Love this place! They have a classic roller rink atmosphere. Fun games with free skate. A couple of arcade machines too. There's good seating and food available and rental skates as well. read more

Public relations s. While a family was in the skating rink. 2 of their teens waited in the car. After awhile they got tired of the car and went to sit on the bench provided by the rink in front of the rink. They were asked to leave the premises by the owner. When later approached by the parent they said they did not want people hanging around their property read more

The manager / owner, Will, does not care at all about the families/ communities/ or neighborhoods that have to live in the vicinity of skates 280. I have to call and beg for him to please turn the bass down a little bit because I can hear it inside my apartment for hours on end every. single. weekend (which by the way he does not, not even a little bit). I do not even live close to the establishment, but the bass is so unbelievably loud I cannot only hear it, I can actually feel it. For reference, skates 280 is behind the Walmart on 280, and I live down 119. It makes it hard for my young children (2, 4) to go to sleep at night Friday-Sunday. The bass scares them. I would have never moved where I live if knew this would be something we had to deal with every weekend. I hope he and his family are shown more consideration when they may have a small request, than he has shown mine. read more

My family really enjoyed this rink! We are on vacation escaping New Orleans Mardi Gras. Trying to skate at every rink between Birmingham and Atlanta. The music was great, people were super friendly, and the rink a great size and well maintained. They had a nice mix of beginner skaters to advanced. Lots of jb skaters towards the end of the evening. This was a great start to our trip! read more

I had no issues inside other than they do charge 17.00 for adults even if you're not skating. My issue arose once I went outside and found that the owner was harassing my two teenage sons telling them to get off his property, go walk to Walmart, and to get off of his bench. I confronted him and told him that because of his racist acts my family and I won't be returning. I hate my two boys had to experience this; it's just sad that some people are still this way in 2025. read more

I have started roller skating as a new hobby and a fun way to burn calories. I decided to try this rink on yesterday because it is open longer on Sundays in comparison to the rink that is closer to me. The lady at the front was nice, but she didn't tell us how much skates/admission were per person. If prices were posted, I didn't see them. Yesterday, it was myself, my husband, and our two boys. I brought my own skates and my husband didn't skate at all. I would have liked to know what the price was for us. Anyhow, the skating floor is big. The DJ played a nice, family friendly variety of music. I must admit. I was s not nervous to stop by because I saw some less than stellar reviews, but I can honestly say my family and I had a good time. None of the workers were rude to us or anyone that we saw. I would be okay with coming back here to skate. read more

See all

We had a good experience joining a bday party group. Skates/blades are old but did ok. Good bang for buck with the skating, but concessions are underwhelming. Music is typical. There was a good time for the age demographic we had there. Def recommend going for a few hours. Prob not all day tho :) read more

I haven't been to a skating rink in years and have always seen the signs for this place, but have never been until now. We attended a skate party. This an older building and you can tell. Most of the arcade game did not work which was kind of disappointing, but my daughter did enjoy her first skating adventure. They only tip I would leave is, if you're celebrating a birthday without reserving a party room (which isn't really a room, but an area with a picnic table and benches)you cannot bring in a birthday cake. My BFF was stopped at the door with her daughters cake. They wouldn't even let her bring it to the table we were sitting at. She had to leave it at the door. read more

See all

The dj/music was horrible. Commercials on youtube being played was aggravating and I could not enjoy my time with the music being so outdated and inconsistent. I won't be back.. read more

Wheee do I begin... My cousin, brother, and I went into this place thinking it would be fun, however, was I wrong My cousins lunch was illegal to have in here. no outside food or drink is allowed. to the next best thing is to eat it outside however, they banned people eating food outside the building. you have to pay for everything in cash. Strict rules and so much more. Arcade games are overpriced and some are rigged with prizes as measly as a Chinese finger trap for 100 tickets... (very overpriced) Bathrooms are DISGUSTING with curtains as privacy for your poops. Employees are rarely at the concession stands (one will show up every 30-45 minutes for 10 minutes). I wanted pizza (Dominoes Pizza, also what they are known to have.) just to find out they were out of it. However coming here is a blast! Roller rink is BIG and they play music, right here occasional limbo games or even a race (skate race, and foot race)! read more

Skates 280 - Clear machine - Skating Rinks Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I would I have put five stars, but long blonde haired woman behind the counter was very rude and disrespectful .

