Diversions Bowling Alley In The Galleria Mall

[TxFireguy]

Back in the 60's-70's there used to be a very large (I mean BIG) bowling alley near old KPRC studios located at what is now the Galleria. It may have been on Post Oak. What I remember about the place was that it had a slotcar track and also an archery range inside, not to mention other entertainment also. I think it was called ----- USA or something with USA in it. Any takers on this one?

This bowling alley was similar in size to the "Bronco Bowl" in Dallas (if it is still there)

See you at the Delman...

[northbeaumont]

Back in the 60's-70's there used to be a very large (I mean BIG) bowling alley near old KPRC studios located at what is now the Galleria. It may have been on Post Oak. What I remember about the place was that it had a slotcar track and also an archery range inside, not to mention other entertainment also. I think it was called ----- USA or something with USA in it. Any takers on this one?

This bowling alley was similar in size to the "Bronco Bowl" in Dallas (if it is still there)

See you at the Delman...

Sorry that I can't help you on this one. But I do remember back in the early 1960s going into an underground bowling alley in what was then called Gulfgate Shopping City. Would you happen to remember that one?

[TxFireguy]

Sorry that I can't help you on this one. But I do remember back in the early 1960s going into an underground bowling alley in what was then called Gulfgate Shopping City. Would you happen to remember that one?

I origianlly grew up in the SE side of Houston and went to Gulfgate quite often. I do not recall the bowling alley unless it was on the East side of the complex, which i think was a little lower than the rest of it.

[northbeaumont]

I origianlly grew up in the SE side of Houston and went to Gulfgate quite often. I do not recall the bowling alley unless it was on the East side of the complex, which i think was a little lower than the rest of it.

I think that that bowling alley was on the side that faced IH-45 (Gulf Freeway). I looked at a photo on TexasFreeway.Com and it a photo from the late 1950s which showed Sakowitz and Joske's and I think that it was somewhere in that vicinity.

[isuredid]

I think the bowling alley at Gulfgate was discussed in a thread on Gulfgate. I went there many times as a kid and it was indeed, in the basement on the side of the mall facing the I-45. I would call that the North side. That bowling alley was where I was first introduced to pinball. I used to go there to get their french fries. They would hand cut a whole potato, fry it up and serve it on a paper plate with a bottle of catsup. Yum!

Now I, like the previous posts, have subverted the original discussion....so...back to the bowling alley by the Galleria

Edited March 22, 2007 by isuredid

[rdeeds]

In the early 80's there was a bowling alley inside the Galleria II. It was on the NW corner of on the second level corridor leading to Saks. Currently it's a candy store. As I recall, the front half was a game room with the latest games, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Atari Football, Missile Command, etc. The lanes were divided into two sections of 4 or 5 lanes each. I believe the cost was around $1.75/game. When you were done, you could go catch a movie at the Galleria II cinema (now gone), or go up to Annabelle

[Tournstone]

I remember it well (enough). I spent a great deal of time and money in the game room area. Didn't bowl there much or at all. Just hung out in the game room part after skating. I actually think it was one floor up from where you describe. Where some offices are now.

I worked in the Ice Rink (Ice guard/bathroom attendant/rental counter/Zamboni driver) in the late 70s and early 80s but I thought it was gone by then.

Before the bowling/game room area, the highlight of my visits (other than skating lessons) were the "Fun Shop" on the lower level of Galleria I where I would spend money on cheap magic tricks. The Post Office sits there now.

At the cinema at the opposite end if Galleria I, I saw Jaws, Star Wars and had my first movie date with my now wife. Real embarrassing. Not knowing the difference I thought I was taking her to see Chariots of Fire when actually I took her to see Quest for Fire. Ugh! (literally)

[Vertigo58]

At the cinema at the opposite end if Galleria I, I saw Jaws, Star Wars and had my first movie date with my now wife. Real embarrassing. Not knowing the difference I thought I was taking her to see Chariots of Fire when actually I took her to see Quest for Fire. Ugh! (literally)

I vaguely remember seeing the game room mentioned above and PS, there may be another topic on this same quesion by the way so this one may get merged?

Anyhow, the movies that stand out for me at that now gone theater were American Gigolo, Animal House, Jaws! scary! Jaws really stands for me because theater was packed and someone burned the popcorn and we all had to vacate until the smoke cleared then the shark continued eating people. and Poltergeist was great on that big screen too! Led Zeppelin's "Song Remains The Same" was held over for weeks!

Ciao!

[Subdude]

Bowling alleys, movie theaters, game arcades....It sure sounds like the Galleria didn't start out as the "upscale" place it is today.

[PapillionWyngs]

Bowling alleys, movie theaters, game arcades....It sure sounds like the Galleria didn't start out as the "upscale" place it is today.

