Hulon Mills Sr. has been rollerskating for 63 years.
“I love to talk to people and love to skate,” Mills said. “It’s something I’m going to always do until the day I cannot walk again.”
His love for the sport is one of the reasons he was at the grand reopening of United Skates Indy, 175 Southern Plaza Drive, on the south side of Indianapolis on Sept. 25.
The skating rink, which has been in Perry Township since 1974, just got a fresh remodel. The upgrades include an indoor playground for kids 10 and under, arcade, glow-in-the-dark mural encircling the rink and recoated roller rink floor for smoother gliding.
The facility was purchased by Ohio-based United Skates of America, Inc. in November 2025.
Mills, 70, said this facility attracts a diverse group of skaters, including Black and Latino residents. Mills said he used to skate with dozens of people, but now he’s one of just a few who are left from his original group. It’s one of the reasons Mills hopes the skating rink will add a skating night for seniors.
“It’s not like it was 30, 40 years ago,” Mills said.
A family-friendly place to go
The southside skating rink has had a few different names over the past 52 years, including Wheels of Wonder and Fun Factory Skating, according to employee Terra Woods.
Now the ticket distributor for the rink, Woods has seen generations of families grow up.
“I usually get a whole bunch of my old regulars from back when they were young little teenagers,” Woods said. “Now they’re bringing their kids to skate.”
The skating rink has been a constant in the neighborhood that has limited options for family-friendly activities. Bri Wozniak, the rink’s general manager, said people couldn’t wait to get back in their skates after it closed in August for nearly two months to allow for repairs.
“They all love it, they care a lot about it. And I know they’re glad to have it,” Wozniak said.
Wozniak said many people were contacting her to see when they would reopen, including Robyn Embry.
Embry has been bringing her three granddaughters to the skating rink Friday evenings for the past five years. The family became friends with Mills as he gave her granddaughters pointers and taught them harder moves.
Her youngest granddaughter has already learned a lot from Mills.
“We put her on her first pair of skates at 12 months,” Embry said. “Now she’s 4 years old and she’s an amazing skater.”
Embry said her older granddaughter, Karman Williams, has always been a fast learner.
Williams, 14, said she enjoys having something fun to do after school. Plus, learning to skate has given her a chance to work on partner moves with her sister.
“When we come together, we pop out,” Williams said.
If you go
United Skates Indy is open 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, 6-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sundays at 175 Southern Plaza Drive.
Book the venue for private parties and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics school field trips on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Beginner skating lessons will be 11 a.m. to noon Sunday and 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, beginning in October.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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