Boston-Area Bowling Alleys

Regardless of the weather outside, bowling is a year-round activity you can take advantage of in the Boston area. With bowling alleys from downtown Boston to the outermost suburbs, this is a physical activity that is welcoming to friends, families, kids and couples. Bowling is a recreational activity that encourages socializing with others, with the combination of entertainment and physical activity.

Types of Bowling

The Boston area has a variety of bowling games to choose from, whether you are interested in tenpin or candlepin bowling. Tenpin is the conventional form of bowling with 10 pins and 10 frames, where you have two chances to knock down the pins in the first nine frames and three chances in the 10th frame. Candlepin requires a much smaller ball, with three balls that are thrown per frame. Another difference is that the pins in candlepin bowling are cylindrically shaped, without a difference in the top or bottom. Since you use a much smaller ball, the candle-shaped pins are a lot more challenging to knock down in candlepin bowling.

Additional Entertainment

Boston-area bowling alleys commonly offer you separate billiards rooms, with pool tables that can be rented by the hour. Game rooms are another feature of several Boston-area bowling alleys that offer you coin-operated arcade machines. Some bowling alleys in the Boston-area have game rooms that are open 24 hours for your convenience, such as Boston Bowl in Dorchester.

Equipment

Shoe and bowling ball rentals are affordable at all bowling alleys in the Boston area, whether you are bowling tenpin or candlepin. Bowling alleys like Lanes and Games in Cambridge have a pro shop on the second floor, where you can purchase tenpin and candlepin balls, bags, accessories and bowling shoes. Services at the pro shop include repairing, resurfacing, drilling, engraving, cleaning and polishing bowling balls.

Special Events

Bowling alleys in the Boston-area commonly turn the lights down, with black lights and music playing on the weekends. This ranges in names from Rock and Bowl to Mystic Bowling to Cosmic Bowling.

Daytime and early evening hours are welcoming to kids' birthday parties, with bowling alleys that offer package deals. Ryan Family Amusements in Millis specializes in package deals that include bowling, shoe rentals, game room tokens, balloons and pizza.

Considerations

Evenings are commonly reserved for adults, such as at Kings Back Bay in downtown Boston, which after 6 p.m. are geared toward customers who are 21 and over. During the evenings for adults, kids are still allowed into bowling alleys when accompanied by an adult. While some bowling alleys offer both tenpin and candlepin, keep in mind that others offer only one type of bowling. Saving money for group functions is possible at some Boston-area bowling alleys, where you are allowed to bring your own food and beverages at little or no cost.

References

Article reviewed by Jon Fogg Last updated on: Dec 8, 2010

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