We have a one year old. They told us she had if she goes on the rink she has have shoes. So my husband and I paid for her shoes. Then we get to the counter to get the shoes showing our wrist bands after getting our daughter shoes I ask for my size and she says do we have wrist bands like we weren't going to pay... We put our skates on our daughter and start to skate the man on the intercom yells out don't hold that baby while you skate that will cause a accident. Saying you can get a stroller. They never gave us the option for a stroller. My one year old can't skate or be on the floor with us while we skate unless we pay. What bullshkt. Wouldn't recommend this low down hockey place to anyone. read more

The owner's name is will and I've known him for 2 years now. I went with my family one weekend and a man walked up to my friend and told him he was going to kick his butt. The man was around the age of 40 to 50 and my friend is 16 so not a good start. The owner will, decided even after we told him about it to do nothing but watch it happen. The man decided to start yelling at us and still threatening my friend. The owner will decided he would finally do something other than playing his 4 song playlist constantly, came over and yelled at me and my friend then banned us from ever coming back. Highly recommend finding a skate park that treats customers with at least some respect. read more

It's sad how much money they need that you can't bring your own foods That's sooo disappointing And it's frustrating And if we had better food and more choices from only pizza it would be better read more

I used to LOVE going to Skates 280 as a kid, so when my friend decided to have his 20-something birthday here, I couldn't wait to go back and see how things had held up over the years! It's a little rough around the edges and the building could definitely use a face lift, but it's still everything that a roller rink should be: Fun lights and music, arcade games, concessions...honestly, what more do you need? My favorite part is that the hours after 11 p.m. on Friday & Saturday and after 10 p.m. on Sunday are designated as "adult skate hours"...aka no kids flying by you and knocking you off your skates if you're a little rusty. :) Be sure to check out their website for current business hours because they change during the school year. read more

I visited this skating rink yesterday for a kids birthday party. We had a great experience! The location is neatly tucked off of Hwy 280 with plenty of parking available in a private lot. The facility, although older, was kept clean, despite the dozens of cake-laden children running around. The kids had a great time skating and racing each other. I would definitely recommend having a party here! read more

Took my 4 grandbabies there for the free skate lesson hour last Saturday...the staff was great... supportive & helpful. Yeah, the place shows it's age, but it was still a lot of fun for all of us...even me, who hadn't had on skates in more than 30 years. read more

Skates 280 is super fun! They cater to parties very well. We rented the whole place out and they allowed us to bring in food, candy, and drinks. The staff was easy to work with, but they could have been more enthusiastic haha! The music was a little lame, but I'm sure if you wanted different music, you could make a list and give it to them or something. The skates were better than average, but could be restringed. Location wise, Skates 280 is in sort of a sketchy place. It is right off of 280, though, so great location for Birmingham locals. It is an average level of cleanliness. It is not dirty, but it's also not very clean. Overall, my expectations were met and I had fun! read more

Skates 280 is amazing! You can enjoy skating with family or friends and it is kid friendly! There have a choice of roller blades or roller skates. There are also some arcade if you don't feel like skating. There's a snack shack where you can get fountain drinks or candy or popcorn. There is also a ticket area where you can turn in your tickets for prizes. There are also skate races and foot races and a cha cha slide. Skates 280 is so much fun that I'm having my birthday party there. You should check out Skates 280! read more

Skates 280 - The roller blades are amazing and they were very smooth and fit just right - Skating Rinks Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I went to buy myself skates and they were very helpful! Everyone seamed happy to answer all my questions and helped me pick out the best ones. Even with multiple parties going on while I was there, they were fast and efficient. I recommend checking them out if you are interested in a pair and skates for yourself! read more

