Park Lanes in Mansfield, built in 1959, was closed and demolished in 2020. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Bowling alleys seem like they have always been around — when I was growing up in suburban Columbus, there were bowling alleys all over town. It wasn’t so long ago that, similar to movie theaters, miniature golf courses and shopping malls, they were ubiquitous.

As we reach the mid-2020s, bowling alleys are fortunately not becoming extinct, but their numbers have been steadily diminishing for several reasons. Some have experienced fires and floods, others were impacted by recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many places could not afford the expense of upgrades. Some, as family-run small businesses, were unsuccessful in finding a second- or third-generation operators as older ones retired.

Dusty Tires now lists a number of bowling alleys in Ohio.

Bowling has a lengthy history, starting out in medieval times or even earlier as a game primarily played by the wealthy — on outdoor “bowling greens.” Dutch colonists brought the game to America in the 1600s. In 1875, the National Bowling Association was formed and adopted a standard set of playing rules and measurements.

Bowling boomed in the years after World War II, and the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) was formed in 1958. The number of sanctioned indoor bowling alleys peaked at about 12,000 in the U.S. in the mid-1960s. Since the late 1990s, participation in bowling has steadily declined.

The sport is changing to meet the changing times with improved technology for scoring and ball return, more playing options and combining bowling with other recreational activities.

Bowling is easy to learn and fun to play in its basic form. It’s a great form of recreation in the cold weather months and there are many great venues in Ohio to enjoy bowling, arcade games, billiards and food. Dusty Tires now lists a number of them in the state.

Though the number of bowling places has diminished since the heydays of the 1950s and ’60s, there are still far too many locations in Ohio to list in one single place, so go online to find one not listed in Dusty Tires that’s near your community.

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Ken Drenten is creator and manager of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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