The World’s 13 Most Unique Bowling Alleys
There’s much more to bowling alleys than the dark, dated (and sometimes unpleasant-smelling) spaces you may remember from childhood. Passionate bowlers and amateurs alike can find eye-catching, quirky, and even elegant spots to try for a strike in cities around the world. And while the number of bowling alleys has decreased in years past, there are plenty of new spots that have opened with an equal focus on fun and great design. From fantastical spaces, such as fishbowl- and castle-themed venues, to the historic personal alleys of early 20th-century American industrialists to spaces designed by top talents, here are the most unique bowling alleys across the globe. So grab your rental shoes and get exploring!
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Photo: Courtesy of Lyndhurst/Clifford Pickett1/13Lyndhurst, Tarrytown, New York
Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival mansion and National Trust Historic site in Tarrytown, New York, is home to an 1894 bowling alley built for Helen Gould, the estate’s fourth owner and daughter of railway magnate Jay Gould. The Bowling Alley and Recreation Pavilion is a shingle-style building with two maple bowling lanes and octagonal spaces on either side of the alley. The Pavilion fell into disrepair over the years and partially collapsed in the 1970s but has now been restored to its original beauty. Visitors can tour the Pavillion, but you’ll need to rent it for a special event if you want to play.
Photo: James John Jetel2/13Avondale Bowl, Chicago
Step back in time at Avondale Bowl in Chicago. The second-floor space, formerly Northwest Bowl, had sat vacant since the 1990s until new owner Luke Blahnik decided to bring it back to life, opening Avondale Bowl in 2020. Range Design and Architecture contrasted existing textures and materials with unique modern touches, including replacing the plastic bucket seats with soft leather-clad benches and booths. The eight-lane alley’s bar offers inventive cocktails and a long list of local beers, plus wine, hard seltzers, and kombucha.
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Photo: Courtesy of Atlantis Dubai3/13Wavehouse, Dubai
Wavehouse, at Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm, has fun for all ages, including an eye-catching bowling alley. The industrial-style space features four lanes accented with colorful lighting and colorful murals and lounge areas furnished with leather Chesterfield sofas. After you have your fill of bowling, try your luck in the arcade or hang ten on the Surf’s Up wave rider.
Photo: Wonho Frank Lee4/13Highland Park Bowl, Los Angeles
Bowling and booze have always gone hand in hand, even at Los Angeles’s Highland Park Bowl, which was established in 1927—in the midst of Prohibition. Patrons would visit the doctor upstairs for a prescription for medicinal whiskey, then head down to the pharmacy and eight-lane bowling alley. The space later became a famed punk music venue, which closed in 2014. The following year, 1933 Group bought the bar and refurbished the city’s oldest bowling alley back to its original glory. Today, Highland Park Bowl offers food, live music, and a bar with an array of (over-the-counter) cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy of Inazawa Grand Bowl5/13Inazawa Grand Bowl, Japan
You don’t have to worry about not being able to snag a lane at Inazawa Grand Bowl in Inazawa City, Japan. The over-182,000 square-foot facility, which opened in 1972, has a staggering 116 lanes and was named the largest bowling center in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. Inazawa Grand Bowl was updated with Brunswick lanes in 2010 and hosts classes, leagues, and tournaments.
Photo: Courtesy of Miami Beach EDITION6/13Basement Bowl, Miami Beach
Basement Bowl, located beneath the Miami Beach Edition hotel, captures the party-loving spirit of the Magic City with four rainbow-lit lanes. Bowlers can enjoy gourmet snacks and cocktails as well as high-end bottles (for the high rollers). When you’re done with bowling, you can also take a spin on Basement Miami’s 2,000-square-foot indoor ice skating rink.
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Photo: Simon Brown7/13The Croc Bowling Alley, London
Designer Kit Kemp applied her signature whimsical style to the Croc Bowling Alley at the Ham Yard Hotel in the Soho area of London. The subterranean hot spot features vintage ball returns imported from Texas and solid maple lanes. Kemp’s aesthetic touches include a colorful display of vintage bowling shoes, bowling pin lamps, a silver baby grand piano, and sofas from South Africa.
Photo: Courtesy of The Frick Collection/Michael Bodycomb8/13The Frick Collection Bowling Alley, New York City
The most beautiful bowling alley in New York City is also the most exclusive. Located in the sub-basement of the Frick Collection on the Upper East Side is an elegant two-lane bowling alley completed in 1916 for Henry Clay Frick. After the industrialist died in 1919, his daughter, Helen Clay Frick, turned the bowling alley and adjacent billiard room into an art reference library, and it was later used for storage and offices until 1933. The museum restored the bowling alley in 1997, but don’t expect to bowl a few frames—the space is closed to the public.
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Photo: Julien Briche9/13Hall U Need, France
Hall U Need is an urban entertainment venue set in a former textile factory in Saint-André-lez-Lille. There are whimsical design touches throughout the center, though the most fantastical touches can be found in the 10-lane bowling alley. Each pair of lanes is equipped with a unique lounge area, including a chair lift, a swing set, and a VW Van that’s been split in two. Hall U Need also offers a restaurant, bar, arcade, karaoke rooms, VR games, and an indoor play area for kids.
Photo: Ben Fitchett10/13Eastside Bowl, Nashville
A former Nashville KMart was transformed into Eastside Bowl, a maximalist, Big Lebowski–inspired bowling alley created by local musicians Chark Kinsolving, Jamie Rubin, and Tommy Pierce. Designed by Cowboy Creative, the 16-lane alley features Atomic Age and postmodern design touches, letterpress bowling pin wallpaper by Clint Van Gemert of Printburgh, a vivid patterned carpet by Xee Summers, and a vintage 1950s disco ball. Bowlers can go for a traditional game or try Hyperbowling, which mixes bowling with video games.
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Photo: Lane 711/13Lane 7 Manchester Deansgate, Manchester, U.K.
UK bowling chain Lane 7 goes bold when it comes to design, and the company’s Manchester Deansgate location is no exception. Vibrant murals and graffiti line the walls of the venue, which also offers pool, ping pong, augmented darts, karaoke, and even beer pong. If you’re having an event or just don’t want anyone to see you get a gutter ball, grab one of Lane 7’s specialty immersive lanes, which feature eye-catching neon lighting or glow-in-the-dark graffiti.
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Photo: Franklin Raùl Cruz Mora12/13Bolero Medieval Bowling, Colombia
Watch your lane—and the throne—at Bolero Medieval Bowling in Bogotá, Colombia. The 14-lane bowling alley is decked out like a medieval castle with faux-stone walls, ornate iron lighting fixtures, knights, a dragon, and, of course, a pair of thrones. The one-of-a-kind, whimsical venue offers classes, hosts tournaments, and features an event hall and restaurant area.
Photo: Big Cypress Lodge13/13The Fishbowl at the Pyramid
A 535,000-square-foot, 32-story pyramid in Downtown Nashville is home to the world’s largest Bass Pro Shop, complete with 100-foot tall cypress trees, a cantilevered observation deck, aquariums holding 600,000 gallons of water and over 1,800 fish, and an underwater-themed bowling alley. The Fishbowl at the Pyramid has thirteen lanes outfitted with aquatic animal ball returns, including sharks, alligators, and octopi, and floor-to-ceiling decor that makes you feel like you’re bowling a strike 10,000 leagues under the sea.
