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The history of Minneapolis & St. Paul Bowling Centers
Through the years, bowling has gone through many changes. This section of The Metro Bowler will show pictures of old bowling centers that once graced the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. As we get more details about the centers it will be included here. If you have information please share it with us!
The Metro Bowler did a lot of searching for pictures and information for this page. We would like to thank the following sources: Minnesota Historical Society, Minneapolis Historical Society, Uptown Lanes Alumni (Facebook), Historic Minneapolis (Facebook), St. Paul Yesterday (Facebook), Richfield Historical Society, eBay, Google Maps, and many others who shared memories and pictures. Thank you very much!
38th & Nicollet Lanes
38th Street & Nicollet Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
8 lanes - closed 1996
Airport Bowl
7711 14th Ave S. Richfield, MN 55423
12 lanes - Built in 1950s, Closed in 2000s
All American Lanes
Como Ave. W at Hwy. 280
St. Paul, MN
Opened 1977 - Closed 1986
All Star Bowl
aka. Diamond Lake Midway
aka. Midway Pro Bowl
Snelling & University
St. Paul, MN
Closed 2017
AMF City Limits Lanes
15400 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN
24 Lanes, AMF
Closed in 2011
AMF Maple Lanes
6310 Highway 65 NE
Fridley, MN
32 Lanes
Opened 1953
Closed August 12, 2012
AMF Maplewood Lanes
1955 English Street. Maplewood, MN
Closed April 2013
Anoka Alleys
E. Main St. & 2nd Ave.
Anoka, MN
In basement - lanes might still be there
Apache Bowl-O-Mat
aka. Fair Lanes Apache Plaza
New Brighton, MN
36 lanes - Closed 1996
Aqua Bowl
Hwy. 101 & Minnetonka Blvd.
Wayzata, MN
Arcade Lanes
Arcade & Germanium Ave. E
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Open 1951, closed 1973
Arlington Lanes
Payne Ave. at Minnehaha Ave. E
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Open 1952 - Close 1986
Arnie's Bowling Center
aka Showboat Lanes
Hwy. 10 & 27th St. S
St. Paul Park, MN
16 lanes - Open 1979, Closed 1994
Ascension Club - Ascension Catholic Church
1704 Dupont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN
8 lanes, closed in 1962
Audi Bowl
2nd Ave. S & 11th St. S
Minneapolis, MN
16 lanes - closed 1967
Baden's Bowling Center
78th Street West & Lyndale Ave. S., Richfield, MN
12 lanes, Brunswick
The center was built in the 1950s & burned in 1978s.
Baden's Stadium Bowl
Between Portland & 12 Ave. S, south frontage road of I-494
Bloomington, MN
24 lanes
Beacon Bowl
6525 Lyndale Ave. N.
Brooklyn Center, MN
12 lanes - closed 1997
Biltmore Bowl
5113 W 50th St. (now Gus Young Lane) Edina, Minnesota
32 Lanes, AMF
Bloomdale Lanes
1024 France Ave. S
Bloomington, MN
16 lanes, Closed 1966
Brighton Lanes
I-694 & Old Hwy. 8
New Brighton, MN
16 lanes - Open 1953 - Closed 2001
Brunswick Carriage House
8645 Wayzata Blvd.
Golden Valley, MN
Closed 1985 for construction of I-394
Brynwood Bowl
1317 Glenwood Ave. W
Minneapolis, MN
Closed in 1957
Buffalo Bowling Lanes & Cafe
7th St. NE & Hwy 55
Buffalo, MN
4 lanes
Burnsville Bowl
1200 Highway 13 East
Burnsville, MN
Opened in 1968
Closed in 2010
Calhoun Alleys
W. Lake St. & Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN
6 lanes - closed in 1959
Camden Lanes
4160 Washington Ave. N
Minneapolis, MN
Captain Jack's Bowling
I-94 & Century Ave. N
Landfall, MN
24 lanes - Open 1974 - Closed 1984
because of I-94 freeway construction
Cedar Lanes
8932 Cedar Ave. S.
Bloomington, MN
20 Lanes, 1956 - Fire in 1987
Celebrity Lanes
aka Red Crown Lanes
7650 Wayzata Blvd.
Wayzata, MN
Closed 1967
Central Avenue Rec
1920 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis
6 lanes, Brunswick
Closed 1988
Century Lanes
9205 Lexington Ave. NE
Circle Pines, MN
12 lanes - closed 1968
Chalet Bowl
3520 N Lilac Drive
Crystal, MN
24 lanes - closed 2007
Chanhassen Bowl
Market Blvd. and West 78th St.
