I just did an event here and was pretty impressed by the whole process. This is an old school bowling alley that is old fashioned in a few ways, but still worked well in 2026! Yeah, it was a bit small, but it really had a cozy atmosphere! Probably the star of this place is the service. From creating an event to day of, Timber Lanes showed some really good customer service. We had a party reduction and they adjusted the lanes and the price. I really appreciated the help! Also, every employee my group met the day of my event were excellent. This place has a bit of a hipster vibe, but everybody was so kind. Their drink prices were also pretty good (perhaps a steal). The only downside to this place is that its cash only. I get the want for cash only, but it is 2026. I was particularly confused that I was able to use a credit card for the deposit, but not to pay for the whole event. That part was pretty weird. Either way, this really fit the bill for our group so if we do this again, Timber Lanes is on the top of our list. We really had a great time and as long as you can get past the cash only aspect, this place is a real winner! read more

Timber Lanes is an anomaly in today's bowling alley experience. There is no arcade and no flashy monitors. This is an old school Bowling-with-a-capital-B alley. There is a bar and there are 7 lanes and decades of bowling paraphernalia lining the walls. The establishment is cash only, furthering the analog ambiance. Shoe rental was $3 a pair which felt like a steal. The lanes run for $45 an hour. It's very popular to those who know what they're getting into. The pins do get stuck and the machines could use a little love but the staff is quick to resolve or solve issues as they arise. You can easily book online but know that spots fill up quickly. I recommend you take yourself out for a good old fashioned night of bowling with some friends, keep track of your scores on the paper sheet they hand out, and take pleasure in the ritual of throwing the ball on the waxy lane. I'm sure it'll make you smile just like it made me. read more

Timber Lanes - The view from lane 1 - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great old school 8 lane house. No auto score keeping so you have to do it on paper & pencil. Cash only but prices are really good. Some place charge so much per hour but Timber keeps it affordable at cost per game. Drinks are at a bargain and you can bring in your own food. read more

This is my favorite bowling alley in the city. Cash only, old school, manual scoring bowling alley.I think one of the benefits of that is the customer base, even with casual bowlers, seems more respectful of the space than at other alleys.The customers/parents that bring children seem better at watching them than those that bring children to other, bigger bowling alleys. They don't let them repeatedly roam across lanes while others are bowling. Which isn't just frustrating, but can be unsafe with someone swinging a 15 lb ball and kicking their leg out. My only advice would probably be to get some more uniform house ball options to make it easier to find the same ball on return visits for casual bowlers. read more

You walk into this fine establishment and immediately get slapped with the stench of sweaty (ze/zir) toes. read more

Timber Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Charming and old school in all the right ways. 8 lanes of goodness here. The staff and bartender were gems and we had a blast!

This is hands down my favorite bowling alley in Chicago. Forget the overpriced fancy places... Timber Lanes is where it's at! The prices are extremely reasonable, both for bowling and drinks at their bar. It's definitely an old school place but that's part of the charm. There are maybe 10ish lanes total and you have to score yourself manually. Each time I go it's a different crowd there: from seemingly pros to kids, young adults drinking on a Friday and having fun, and even "day out" programs from nursing homes. Everyone is welcome here and it's a blast. read more

I love this place. I learned how to bowl there with the big boys on Thursday Nights. Lots of fun, serious competition and just a great time. The owner is top notch and runs a nice place. But if you don't know how to keep score, no worries Bob will show you! You have to try it, this is real bowling. Wood lanes and manual scoring. It don't get any better than this. read more

Upon walking in I felt I was transported to another era. This place has a fantastic energy and old school charm. We reserved two lanes for our party of 11 and had a fantastic time. Old school scoring with paper and pencil requires at least a few people in your group to pay attention and know scoring rules ( no electronic scoring to be found here ). Reasonably priced. Loved it - had such a fun night - highly recommend. read more

Still a great place. Got a Turkey on Monday and scored my highest ever game, thanks Timber Lanes! Cash Only read more