How cool that places like this still exist! It's a total flashback to my childhood! The decor inside is very old school. The main difference from when I used to roller skate is that they also have roller blades. They can also tighten up the wheels on the roller skates for beginners so that they won't go so fast. There are several large booths there for birthday parties. The noise level is a bit loud but earplugs (for sensitive ears) can easily fix that. They do have very attentive people working there and will alert people via intercom if someone is going against the flow or causing problems for the other skaters. I look forward to coming back here on a rainy day. read more

My husband and I decided to go skating for the first time in like twenty five years, so we gave this place a shot and boy oh boy, it's become our new go-to for family fun. Skates 280 is a blast from the past and it's clean, stocked with arcade games, and offers rollerblades too. We plan on taking the kids every couple of weeks and O see birthday parties there in our future as well. read more

Cause it is fun I go there jk as ya fueled by the fact that I was a fan of the first time I saw it was a good thing lol lol I got a call from this guy who wants to go to the store and I got a call from this guy who wants to go to the store and I got a call from this guy who wants to go to the read more

I'm a recently retired rollergirl and know my roller rinks. Where as some rinks feel old and stale, this place feels very hip. The lighting is great (see pictures from others' reviews) and they play a combination of older and new music. It is awesome to see kids enjoying skating like I did when I was their age! Kid's parties: The party rooms are very open to the food area and that makes it easy to come and go. The staff that serves the soda and pizza are very nice as well. I would highly recommend it! We have only been on Saturday nights and the place is busy! The staff tries their best to keep the kids all moving and going the same direction, but it seems like herding cats. The front desk lady is a little abrasive but again, she's trying to maintain control. And on a Saturday at 9 p.m., the place is still packed with little kids. Babies! Go home and go to bed! I would like to see more seating along the walls and more games for the kids... there is plenty of room... but overall, it's an awesome rink! read more

My kids and I go to skates 280 at least once a month it seems. Great place to have fun and they do a great job on birthday parties for kids as well. Both my kids (12 and 10) have had their own parties there and attended parties there and they love it. The guy that runs the place makes it fun and even gives free skate lessons to the kids on Saturday mornings. My kids always leave skates 280 happy and that's all that matters to me. read more

Skates 280 - Skating Rinks Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Staff is rude and place is severely overpriced and outdated. Skates are ancient.

Place is super outdated and overpriced. Concession stand doesn't take debit. Staff is unfriendly and seems to not even like children. Has a weird smell and carpets need cleaning. read more

Employees don't wear masks and are very rude. Claim that masks are required but the exception is the skate floor? Makes no sense. The rink itself is outdated and the music sucks. Isn't clean and frankly overpriced. Worth the drive to Trussville to go somewhere else. read more

I've been meaning to attend an event at Skates 280 and finally had the chance when my partner's employer held their Christmas party there. They booked out the place so we had it all to ourselves. We were free to skate, eat and be merry! Although I don't skate (I'm much too clumsy) my partner and his coworkers had a great time. The actual "skate floor" is very large with mood lighting and a disco ball. It was quite festive and fun to watch. With plenty of arcade games, there were plenty of options for those non-skaters in the crowd. With a bit of updating, this place could be really fantastic. read more

This is the first time I have ever posted about a business. The owner of skates 280 in Birmingham Alamaba was very rude and disrespectful to my family. I must say I was truly disappointed in this establishment. The police said that this is normal behavior from the owner, and that he has done this on numerous occasions. I have never seen the police called by the person exhibiting the bad behavior. When the police arrived and it was explained to them what happened, they told us there was nothing that they could do because the rudeness came from the owner and that this happens quite often. I am saddened to see that I am serving my country for someone of such little character. A person that doesn't show selfless customer service as a business owner and such dishonor to his paying customers and establishment. read more

The owner just ripped me by chewing me out for something so minor out loud in front on my 3 kids. She was very nasty and unprofessional in how she handled it. I will never be back. Never in my 48 yrs has a business owner ever talked or treated me this way. I'm appalled and so are my kids... read more

