When a fire destroyed the skating rink owned by Evelyn Pattison's father, she and her husband tenaciously forged ahead and opened a new facility, Pattison's North Family Skating Center. This happened more than 60 years ago, and since then the Skating Center has become a reliable destination for families in search of a little fun and a lot of really shiny floors.

The center has acquired a venerable inventory of brand-name skates and inline speed skates, and staffers at the pro shop outfit patrons before teaching roller or inline basics at group and private lessons. Throughout the week, guests can also skate at after-school sessions, private parties, or Sunday retro nights, where they must weave their way through the rink's Civil War reenactments.