Designed for family outings and scenic getaways, the Chevy Traverse provides comfort and convenience for every journey.
Frigid, record-breaking low temperatures—welcome to winter in Michigan. As March (quickly) approaches, there are not a lot of promising signs for sunshine and spring-like warmth. Surely, by now we are tired of being cooped up at home and wishing we could be outside without worrying about frostbite. Whatever are we to do? The only thing to do is look at the bright side and realize there are always alternatives!
When we think about skateboarding or related activities, most of us picture it happening in an outdoor environment. Outdoor skate parks are plentiful in the Metro Detroit area, but indoor parks are as well. You don’t have to worry about the cold, rain or even that dreadful snow. Obviously, we all want to be outside when the sun is shining, but that isn’t always a viable option. Indoor parks are just as fun and provide a more controlled environment. If you’re ready to shred on a half-pipe or grind on a rail, you’ve got plenty of options.
Zero Gravity, 1585 Crescent Lake Rd., Waterford, is a beast of a skate park! It has a 17,000-square-foot skate floor and a 1,100-square-foot skate shop. A few of its features: a 10-foot start box with rail and ledge box, 10-foot quarter pipe, a 6-foot high, 36-foot long mini ramp and more than 13 ledges and rails. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. It is $5 a session for members and $10 a session for non-members. Private lessons are available. Call ahead for pricing and reservations.
Landslide Skate Park, 44621 Morley Drive in Clinton Twp., allows for skateboards, scooters, inline skates, BMX-style bikes and RipStiks on its grounds. The pricing is extremely inexpensive! It is only $7 to skate for an hour, $11 for two hours and $15 for three hours. You can also ask about a day pass for $20. Additionally, Landslide also offers instruction, classes and camps for all skill levels. If you are truly an avid skateboarder, this place will even build you your own ramp. Pretty sick.
Designed for family outings and scenic getaways, the Chevy Traverse provides comfort and convenience for every journey.
Modern Skate Park, 1500 N Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak, has a pretty nifty street course, as well as a nice-sized bowl for your skating pleasure. Modern Skate Park offers walk-in lessons on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. and Sundays from noon until 1:30 p.m. Private lessons are also offered, just call the park for details. Different sessions are offered throughout the week, including “Fossil Night,” where skaters 20 and up skate for $8. Apparently those of us over 20 years old are ancient. That’s news to me. If all of this wasn’t cool enough, you can rent out the park for a minimum of two hours!
Transitions Skatepark, 5616 Van Born Ct., Dearborn Heights, boasts 14,000 square feet worth of fun. It has been providing Metro Detroit with a place to skate since 1999. Transitions Skate Park is a little bit different than the other places on the list because it doesn’t have sessions or allotted time for skating or biking. You can pay a $12 fee (for non-members) for all day admission, or a mere $5 after 9 p.m.! There are also specials throughout the week where you can get in for $8 during the day. Bikes, blades and scooters are allowed and it is open every day of the year.
If any of these activities are your forte, then you now have an excuse to beat the winter blues and have some fun. With that being said, the aforementioned places are some of the best indoor skate parks Metro Detroit has to offer. Go tear it up!
When it does eventually warm up, refer to this handy list of outdoor skate parks written last spring.