Brevard History: Starlite Skate Center in Merritt Island – SpaceCoastDaily.com

SPACE COAST HISTORY & LANDMARKS

Starlite Skate Center was among the most popular social scenes in Brevard. From the 60's through the 90's, rollerskaters flocked to this Merritt Island rink. — Starlite Skate Center was among the most popular social scenes in Brevard. From the 1960s through the 1990s, skaters flocked to this Merritt Island rink. Today it is used as a storage facility for a car dealership. (Photo courtesy of Georgie Rockwood)

STARLITE WAS AMONG MERRITT ISLAND’S MOST POPULAR SOCIAL SCENES FOR DECADES

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA — For decades, Star Lite Skate Center in Merritt Island was among the most popular social venues on the Space Coast.

From the groovy days of 1970s disco through the pop rock and big hair rock band music of the 1980s, locals skated under the multicolored lights while dancing to the Top 40 tunes on the Billboard Charts.

From the groovy days of 70's disco through the pop rock and big hair rock band music of the 80's, locals skated under the multicolored lights while dancing to the top 40 tunes on the Billboard Charts. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com) — From the groovy days of the 70’s disco through the pop-rock and big hair rock band music of the ’80s, locals skated under the multicolored lights while dancing to the top 40 tunes on the Billboard Charts. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

In the 1990s, the rink underwent two name changes, from “Colorz” to “Island Skate Center” During the late 1960s and early 1970s, prior to the skating rink, the building was home to a concert hall named “Atlantis.”

As rollerskating lost popularity, skating rinks across the country were forced to close their doors, and like the skaters who often joined hands, Merritt Island’s rink followed the pattern.

Today, the former rink is vacant and its parking lot is used by a car dealership.

While the music and lights have faded into the past, decades worth of memories are alive and well on the official “Star Lite Skate Center Alumni” Facebook page.

Below, we have posted a collection of photos from Star Lite during its peak years. We’ve also included pictures of the former rink in its current status as a vacant unit. Portions of the rink remain on various walls.

– NOTE: The facility is now private property.

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