What a fun, no frills, bowling alley! A group of 4 of us came here on a Friday around 7PM. During COVID, you should make a reservation but normally they take walk ins. FYI it's cash only! Prices here were super reasonable - it was $50 for the 4 of us to bowl for 2 hours. There aren't any scoring monitors, but it's kind of fun to keep score by hand. During COVID, you go into a side room to pick out your ball. Each rack is labeled based on weight and they have different sized finger holes. Once you're done with your ball you'll place it on the rack in the center of the room so that they can sanitize it again before putting it back. Drinks were also well priced. My White Claw was $4.50 per can and a pitcher of beer was $12. Once again, cash only but that's such a killer deal! I haven't bowled in an age and Timber Lanes helped rekindle my love of bowling (even though I'm not very good at it). We'll be back for sure! read more

This is the best alley in the city. The owner is beyond kind and truly supportive from beginners to pros. The bar is great, it's byof, bring your own food. Lots of options near here, or get a candy bar and chips. They have a jukebox you can select songs on, and lockers for your balls. Pencil scoring old school awesome bowling here! read more

This neighborhood gem brings both locals and bowling enthusiast to this location! We just hosted a party here and the management team is great and very accommodating! Fully stocked bar (cash) and food can be brought in! Consider this your next gathering or party! We love support our local community and will be back! read more

This place offers a classic bowling experience. Plus the staff is beyond cool and helpful. Real wooden lanes gives it a fantastic sensory experience. There's just something about the sound of your ball hitting real wood. Don't read into that. My bowling game, not so top notch, but I managed a couple good scores. We can chalk the subpar performances up to operator error. read more

Called for a simple question to see if they ID, due to the fact that some bowling alleys are strictly 21 and over. Since I was taking my little sister with me to bowl and the guy who answered the phone was so rude. "I'm not gonna answer that". Their customer service sucks and wouldn't recommend this place at all. read more

Kind staff, chill vibes, cheap bowling/drinks! Not a bad spot for a chill night with friends. No music unless you pay to use TouchTunes, which is bad and good (awkward silence in the place without music, but if you shell out for TouchTunes you're likely in full control of the aux). They don't offer food but they have options/deals to order delivery from local places. There's also no auto-scoring system; you have to score your own games on paper. read more

Great prices for open bowling to go with cold beer and friendly staff. In addition to directing people to take their outside shoes off so you don't get yahoos walking everywhere with their wet footwear, masks were universally worn (as of 1/29/22), plexiglass partitions where everywhere and vaccination cards were checked. I subtract one half star for old school hand towels in the bathroom, which are kinda unsanitary when their isn't a global pandemic. This of course rounds to five stars anyway so overall, a great little bowling alley that's fun for all (assuming at least one in your group can keep score). As a side note, the last time I was there they were hosting a league for the visually impaired, complete with portable handrails to guide their approach, which I thought was cool as well as a sign they will likely accommodate individuals of various abilities. read more

Whilst searching for a dive bar to drink at in the afternoon on a weekday, I stumbled upon this place. It's got an old school, dive feel to it. And that is what makes this spot charming. There's 8 bowling lanes. And they're the classic kind. No fancy machines tracking your score for you here. The regulars here are fun and it was a pretty active place for being a Monday afternoon. The beer list has all the standards. Nothing particularly exciting, but there is Daisy Cutter on tap. And the beer selection (or lack thereof) and beer menu (with the scratched out options and handwritten added selections) adds to the dive charm. And it's not overpriced either. The regulars talked up George and he seemed to be a good and fun bartender (though, rumor has it he has a disdain for orphans and blind people). And he's quite nice to absolutely everyone. I'd happily get some drinks from him again. There seem to be a lot of leagues and parties booked here. And I can understand why. It's old school, dive-y, and fun! But it's dive-y in a super clean way. Seriously, I'm not sure I've ever seen a cleaner restroom in a bar or bowling alley. Plenty of toilet paper, no graffiti, and there was even soap. So, in sum, you should come drink and bowl here, and say "hi" to George. read more