Yeah, I'm a big kid with equally big rollerblades, and after all these years I still like to skate on occasion - and this is the place where I like to do it. Skates 280 has been around for years, and continues to be a family-friendly, well-run place to go to when you have a hankering for a throwback involving wheeling around. The crowd that frequents on the weekend (Saturday is the only night friends and I ever go) is fairly mixed - predominantly small kids (for birthday parties, etc.), but with an assortment of teens, parents, and young-to-mid adults. (Check the hours - they're also open during the week, if I'm not mistaken.) The guys that operate the place are *extremely* nice and know how to keep the "younglings" in line when need be, without making the experience uncomfortable for anyone; and as far as accommodating the entire crowd, the music selections are usually an equal mix of newer music, with some older (80s/90s) tunes thrown in for good measure (for those of us who barely care to know what a *Gaga* is). The choice is available to bring your own skates (or blades) if you have them, or rent some when you get there. And no worries about upkeep - there are plenty of working lockers to stash your stuff while you skate, and the rink floor is kept in great condition, so no need to fear falling as a result of inconspicuous craters masked by the colored disco lights (just falling as a result of poor skill and balance). With regards to replenishing energy, I'm not huge on eating or drinking when there, but I believe there are drinks and snacks available for purchase by the interested. Although this past weekend was the first time I'd been back to Skates 280 in a really long time, I had a great time there, and that's generally been the response over all of my visits. If you're looking for something to do with the kiddies, or maybe looking for an excuse to be a kid again yourself, Skates 280 is a very good idea. read more

Love this place! I bring my daughter here every two weeks! Have done so for almost two years! She loves coming! It's great fun and good exercise! She has had two birthday parties here and will more than likely have a third one next year. read more

Not only is the music lame but the management is terrible the Employee who is now the owner is very rude and shouldn't be working with children. Skates 280 would be great under new management read more

We visit skates 280 approximately once a month. My kids love to skate and ask to go frequently. The only complaint I have is that the owner is constantly reprimanding kids over the loud speaker. I understand that rules need to be followed, but it gets a bit uncomfortable and we have actually left because of it. There are many smaller children that rely on the walls to help them skate. The owner repeatedly says things like "Stay away from the wall," "Stay away from the exits," "Stop going too fast/slow" and my favorite "Stop falling down." Really?? Beginning skaters cannot follow these rules. They are learning to skate and they need the walls, they need the exit areas to help steady themselves, and they are going to fall down. My suggestion would be to block off a small portion at the back of the rink for beginners if you do not want beginners in the way. These things haven't completely turned us off to going, but it seems like there is more and more complaining each time we go. I skated there with my kids last weekend and was given a pair of roller blades that were too big and obviously had a broken buckle. When I asked the owner for a smaller size, he argued that they were fine and was very hesitant about giving me another pair. The skates smelled sour and did not appear to be disinfected. There are not a lot of skating rink options, so we will continue to go occasionally. I just wish the kids didn't get so much negativity. read more

We had an 8-year-old birthday here and it was really fun. There are not many great choices in the city for boys who want action. It's a haul out 280 and the place definitely needs some landscaping -- in fact, it looks abandoned when you pull up--but the inside is pure, cheesy 80's magic. The staff directed us to our own party room and assigned a helper. He brought drinks and gave us armbands, shoe holder and arranged gifts. The kids could choose roller or inline skates. Music and lights were fun, DJ/manager is very nice as is his wife/helper at door. The place does smell like smoke and years of sweaty skating, but you get over it once you're in. There are video games for non-skaters and a snack bar in the back. The DJ takes requests and leads games every hour and calls out the birthday folks. My only caution would be that kids were smacking the floor like wildfire. It's really hard to skate! Definitely don't bring little kids here, I don't think they will enjoy it. Frustration does not make for a great party! read more

Went with a group of kids and a few kids couldn't skate very well. An employee was extremely rude and belligerent when the kids fell down or were slow paced. The employee ended up being the owner. I will never go back to this place. read more

So horrible. Made me pay to get in and watch my kid? No thanks. Always been rude, probably always will be. Very disrespectful, not coming back. read more