Chanhassen, MN
24 lanes - closed 1997
Chisago Lakes Lanes
29905 Shoquist Lane
Chisago City, MN
12 Lanes - AMF
Claude & Ken's
Sunset Bowling Center
White Bear Lake, MN
Coffman Memorial Union
Bowling Lanes
University of Minnesota - East Bank
300 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN
Coon Rapids Lanes
Bluebird St. NW & 100th Ave. NW
Coon Rapids, MN
16 lanes - closed 2002
Dan Patch Lanes
12390 Ottawa Ave.
Savage, MN
8 lanes, Closed 2007
Dayton's Bluff
Bowling Lanes and Bar
770 E. 7th St.
St. Paul,, MN
Diamond Lake Lanes South
5959 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN
24 lanes, AMF - Closed 1993
Downtown Bowl
Hennepin Avenue & 6th Street North
Minneapolis, MN
16 Lanes, Opened 1920s, Closed 1982
Doyle's Lanes
5000 West Broadway
Crystal, MN
24 lanes - closed 2017
E-Z Lanes
aka Polar Bowl & Homewood
Plymouth Ave. N & Logan Ave. N
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1963
Earle Brown Lanes
aka AMF Earle Brown Lanes
6440 James Place
Brooklyn Center, MN
32 lanes - Open 1978, Closed 2015
East Side Lanes
Central Ave. SE & 5th St. SE
Minneapolis, MN
10 lanes - closed 1972
Edina Bowling Center
France Avenue South at 50th Street
Edina, Minnesota
16 lanes, 2 levels. Brunswick
Closed 1966
Elk's Club
72 Congress St. E
St. Paul, MN
Opened 1945 - closed 1986
Elk River Bowl
13161 Highway 10 W
Elk River, MN
8 lanes - closed 2007
Elk River Recreation
Hwy. 10 & Main St. NW
Elk River, MN
4 lanes
Falcon Bowl
aka. Flaherty's Lanes
1550 W. Larpenteur Ave.
St. Paul, MN
12 lanes - 1947 to 2003
Frankie & Johnny's
Recreation
1066 E 7th St. at Earl
St. Paul, MN
Friendly Alleys
311 Main St. NE
Minneapolis, MN
12 lanes - closed 1965
Golden Valley Lanes
2220 Olson Memorial Hwy.
Golden Valley, MN
Opened in 1957 - Closed in 1998
Goodin's K of C Lanes
West Broadway Ave. & N Logan Ave.
Minneapolis
6 lanes - closed 1979
Greater St. Paul Bowling Assoc.
1022 Arkwright St.
St. Paul, MN
Made for the 1965 ABC National Tournament
Greenhaven Community Center
Greenhaven Rd. & Hwy 10
Anoka, MN
4 lanes - at Greenhaven Golf Course
Hafner's (Hillcrest)
White Bear Avenue at Hoyt
St. Paul, MN
28 lanes (up and down)
Opened 1956 - Closed 2002
Hammond Lanes
aka Hagen Lanes
aka Guild Lanes
Minnesota St. & 6th St. E
St. Paul, MN
6 lanes - Open 1949, closed 1961
Harkins Bowling Palace
69 East 8th Street
St. Paul, MN
24 lanes - Opened 1947 - Fire in 1969
Hart's Cafe & Bowling
Lake St. E & Broadway Ave. S
Wayzata, MN
6 lanes - Opened 1927, closed 1960s
Hiawatha Bowl
Lake Street E at 35th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1969
Hiniker Lanes
Great River Road & 18th St. W
Hastings, MN
12 Lanes - closed 1977
Equipment moved to Buccaneer Lanes
Hi Way 10 Bowl
Coon Rapids Blvd. & Eldorado St. NW
Coon Rapids, MN
12 Lanes, AMF - Closed in 1987
Holy Cross Lanes
aka Diamond Lake Northeast
4th St NE and 17th Ave NE
Minneapolis
Closed 1981
Ken's Lanes
aka Doyle's Lanes
6406 Bass Lake Road
Crystal, MN
Lanes moved to Doyle's Lanes new location - 1976
King's Lanes
1601 Nicollet Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1963
Lariat Lanes
6310 Penn Ave. S., Richfield, MN
Opened 1958 - Closed 2015
Larry's Recreation
aka Kelly's Pub
10th & Wabasha
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Brunswick
Lilac Lanes
Excelsior Blvd. at Woodale Ave. S.
