A beloved Durham recreation staple reopens as Wheels Durham

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A beloved Durham recreation staple reopens as Wheels Durham

By Celeste Headlee,

Published February 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM EST

Raleigh, North Carolina: Eddie Watson, a long-time roller skater, puts on his skates at United Skates of America in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It鈥檚 been nearly five years since Wheels Family Fun Park closed its doors in East Durham. The family-owned-and-operated facility offered go karts, miniature golf and a very popular skating rink to the Durham community for four decades. For many years it was the only roller-skating rink within city limits.

The City of Durham purchased the facility in 2021 and, after years of planning, construction and community feedback, the facility re-opens as Wheels Durham with a on February 27.

Read more about Wheels Durham in this feature from 瓜神app's afternoon digital news producer Eli Chen.

Guest

Wade Walcutt, director of Durham Parks & Recreation

Due South

Celeste Headlee

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Stacia Brown

Stacia L. Brown is a writer and audio storyteller who has worked in public media since 2016, when she partnered with the Association of Independents in Radio and Baltimore's WEAA 88.9 to create The Rise of Charm City, a narrative podcast that centered community oral histories. She has worked for WAMU鈥檚 daily news radio program, 1A, as well as 瓜神app鈥檚 The State of Things. Stacia was a producer for 瓜神app's award-winning series, Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon and a co-creator of the station's first children's literacy podcast, The Story Stables. She served as a senior producer for two Ten Percent Happier podcasts, Childproof and More Than a Feeling. In early 2023, she was interim executive producer for WNYC鈥檚 The Takeaway.

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