Historic Houston Bowling Alleys

[nativehou]

We have two bowling alleys, a roller rink and a skating rink in Clear Lake.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the difference was between a roller rink and a skating rink before I realized you meant the ice skating rink off of the Gulf Freeway.

[northbeaumont]

I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the difference was between a roller rink and a skating rink before I realized you meant the ice skating rink off of the Gulf Freeway.

I learned to be specific when referring to ice skating versus roller skating. But they were the same thing to me because I busted my butt many times doing both of them. The only difference was that one was hard cold ice and the other was hard hot wood. Now that I remember, sometimes the floor at the bowling alley was so slick that when I rolled the ball I slipped and busted my butt on that floor, too.

[plumber2]

If you walk into the Men's Club on Sage Rd. and try not to look at the stripper poles, leather couches and naked woman you can almost imagine the Windsor Park Bowling Lanes. Well okay, you can look at naked women

[northbeaumont]

If you walk into the Men's Club on Sage Rd. and try not to look at the stripper poles, leather couches and naked woman you can almost imagine the Windsor Park Bowling Lanes. Well okay, you can look at naked women

I'm not that kind of a guy. I always turn my head whenever I see stuff like that.

[Vertigo58]

Actually there is a bowling alley where "clothing is optional". Its not in Texas though. Its west but cant say or others get angry. Honest.

[FilioScotia]

Actually there is a bowling alley where "clothing is optional". Its not in Texas though. Its west but cant say or others get angry. Honest.

So many possible jokes and puns. So little time.

[57Tbird]

So many possible jokes and puns. So little time.

I started to post this yesterday. Since you brought it up...

That must be a really swingin' place!

Next.

[northbeaumont]

Actually there is a bowling alley where "clothing is optional". Its not in Texas though. Its west but cant say or others get angry. Honest.

I would assume that the bowlers would at least wear bowling shoes. I don't know if I could bowl that way, with all of that flopping around and all.

[Vertigo58]

I would assume that the bowlers would at least wear bowling shoes. I don't know if I could bowl that way, with all of that flopping around and all.

women could wear flip-flops.

Imagine the draft in the joint? How would one keep score?

[texianjoe]

I would assume that the bowlers would at least wear bowling shoes. I don't know if I could bowl that way, with all of that flopping around and all.

I wonder where they hold the pencil between frames.

joe

[northbeaumont]

women could wear flip-flops.

Imagine the draft in the joint? How would one keep score?

Every bowler gets a split every now and then. And you'll be able to see a spare. What about a perfect game? Ah, the air from the vent where the bowler usually lets the air run through his fingers before he picks up his ball.

[TxFireguy]

I asked this question awhile back, but do not think anyone knew the answer.....Back in the 60's-70's there was a large bowling alley in what is now the Galleria area. It probably was on Post Oak about where Transco Tower is and where old KPRC studio was. That general area. It had an indoor archery range, slot car tracks and of course bowling! It was not a small place. I believe it was called ???????? USA Bowling. Anyone remember it?

[northbeaumont]

I wonder where they hold the pencil between frames.

joe

Behind their ears. But the last time I went to a bowling alley, I saw that the bowler's scores were automatically kept, I assume by some kind of a computer system. They didn't have to write down anything. After the ball hit the pins, the number of pin knocked down and the position of the pins left standing up was displayed on the overhead monitor.

[mcook2002]

does anyone know of any old bowling alley locations inside the loop, preferably in the northwest quarter?

[acamarillo]

Do you want existing buildings or just where they were located? For example, there used to be a bowing alley in the Fulton Theater building, and after that it became the Stardust ballroom. But now the building is gone and the location is part of an HISD campus.

[mcook2002]

I was hoping for existing buildings.

[sevfiv]

Are you mainly looking for bowling alleys that are open as something else now?

I have found a couple on HCAD that are still under the "bowling alley" building use code (8306) but I can run a check on some directories soon.

Most I know of off the top of my head are not inside the loop like Bellfort Lanes (http://arch-ive.org/...bellfort-lanes/)

and Meadowcreek Bowling Alley on Richey:

[GEM]

Lanes on Little York,early 60s?....

[NenaE]

There WAS a bowling alley on the SE side of town, on a street close to the Gulf Freeway, west side, I'm guessing, in between College Rd. & Almeda Genoa Rd. and of course, the one at Gulfgate was cool, demolished.

Think there was one near Gessner and I-10, side st. North of I-10 & Memorial City. Became a gun range.

Edited October 16, 2012 by NenaE

[acamarillo]

If we're going outside the loop, there were two on Little York close to 45 and one on 529. One on the south side of Little York was fairly small, and I can't remember the name. The building stood for years after it closed and it became a church. Don't think the building is still there now. On the north side was Big Texan lanes. It went into a former store, again don't remember, and after it closed it became the Food Town that is still there. On 529, Imperial Valley Lanes, an AMF location, was open until about 2004 or so. That building is still there and unoccupied.