Edina, MN
Opened 12-27-1941 - Closed 1978 (fire)
Lincoln Rec
721 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN
Lorence Recreation
University Avenue and Lexington Avenue, St. Paul, MN
12 Lanes - Opened 1961, Closed 1990s
Loring-Nicollet Lanes
1330 Nicollet Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1976
Lowry Emerson Lanes
Lowry Ave W at Emerson Ave N
Minneapolis, MN
Closed in 1968
Lynbrook Bowl
6357 N Lyndale Avenue, Brooklyn Center, MN
24 Lanes, Closed 1988
Lyn-Del Lanes
9336 Lyndale Avenue South
Bloomington, MN
12 Lanes - Closed 2007
Mady's Bowl
3919 Central Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN
12 lanes - Opened 1964 - Closed 2011
Melody Lanes
5327-5335 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN
16 Lanes, Closed in 1957
Marv's Rainbow Bowl
aka Bridgeway Bowl & Broadway Bowl
Plymouth Ave. & N 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN
24 lanes, Brunswick - Closed 2000
Johnny Mauer's Recreation
400 Auditorium St.
St. Paul, MN
12 lane - closed 1962
Melody Lanes
5327 Lyndale Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN
16 lanes, closed 1957
Midway Gardens
Fry St. & Sherburne Ave.
St. Paul, MN
8 Lanes, Opened 1930s, Closed 1940s
Midway Industrial Bowl
Seal Street & W. Territorial Road
St. Paul, MN
20 lanes - closed 1958
Midway YMCA Lanes
University Ave W & N Wheeler St.
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - closed 1979
Minnehaha Lanes
955 Seminary
St. Paul, MN
40 Lanes - Open 1958 Closed 2008
Mohawk Bar & Alleys
South Robert at Concord
St. Paul, MN
Mound Lanes
Cypress Drive & Shoreline Dr.
Mound, MN
8 lanes - closed 1997
Navarre Lanes
3435 Shoreline Dr.
Wayzata MN
10 lanes - closed 2000s
Nick's Cafe & Bowling
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
6 lanes - Closed 1976
Nokomis Lanes
4040 Bloomington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
24 Lanes, AMF
Northside Bowl
Lyndale Ave. N at 44th Ave N
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1977 for eventual construction of 94 through north Minneapolis
Northway Bowl
Lake Drive & Dunlap
Circle Pines, MN
20 lanes - Open 1958, Close 1963
Nybo Lanes
Hwy. 61 & Broad St.
Red Wing, MN
22 lanes
Oxford Lanes
Selby Ave. & Chatsworth St. N
St. Paul, MN
10 lanes - closed 1971
Packer's Lanes
Southview Blvd. & 12th Ave S
Inver Grove Hts, MN
16 lanes - Open 1959 - Closed 1970
Closed to build Drkula's Lanes
Park Recreation
Snelling Ave. & Selby Ave.
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Closed 1963
Park Place Lanes
a.k.a.: Joyner Lanes
a.k.a.: Diamond Lake North
7800 Lakeland Ave. N., Osseo, MN
Opened 1957 - Closed 1993
Parkway Bowling Center
Chicago Ave S & E 47th St.
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1975
Pastime Bowling Alley
aka Hyder's & Ken's Lanes
2110 W Broadway Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1973
Payne Ave. Rec.
Payne Ave. & York Ave.
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - closed 1968
Phil's Lanes
Lake Street E. & 2nd Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN
8 lanes - closed ???
Pla-Mor Lanes
aka Stillwater Recreation
Hwy. 95 & Nelson St. E, Stillwater, MN
8 lanes - opened 1950 - now closed
Playdium Lanes
West Broadway Ave. & N Aldrich Ave.