Well, it was on the top floor - partially hidden, and VERY tastefully appointed. There were backgammon boards, a bar, etc. My college friends and I would go there before and after Annabell's or the Galleria Roof. No kidding, my college boyfriend's family had a chauffer and he would take us anytime we wanted to go to the Galleria (about 8 blocks from BF's house). He got a kick out of making heads turn and making people wonder who these 18-20 somethings were.

I mentioned this bowling alley on here AGES ago - and no one said a peep!!!!!!

Glad someone remembered.

Edited June 10, 2007 by PapillionWyngs

[NenaE]

It's funny that so many people remember the Gulfgate bowling alley, guess because it was uniquely "downstairs", underground. In this city, that's rare. It was generally in between Joske's & Picadilly, by the (I would say) East entrance. Orange Julius was close by, maybe directly on top of it, at one time, and a nightclub, and savings bank were in front of it.

I don't remember the bowling alley by the Galleria. Does anyone know what street it faced?

[IronTiger]

I heard there was a bowling alley IN the Galleria, which didn't last long. Is that it?

[Pumapayam]

I don't remember the bowling alley by the Galleria. Does anyone know what street it faced?

There never was a bowling alley in the Galleria.

[RhinoVP]

There never was a bowling alley in the Galleria.

Pumapayam,

There actualy was a bowling alley in the Galleria, back in the mid to late 70's. My father who was a comercial loan officer for Bank of the Southwest at the time, made several trips there (with me in tow) to watch the construction of it.

The sad thing about it was, it stayed in operation almost as long as it took to build. It closed within just a few months, after a large number of complaints from neighboring mall tenants. However the idea didn't really take off anyway.

BTW - This wasn't so much of a bowling alley, as it was a bar that had a bowling alley in it.

[IronTiger]

Pumapayam,

There actualy was a bowling alley in the Galleria, back in the mid to late 70's. My father who was a comercial loan officer for Bank of the Southwest at the time, made several trips there (with me in tow) to watch the construction of it.

The sad thing about it was, it stayed in operation almost as long as it took to build. It closed within just a few months, after a large number of complaints from neighboring mall tenants. However the idea didn't really take off anyway.

BTW - This wasn't so much of a bowling alley, as it was a bar that had a bowling alley in it.

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1990_742374 mentions "Not everything at the Galleria has gone swimmingly. One of the most notable failures was the bowling alley that was an original tenant of the mall. The alley proved to be a little out of place for an upscale center. "

[plumber2]

Yep, the Men's Club was a bowling alley. It was behind Cooters at the time.

Cooters! What a name for a night club. Where was Uncle Sam's?

[Dagnabbit]

Cooters! What a name for a night club. Where was Uncle Sam's?

Uncle Sam's was on the east side of Fondren about a block or so south of Westhiemer.

[rsb320]

Uncle Sam's was on the east side of Fondren about a block or so south of Westhiemer.

That place was also called Suckers at some point.

[Highrise Tower]

On 3/21/2007 at 1:28 PM, TxFireguy said:

Back in the 60's-70's there used to be a very large (I mean BIG) bowling alley near old KPRC studios located at what is now the Galleria. It may have been on Post Oak. What I remember about the place was that it had a slotcar track and also an archery range inside, not to mention other entertainment also. I think it was called ----- USA or something with USA in it. Any takers on this one?

This bowling alley was similar in size to the "Bronco Bowl" in Dallas (if it is still there)

See you at the Delman...

I found an event venue inside The Galleria Mall II that you may be thinking of.

Diversions:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/my-home-the-galleria/

The spectacular failure in Galleria 2 had been Diversions, a hangout for teenagers that featured sixteen bowling lanes, a small disco, a bar, a sandwich area, and electronic games. The predictable things happened: a little dope pushing, cut-rate prostitutes, a shabbier clientele than the Galleria bosses preferred. The mall managers were lucky that Diversions had begun its stay undercapitalized and could be legally evicted. For many months Diversions’ owners had failed to pay their minimum monthly rent ($11,111.72), merchants’ association fee ($402.17), HVAC ($2016.25), common area maintenance charge ($4203.06), and the repair bills for plumbing, broken tiles, rest room repairs, and on and on. When it vacated earlier in the year, Diversions had owed more than $340,000.

https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1981/november/anatomy-of-a-super-mall/

The mall management’s most spectacular flop may have been Diversions, a Galleria II teenage hangout that featured 16 bowling lanes, a disco, electronic games, a bar and -on the side -dope and prostitutes. Things got a little shabby, but the mall was saved from contamination by another minor management miscalculation: Diversions had been allowed into the mall even though it was undercapitalized. It was booted in 1980, owing Hines more than $340,000.

A Chron article has a photo, but the capture read 8 lanes. The above, states 16 lanes.  Both of the time frames ad up though. 1980 and 1979.

 

[bugtoaster]

Thanks for posting that Texas Monthly article - it's a great snapshot of mall culture at its height, and shows what made the Galleria like its own, self-enclosed city (although THX1138 is a good point of reference too).

Edited November 21, 2022 by bugtoaster