Timber Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had my birthday party last night at Timber Lane. The staff Manager and bartender took great care of myself and all my guests. I think some are going to have their parties there. I highly recommend this venue for bowling and bar. Their drink prices way below chicago bar prices $4 a beer $5.50 mixed drinks. The vintage wood lanes are great read more

A fun place to hang out, they go out of their way to accommodate every group. Definitely recommend! read more

Old school bowling for sure. The place is very old and you have to keep your own score. I really wasn't fan of keeping scores. The cost was good: shoes $3, on Saturday $20/hour per lane, $12 pitchers of beer. We had a great time there. The place was actually busy. We may go back, but I prefer bowling where I don't have to keep scores myself and I can just relax and enjoy the game. read more

Timber Lanes - Old fashion bowling - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best old school wood lanes you can find in Chicago, great owner and staff - nostalgic 80's vibes sprinkled through the place

FYI Cash Only! Went here for a lunch time beer. The price was reasonable for Chicago, and there were people bowling mid-day having a great time. The owner/manager greeted all the regulars and even chatted me up. He's seems like a genuine person that runs a great niche business. read more

This place is such a gem! Shock alert, you have to score the shit yourself! This place is so wonderful, my neighborhood bowling alley and were I had one of my late night dates with the boyfriend! We had so much fun, intimate, and definately no frills, this place is exactly what people now want in a bowling alley...a place to bowl. Not a dance club, with tv's and strobe lights everywhere. Has the ambience of the savemore lounge---a little dicey but fun cheap and fun as hell. read more

The kind people at Timber Lanes and the ease and no frill nature of the place make this establishment a true gem. We had our 5 year old twins birthday party here this past weekend and I can't even tell you how many compliments we got on what an awesome party it was. It was quite the crowd with about 120 people (eek!!) and we had all 8 lanes reserved. George, Dustin, Karen and their staff are AWESOME. So easy going, so pleasant, and helpful. Our kids had a great time and even more important, so did everyone else! We had pizzas brought in from Armand's (get the yardstick pizzas for a crowd!) and cake from Costco. Pretty simple and was perfect for a 2 hour 5 year old party with open bar, 60 kids and 60 adults! I can't recommend it enough. read more

My friend scheduled a reservation for 9 PM on a Friday and to our surprise when we arrived at 9PM on the Friday they said our reservation was never placed and could not be found! I don't know, that seems unprofessional to me as you should keep customer's reservations to cultivate a welcoming environment for the business. Take your bowling adventures elsewhere and save yourself the time. read more

It's nostalgic. Simple. No frills. Cash only. And charming. You get a sense of the past when you step foot inside. It's very relaxed and comfortable with friendly staff and a crowd of regulars. After being here for a birthday party, I will definitely add it to my list of potential birthday party venues. If you like a good dive bar, you'll appreciate Timber Lanes. read more

An old time bowling alley with no television screens to keep score on. Everything is kept on paper. Beer specials were decent. The downside is....due to being so old timey... the lanes do break down fairly frequently, but get fixed quickly. Friday's... don't bother going it will be beyond packed. read more

Tis a very old school bowling alley with eight lanes. What else Timber Lanes has to offer: a full bar, $3 shoe rental, $20 per hour per lane, and score sheets. Our group of ten came here in celebration of our dear friend's birthday. With our score sheets sprawled out and pencils in hand, we brushed up our math skills and worked our arms till we couldn't feel them anymore. By midnight, we were the only group left and Timber Lanes did not even try to rush us out. If you don't care for the fancies and automated scoring, this is your place to bowl and reminisce the 90s. read more

A charming neighborhood bowling alley. Aside from the high-tech jukebox and Big Lebowski poster, it looks like Timber Lanes hasn't changed much since the mid-80s. This is a great place to roll a few games and have some beers on the cheap. (Oh, and they're open on Thanksgiving.) EDITED TO ADD: Timberlanes does host leagues every night during the winter months, so unless you're going there during the day, forget about getting a lane until about 10 p.m., when open bowl recommences. And even then, I recommend reserving your lane, as they tend to fill up fast. read more