[Specwriter]

If we're going outside the loop, there were two on Little York close to 45 and one on 529. One on the south side of Little York was fairly small, and I can't remember the name. The building stood for years after it closed and it became a church. Don't think the building is still there now. On the north side was Big Texan lanes. It went into a former store, again don't remember, and after it closed it became the Food Town that is still there. On 529, Imperial Valley Lanes, an AMF location, was open until about 2004 or so. That building is still there and unoccupied.

I have bowled at all three. I was a member of the bowling club in junior high (Stovall, Aldine ISD) and we would go on Wednesday afternoons to that small alley on Little York. I can't remember the name but it seemed old even then (around 1973). Could it have been Canino Lanes? That half way makes sense in that Canino was the name of a prominent family in the area (think Farmers' Market) and there is a Canino Road that runs parallel to Little York. Firebird65 are you there?

Big Texan was, at first, a Grants or some other discount/variety store. It seemed huge compared to any bowling alley I had seen up to that time. It was a great late-night hang out for a bunch of teenagers.

A good friend of mine worked at the bowling lanes on Aldine-Bender (FM 525, not 529. That is in the northwest part of the county near Copperfield). His family lived in the Imperial Valley neighborhood so he could even walk to the place. I got some free games and soft drinks at that place as one might imagine.

[GEM]

[acamarillo]

thanks for the correct about 525. I knew that, just had a senior moment i guess. is that how it starts?

[Original Timmy Chan's]

There WAS a bowling alley on the SE side of town, on a street close to the Gulf Freeway, west side, I'm guessing, in between College Rd. & Almeda Genoa Rd.

You're thinking of Mimosa Lanes? It was on Mosely between Airport and Gulf Freeway. I believe there's a hotel there now.

I ate more than my share of grilled cheese sandwiches in the snack bar there as a kid. First place I ever bowled.

After that we spent a lot of Saturday mornings at Meadow Creek, and later Armadilla II off of Fuqua. Armadilla II had the fancy automated scoring on TV's!

[Dub]

Back in the 70's there was a bowling alley on Shepherd or maybe Durham between I-10 and 11th st.?

[sevfiv]

Pan African Church on MLK near Albermarle uses the old South Park Bowling building

On Luell just east of Jensen there's a (vacant?) building that was Luell Bowling Lanes (right next door to the Centre Theater)

The Christian Assembly building on S Post Oak near Willow was Post Oak Lanes

The bar on Lawndale near 75th (El Portal Disco?) was Lawndale Bowling Center

The medical offices at 7015 Almeda (just south of OST) was apparently MacGregor Bowling but you can't tell

I *think* the old Ayala Tortillas on Fulton @ Woodard was Lindale Bowling Center

Also, Clear Lake Lanes on Diana Ln. recently closed up shop

[NenaE]

You're thinking of Mimosa Lanes? It was on Mosely between Airport and Gulf Freeway. I believe there's a hotel there now.

I ate more than my share of grilled cheese sandwiches in the snack bar there as a kid. First place I ever bowled.

After that we spent a lot of Saturday mornings at Meadow Creek, and later Armadilla II off of Fuqua. Armadilla II had the fancy automated scoring on TV's

Yes, that was the name, TimmyChan...I think there is an HISD school in that location.

I forgot about the one at Lawndale, Sevfiv.

Guess we didn't exactly stick to locations asked for, but it's fun to remember them. I went to Gulfgate, Meadowcreek and the Bellfort one, once.

Edited October 17, 2012 by NenaE

[Specwriter]

thanks for the correct about 525. I knew that, just had a senior moment i guess. is that how it starts?

From personal experience I can say "Yes, that is how it starts." Another great thing about HAIF is it gives me the opportunity to 'exercise' my memory which is getting pretty flabby these days.

Also, Clear Lake Lanes on Diana Ln. recently closed up shop

That's a pity. My family and I bowled there just last July. My two grown children took their mother and me there to celebrate her birthday. The four of us going bowling was something we did more frequently when the children were young and living at home.

This is a little off-topic but: I've 'bowled' on the Wii and there is no comparison to real bowling. I sort of suck at bowling (just like golf) but I enjoy it none-the-less. We as a society need to shut off the laptops, I-pads, etc., get off our rear ends, and socialize face-to-face while doing something that is at least a bit physical. In my warped mind even playing 42 is physical compared to staring at a screen and clicking a mouse.

[BelindaMata]

Yep, the bowling alley in SE Houston was where I spent one summer (1969)trying to learn to bowl. I took in ironing to pay for the league.

[FilioScotia]

I remember the bowling alley in the Merchant's Park Shopping Center on North Shepherd at West 11th. It was where I bowled the best game of my life one night back in the 60s.

I bowled 8 straight strikes spread out over two games, and finished that second game at 238. It was a memorable night, but, sadly, I never even came close to that again.

Thanks for the memories.