Reviews here distort the truth in an attempt to preserve this bit of history. It's messed up to lie to boost a business and it's sad but understandable that people are doing this. They want to keep this bit of history alive, but call it what it is. A bowling museum with a few artifacts and a confusingly updated computer scoring system for lanes that aren't playable.
The reality is that if you're a bowler with your own equipment, don't waste your time here looking for a fun experience or to improve your game/score. The photos posted are deceptive and give the impression that the lanes are "up to date" but the actual lanes do NOT look like the lanes in the photos (which appear smooth and shiny). The ACTUAL lanes are very rough wood and though they may be "original", they appear to have been shellacked and not even sanded and/or buffed smooth but certainly were NOT oiled (unless it was furniture oil). These lanes are essentially "unplayable" with any new equipment and I would not risk your equipment on them.
Now then, if you are looking to be transported back in time (almost back to the Flintstones) to feel what it would feel like to bowl under prehistoric conditions, and you're willing to pay a high price for time-traveling... EVEN THEN these lanes are tired and not what they used to be. It's truly a shame that they updated the computer scoring system but did not install new lanes and take care of them properly.
If you roll a straight ball "Fred Flintstone" style and don't really give a s**t, want to pay high prices for booze and food and laugh it off until you get thrown out, this might be the place for you. Why pay the high prices though when you can do that at Riverside Lanes in Mt. Vernon, just a few miles away??
$4 a game (not including shoe rental) and no discounts offered to military, veteran, USBC member, or anything. I bowl fingertip with a newer ball, I threw 2 balls and stopped and left.. it was THAT bad. What a horribly sad experience. If I felt it would help, I would have dropped some change in a hat or something. Riverside Lanes in Mt. Vernon has many better lanes and it's still pretty old, I pay $2.50 a game there. If you're looking for a quality bowling experience close by, head to Riverside Lanes.
I would not eat the food here either. Logical choice. There simply is not enough business flow to trust that the food is fresh and worth the high prices they are asking.
This COULD be a good place but they would have to update the lane surfaces and get a more reliable staff to handle maintenance and repairs.. and I just don't see that happening with no business flow. The subfloor is questionable too. My young daughter rolled her ball and the entire place shook. They should have updated the subfloor and lanes before they updated the computer scoring system, money poorly spent. I'd rather bowl on good lanes and calculate my score on paper or on a vis-a-vis overhead projector like in the old days.
I honestly cannot recommend this place to anyone for any reason.
Walk in.. walk around, take a look at things, smile. Notice it isn't busy and it's not going to be, so take your time and check out the atmosphere if you're into that sort of thing. Read a book ..maybe they have free WIFI? read more