Timber Lanes - a bowling alley in black and white - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is a no nonsense bowling alley. They usually have league play in the evening so come early or late. Great beer and affordable prices. Bob,the owner, game me one lesson and I've since doubled my score in a month. read more

This place is awesome. No nonsense old school bowling alley. Friendly staff are excited to make sure you have a great experience. In addition, bowling is cheap compared to others in the city ($3 per game, $3 for shoes). They take reservations too. read more

went here with the improve group to roll. had a fun time until someone got a strike then we forgot and had to google how to score a strike and a spare. But we quickly figured it out. everything here is old school. The scoring is done on paper, the beer is cheap and the lanes are old. they did break down a bunch when we where there, only one time it took a while for it to get fixed. they do have little shoe condoms that you can put on if you need to go outside for a smoke. it is cash only and I think there is one tv by the bar. fun times, pretty cheap and very close to where I live. probably be back read more

Recommended highly! I coach high school bowlers for CPS. Bowling is a great sport with many opportunities for leadership and learning for students in Chicago, and Illinois. The owners of this tiny, little old school bowling alley are outstanding members of the bowling community. They have two daughters who came up in the local system right through college. Bob--the owner-- gets to know the students who practice there and he is an outstanding teacher of the sport. We like to hold practices there and have participated in adult leagues and events there as well. The lack of machine scoring is a plus for learning the rhythm and strategy of the game and is an outstanding exposure for young varsity bowlers. This bowling house is highly recommended for those who really want to learn a rewarding sport in a family atmosphere. When we are practicing I do a little coaching for children who are there and those kids are thrilled to be participating with the "big" kids and their parents have been happy to be introduced to the rewards of Varsity Bowling. This is truly a well run bowling house and an asset to the entire community on the north side of the city. read more

Tips for bowling success: 1. For weekend night bowling, be advised that league play goes until 9pm. 2. It's in your best interest to make a reservation. Unless you don't mind waiting 2+ hours for a lane to open up. 3. First thing you should do upon arrival: load up the jukebox. The selections are limited (sometimes only one playable track per album), and unless you want to hear someone else's playlist (a risky proposition), you need to grab the bull by the horns. 4. The second thing you should do is head for the "locker" room and pick out some balls for you and your companions. If you need a light ball, you might have to do some mining. 5. Pitchers of Leinenkugel Red are $13. Miller Lite pitchers are $11. And it is easier to bowl without a beer in your hand. 6. Fair warning: although this place looks old school, "cosmic" bowling still takes effect around 10pm on Saturdays. This means yes, your semen stains will glow under the black light. 7. Learn how to hand score BEFORE going to the lanes. http://www.bowling.uklinux.net/bowling/score.php3 read more

The true nature of Timber Lanes (I swear it's two words, I even checked the sign outside) is an enigma. Is it a dive bar with a bowling alley attached or is it a bowling alley with a dive bar attached? The group I went with on a cold November Sunday afternoon discussed this at length. Inbetween rocking out to some great music (mostly 80s alt-rock), that is. I now present to you both sides of this debate. a) It's a dive bar with a bowling alley attached: - Fact: There are regulars talking about people they knew in the 1960s at the bar. And we were the youngest people there by 20 years when we walked in. - Fact: Even on a Sunday at 4:00 p.m. with minimal football on the television, people were drinking as if the sun has gone down. - Fact: The beer is cheap and mostly in cans. They even serve canned Guinness at $5.00. - Fact: The decor looks like something out of someone's basement in 1970s. Pretty much a pre-requisite for dive bar status. - Fact: With only eight lanes, there's always a wait. Plenty of time to drink beer. b) it is a bowling alley with a dive bar attached: - Fact: There are signs up for local bowlers who scored 300 games. - Fact: There is hand scoring. Something that only a true bowling alley would have. None of those fancy bells and whistles to help recreational bowlers keep score. - Fact: Someone commented on the oil pattern of the lane as we walked in. - Fact: I got a 136 on these lanes (my best score in a while) and that means they care about bowling enough to maintain the lanes well. Or I was just drunk and lucky. That's another debate entirely though. No matter what decision is reached in this cosmic battle for the ages though, this place is old school and wonderful! Bowling is only $3 per game off-peak and you can get food delivered from local eateries. The alley balls probably haven't been replaced since the 1980s but the weights are labeled (bonus). Just don't expect to find many six or eight pound balls though. I can't even guess the last time a kid was in here so they don't have a lot of lighter weights for grownups either. It's just not that kind of place. I mean, what would a kid want with a dive bowling alley (what we finally decided it was) in the first place anyhow? read more

