Silver Bar Bowl (Gone)
Garden City, MI Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
The Silver Bar Bowl looked like the kind of neighborhood bowling alley where generations of league bowlers gathered week after week. Its classic roadside sign and adjoining restaurant made it a longtime fixture along Middlebelt Road. 04-01
The Silver Bar dates back to the 1940s, with the bowling alley added soon afterward as part of what became known as Silver Bar Restaurant & Garden City Recreation. Over the years the property operated under several names, including Silver Saloon, Silver Lanes, and Albert's on the Alley, before the bowling lanes were eventually removed. Rather than being demolished, the building was converted into an event venue and continues to serve the community today.
UPDATE: The bowling alley is gone, and the vintage marquee has been removed. The former building survives as The Garden Banquet event venue. 06-26
Luxury Lanes Bowl
Ferndale, MI Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
The Luxury Lanes Bowl marquee proudly proclaims that "Bowling is fun for everyone," and it's hard to argue with that. Between the colorful sign and the bright geometric accents covering the side of the building, this place still has plenty of mid-century personality. 04-01
Luxury Lanes remains the last operating bowling alley in Ferndale, continuing a tradition that stretches back to the city's bowling boom years. The 16-lane center has held onto its neighborhood feel while adding modern scoring, a lounge, and a kitchen, making it a favorite spot for leagues, families, and casual bowlers alike.
The sign is one of the best surviving bowling marquees in Michigan. From the bold lettering to the cheerful slogan stretched across the face, it captures the optimistic roadside style of the 1950s and 1960s,when bowling alleys competed for attention with colorful neon and eye-catching designs instead of digital billboards.
UPDATE: Luxury Lanes remains open, and its vintage marquee still greets bowlers along 9 Mile Road. 06-26
Pin-up Bowl
St Louis, MO Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson
The Pin-Up Bowl may be a modern bowling alley, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the sign. Perched above the roofline, the colorful marquee looks right at home among the classic neon bowling alleys that inspired it. 10-05
Opened in 2003 by St. Louis developer Joe Edwards, Pin-Up Bowl was designed as a boutique eight-lane bowling alley and martini lounge in the heart of the Delmar Loop. Rather than recreate a large league house, Edwards built an intimate destination filled with vintage bowling memorabilia and pin-up artwork that celebrates the spirit of mid-century America.
The rooftop sign is what really sells the illusion. Complete with retro lettering, neon, and a pin-up girl graphic, it's one of the few modern bowling marquees that could easily be mistaken for something built half a century earlier.
UPDATE: Pin-Up Bowl remains open, and its retro rooftop marquee continues to light up the Delmar Loop. 06-26
Bel Air Bowl (Closed)
Belleville, IL Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson
The original Bel Air Bowl proudly advertised its 24 lanes and lounge right on the marquee, a familiar sight for generations of bowlers in Belleville. While the sign is gone today, the business itself found a way to keep rolling. 10-05
Bel Air Bowl opened in 1960 as a 24-lane neighborhood bowling alley complete with the Arbor Room restaurant and lounge. In 2007, rather than close for good, the owners purchased the former Panorama Lanes across town and moved the entire operation into the larger facility. Today, Bel Air Bowl continues as a 32-lane bowling center at its new location.
UPDATE: The Bel Air Bowl is now closed. See below for more info. Many thanks to Dennis Dixson for update. 10-07
UPDATE: The original bowling alley has closed, and its vintage marquee has been removed. Bel Air Bowl remains open at its relocated Belleville location. 06-26
Panorama Lanes (Closed/ Now the Bel-Air)
Belleville, IL Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson
The colorful marquee at Panorama Lanes was one of Belleville's best roadside bowling signs. Even after the business changed hands, the sign remained for a few more years before finally disappearing from the skyline. 10-05
Panorama Lanes became part of Belleville bowling history in 2007 when it was purchased by the owners of Bel-Air Bowl and St. Clair Bowl. Rather than operate competing centers, they consolidated operations by moving the Bel-Air Bowl name into the Panorama building, creating the modern Bel-Air Bowl that continues to operate today.
The building still retains a few reminders of its Panorama days, including some of the vintage recessed neon lighting in the lounge. Unfortunately, the colorful roadside marquee didn't survive and was removed around 2013.
UPDATE: The Panorama Lanes bowling alley in Belleville, IL is now Bel-Air Bowl. There was another Bel-Air Bowling Lanes on the other side of town which closed and moved in place of the Panorama Bowl. They remodeled the neon sign which brought it back to life but in my opinion it is not quite as nice. More info can be found at http://www.belairbowl.com/. Many thanks to Dennis Dixson for update. 10-07
UPDATE: The former Panorama Lanes building remains open as Bel-Air Bowl. The original Panorama marquee has been removed. 06-26
Lakeshore Lanes (Gone)
Ashtabula, OH Photo courtesy Tony Craig
When this photo was taken, Lakeshore Lanes was still welcoming bowlers along Lake Avenue in Ashtabula. Like so many neighborhood bowling alleys, it spent decades serving league bowlers, families, and anyone looking to roll a few games. 03-06
Built in 1952, Lakeshore Lanes remained a local favorite for nearly 70 years. Sadly, its long run came to an abrupt end on October 1, 2022, when a devastating overnight fire completely destroyed the building. Despite the efforts of multiple fire departments, the blaze quickly consumed the aging structure, leaving nothing to save.
UPDATE: Lakeshore Lanes was destroyed by fire in 2022. The building, sign, and bowling alley are gone, and the property is now a vacant lot. 06-26
Mr. Bill's Bowling Center (Gone)
Columbus, OH Photo courtesy Sol Bermann
Long before its familiar cartoon bowling ball welcomed bowlers along Cleveland Avenue, this neighborhood favorite began life as Northern Lights Bowl, named after the nearby Northern Lights Shopping Center. Later renamed Mr. Bill's Bowling Center, it remained a popular gathering place for league bowlers and families on Columbus' northeast side. 04-06
The bowling center eventually closed after its owner purchased nearby Amos Lanes on Innis Road. Rather than operating two facilities, the business consolidated its leagues, equipment, and operations into the newer location, which was renamed HP Lanes. While the original Cleveland Avenue building and its classic roadside sign are gone, the bowling lineage continued under its new home.
UPDATE: The original Mr. Bill's Bowling Center has been closed for years, and its sign has been removed. Its business operations ultimately merged into what is now HP Lanes in Columbus. 06-26
Silver Bar Bowl (Gone)
Pin-up Bowl
Bel Air Bowl (Closed)
Lakeshore Lanes (Gone)
Mr. Bill's Bowling Center (Gone)