Minneapolis
8 lanes - closed 1963
Playmor Bowling Alleys
Hwy. 7 & Mill St.
Excelsior, MN
Closed ??? - Fire
Prior Place Bowl
Village Lake Dr. SE & Tower Street SE
Prior Lake, MN
16 lanes - Closed 1993
Pudge's
2155 Ford Parkway
St. Paul, MN
Richfield Lanes
6449 Lyndale Avenue South
Richfield, MN
10 lanes, Brunswick
Robin Lanes
W. Broadway & 47th Ave. N
Crystal, MN
Later moved to the Robin Center on Hwy. 81
Rockford House
Main Street & Bridge Street, Rockford, MN
Closed 1983 - Burned down - 8 lanes
Rose Bowl Lanes
Snelling Ave. & County Rd B West
Roseville, MN
24 lanes - Opened 1957 - closed 1986
Seven Corners Bowling
Washington Ave. & Cedar Ave.
West Bank U of M campus
Minneapolis, MN
Silver Star Lanes
Lake Street E. & Bloomington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1965
Skylanes
5019 34th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN
10 Lanes, built in 1950, Sold in 2014+
Southdale Bowl
3401 West 69th St.
Edina, MN
32 Lanes
Opened 1967, Closed 1989
Southview Bowl
aka Mady's Bowling Center
Concord St. N & Grand Ave. W
South St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - closed 1983
Spectrum Lanes
13001 62nd Place N
Maple Grove, MN
24 lanes - Closed 2008
Spring Lake Park Rec. Center
Central Ave. & Mounds View Blvd.
Spring Lake Park, MN
Closed 1977 - Fire
St. Anthony Lanes
St. Anthony Village Shopping Center
St. Anthony Village, MN
12 lanes - closed 1993
St. Bernard's Lanes
at St. Bernard's Church
197 Geranium Ave. w
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - built 1951, closed 1990s
St. Paul Athletic Club
340 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN
10 Lanes, Opened 1917, Closed 1991
St. Paul Eastside YMCA
875 Arcade St.
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Open 1953, bowling closed 1983
St. Paul House
2nd Ave. W at Fuller St. S
Shakopee, MN
8 lanes - closed early 1990s
St. Paul Union Depot
215 4th St. E
St. Paul, MN
Stransky's Recreation
1209 W 7th St.
St. Paul, MN
The Stahl House
586 Rice Street, St. Paul, MN
Opened before 1938, closed 2000
Tower Lanes
NE Stinson Blvd & I-35W
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1967
Town & Country Lanes
1467 Lake St. S
Forest Lake, MN
26 lanes - closed 2000
Town Club Bowling Center
Bridge Ave. at Crow River
Delano, MN
Tuttle's Recreation
Lake Street W at 28th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN
Closed 1956
Uptown Lanes
3033 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN
14 Lanes - Opened 1939, Closed 1982
Valley Creek Lanes
aka Royal Downs
I-494 at Lower After Road
Woodbury. MN
32 lanes - Open 1990 - Close 1998
Village North Bowl
7500 N. Zane Ave.
Brooklyn Park, MN
36 lanes - Open 1975 - Close 2005
Wallaby's Lanes
aka North Bowlero & Schaefer's Imperial Lanes
Central Ave NE & 45th Ave NE
Minneapolis. MN
24 lanes, Open 1960, closed 1990s
Weber's Lanes
73 7th Ave. NE, North St. Paul, MN
12 Lanes - Opened 1932 - Closed 1995
West Side Lanes
aka. Northstar Lanes (1956-1977)
Diamond Lake West (1977-1984)
Pro Bowl West (1988-1991)
1625 S. Robert St., West St. Paul
20 Lanes, AMF - Opened 1956, Closed 2013
White Bear Bowl
Hwy. 61 & Cedar Ave.
White Bear Lake, MN
24 lanes, Open 1957, Closed 2014
Wildwood Lanes
aka Willernee Lanes
Stillwater Road & Forest Ave.
Mahtomedi, MN
Open 1960 - closed 2015
Woog's Bowling Center
Concord Ave. and Winifred St. E
St. Paul, MN
8 lanes - Open 1945, closed 1973
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