I like old-fashioned, and not only in its liquid form. Gentlemen holding the door for you, reading a book with a cover and rustling pages, writing a letter instead of sending an email - all these things appeal to me more and more with my old age and I am not ashamed of it. I embrace my lack of modernity fiercely....until I am at work, outwizard-ed (it's a word) by kids young enough to be my own who know all the secrets of Microsoft and beyond. The same goes for bowling alleys. Now, admittedly, I am an awful player. Or rather, let's say that I am an inexperienced player who shows up once every 5 years for a game and max at 25 points with an impressive series of scratches. Oh well. That's how it goes. But Timber Lanes makes it tolerable because it's such a no-frill place. You leave your shoes in front, you grab your tools for the night, order a drink at the bar and just go to town, hopefully with someone who knows how to keep score on top of kicking your ass. It's so low-key, you don't have to think about your hair twice, I promise you gals. I am quite unclear on the pricing since I wasn't the main person involved, but 3 lanes for 2 hours came up to $120. My Blue Moon was billed $5, and the shoes (not that bad, I should add), only $3. But beware, gentle bowlers: the place is cash only. Thankfully, an ATM is just outside the door for all your green bill needs. A solid entertainment option in North Center. read more

You know how in movies, places people go are always a little cooler than they are in real life? Bowling alleys? Well, they're all loaded full of cool characters, like in the Big Lebowski or Kingpin, right? So why wouldn't a person want to hang around in bowling alleys? Here's why: life ain't the movies, and real people are a lot less interesting and not quite so good looking either. Unless you're at the Timberlanes. Tiberlanes is the super cool retro bowling alley where the jukebox plays a great soundtrack and the extras are as hip and good looking as the star thinks he is (OK, they're actually hipper and better looking). This place was so fun I now actually want to go out bowling on weekends. The staff is super nice, there's no smoking, the beer is good, it isn't packed with teenagers- Timberlanes gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Of course you probably won't like it! So stay away! read more

Thank God they don't serve food here. We were here for a work party and there were these 2 ladies that came in with their dogs. Fine whatever but putting them on the counter is not acceptable. Not like for a few min, but the whole time we were there so were the dogs on the counter top. That's gross. read more

Timber Lanes - Totally inappropriate and disgusting. - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So my friends and I are walking down the street after dinner. My friend points out to our friend (who is in from out of town) that this building is a bowling alley. And I'm all, "no shit! I had no idea! Let's go bowling!" And we did. When we walked in, we were a little mystified by the old school set up. Self scoring, locker rooms, etc. League play was just finishing up, but the woman working the bar made us feel totally welcome, so we changed our shoes (she even gave us socks! mine were brand new - it still had the plastic thingy on them), got a drink, picked some tunes on the jukebox, and ten minutes later we had our very own lane, complete with self scoring. And no, we didn't cheat! This is a small thing, but I did see some blind people in here bowling when we came in. They made use of the bumpers, but I thought it was so sweet they give them a place to play just like everyone else. What's not sweet? That they bowled better than me. Sigh. (Though my second game improved!) (But still not as good as theirs.) But where else can you have a fun night out for less than $10? In this economy, this place is a gem! Timberlanes, you're like the ultimate dive bar of bowling alleys. And I love it! read more