Boston, Massachusetts is know for many things. The Boston Tea Party, Faneuil Hall, Fenway Park, Boston Harbor, The Charles River, the Back Bay and Harvard Square pull millions of tourists into ‘Bean Town’ each year.
One of the things in Boston that tourists don’t flock to is bowling alleys. In all fairness, it’s understandable. Bowling has long been considered a pedestrian or blue collar, game. And while Boston’s lifeblood, as with most great American cities, is probably its blue collar roots and mentality, bowling is not the type of pursuit likely to end up on the Boston Chamber of Commerce website.
But within the city proper, and nearby, the Boston area offers several great bowling alleys. Here is a list of, and reviews of, four great bowling alleys in or near Boston.
King’s Bowling Alleys
50 Dalton Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Located right in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay, King’s Bowling Alley is the official bowling alley of the Boston Red Sox. Why is that important? Well, King’s Bowling Alleys is a hard core sports bar that just so happens to have a bowling alley in the middle of it. This is one of the most fun bowling alleys in the entire Boston area. As mentioned, King’s Bowling Alleys has a heavy emphasis on all sports, meaning that it has ample televisions with baseball, football and basketball games continually showing, so that during down times in bowling, you can watch the game.
King’s Bowling Alleys offers a quality menu for food and drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
King’s Bowling Alley is a popular destination with Boston sports figures from the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins. With its convenient location and hard core sports oriented atmosphere, King’s Bowling Alleys is a no lose proposition.
Lucky Strike Lanes
145 Ipswich Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Located in the shadow of Fenway Park, as part of the Jillian’s complex, Lucky Strike Lanes in Boston is a favorite for before, after, and in lieu of Red Sox games.
Lucky Strike Lanes has a retro feel to it, but the facilities and bowling alley itself are very modern. Lucky Strike Lanes offers a menu that is decidedly above the bar food fare found at most Boston area bowling alleys.
Lucky Strike Lanes is also a popular bowling alley destination for parties and events. They cater to larger parties and offer different packages and pricing depending on the size and timing of your party.
Central Park Lanes
10 Saratoga Street
Boston, Massachusetts
While I have nothing against trendy and tourist friendly bowling alleys, some of which are described herein, there is something to be said for a more authentic, and neighborhood bowling alley.
Central Park Lanes certainly fits that bill. This is a ‘salt of the earth’, legitimate bowling alley experience. The lanes and facilities are well kept, the staff competent and the bowling real. There is no pretense, no flashy music, and no strobe lights here. You are very unlikely to see any actual Boston Red Sox, Patriot or Boston Celtic in this hard core Boston bowling alley.
But you will pay a lot less to bowl and have arguably more fun. Enjoy Central Park Lanes for what it is: quality bowling in a legitimate bowling atmosphere.
Lanes and Games
195 Concord Turnpike, Rte 2E
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Lanes and Games is a bowling alley that is somewhere between the old school, salt of the earth Boston bowling alley and the new, trendy Boston bowling alley. The facilities here are solid, and the bowling is set up well for the hard core bowler. But, Lanes and Games offers just enough extras to suffice to make it a step above the average.
Lanes and Games offers both candlepin and ten pin bowling. It also offers ‘bumpers’ designed for the novice, or child, bowler.
Lanes and Games offers a good food and drink menu so that as you bowl, or take a break from bowling, there is plenty to eat and enjoy.
Boston, Massachusetts offers a great number of good bowling alleys for the avid bowler or casual bowling enthusiast.
