ok, I have a very mixed review of this business…read more First, I haven't been here for years! What I remember from my previous visit was that it was dark, dirty and smelled bad. THAT has all changed. The new owners have cleaned it up, lightened it up and really done a nice job of renewing what once was a very tired skate rink. To me that gives it five stars. So, here is what took away stars for me. - one star for price. You have to pay $4.00 just to enter the door. Doesn't matter if you are not going to skate or not. However, I do at least understand that this policy keeps people (teens and kids especially) from just coming in to "hang out" with friends without having any real direction or purpose which could easily dissolve into unruly behavior. This policy has a logical reason for being in place. - two stars for a very illogical policy. Families with young children beware. No matter your child's age, if they can walk, they MUST pay for and wear skates while in the building. Seriously! My three year old had to pay $6.00 ($4.00 to enter and $2.00 for skates) just to be in the building. While I was there I talked with another mother whose sister-in-law's ONE YEAR OLD had to pay for and wear skates while in the building. That is so completely illogical I can only sit here and shake my head. I would love to give this business four stars for the great job they have done on their improvements, but I just can't consider them family friendly. I really hope they will reconsider their policy and make a change.

We had our sons 14th BDay Celebration here!! It was everything we wanted!!! The birthday party…read moreoptions were awesome! Working with Ms Twyla and the owners was a Phenomenal experience! Customer service was Exceptional! Thank you for making Our Guests and Us feel like a Priority! You Rock and we will be back!!!

Excellent facility that supports ice sports across central Illinois. Two indoor rinks and plenty of…read moreinstructional support for all ages and any skill level.

It's only $8 for a night of hockey when you buy your Junior Blues tickets at County Market. It's…read moreone of the more lively entertainment options for weekend nights in Springfield. The Nelson Center is pretty humble, as far as sports venues go, but the crowd loves their home team, the music system is like an arena rock concert, and every seat is close to the ice. Don't miss your chance to sit down for a group photo with Gilly the fish mascot who's constantly making the rounds.

way over priced for entry $14 and device used to help beginner skaters. Plus one if the employs…read moretried to get an attitude with me after she tried to take my daughters device to help her skate.

The food is terrible and the prices were ridiculous 40$ for 2 people not including the overpriced…read moreover processed food.