Evergreen Towers Bowl (Demolished)
Evergreen Park, IL
Photo courtesy Bruce R. Cassi / 1990

Hidden behind a sprawling commercial complex along 95th Street, Evergreen Towers Bowl offered 32 lanes, a lounge, and a billiard parlor while sharing its massive building with a variety of businesses, including a mattress store, an optometrist, and the popular P.J. Flaherty's nightclub. Though the bowling alley itself sat out of view from the street, three striking neon signs ensured passing motorists knew there was plenty of entertainment waiting inside. Many thanks to Bruce R. Cassi for info. 04-07

White Way Sign Company supplied the displays, including a rotating sphere above the Towers Lounge sign. One side resembled a bowling ball; the other showed a billiard eight-ball. Two attractions advertised with one clever piece of machinery.

UPDATE: The complex was demolished and replaced by Menards. The bowling alley and its inventive neon signs are gone, including that memorable revolving ball. 06-26

Maplewood Bowling Lanes (Gone)
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Bruce R. Cassi

Maplewood Bowling Lanes closed in the mid-1990s, but its Lynch Sign Company marquee briefly found another purpose. The next business painted it brown, removed the bowling-pin topper and reused the structure. 06-07

After a 1998 ownership change, the former lanes became a fitness center, operating through the Cardinal Fitness and Charter Fitness names before becoming CFX Beverly.

UPDATE: The building continues serving the neighborhood as a gym. The reused bowling sign survived for several years before later renovations replaced it. 06-26

Treaty Lanes (Closed)
Greenville, OH
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Treaty Lanes sign in Greenville combined a towering bowling pin with a sweeping neon arrow. Named for the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville, the center gave local bowlers a memorable roadside welcome. 09-08

Its sixteen lanes and adjoining lounge offered a traditional neighborhood bowling experience, drawing league players, families and weekend crowds.

UPDATE: Treaty Lanes has permanently closed. Its vintage marquee remains, recalling the games and gatherings once advertised beneath that oversized pin. 06-26

Cressmoor Lanes (Closed)
Hobart, IN
Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi

Since opening in 1955, Cressmoor Lanes has been a fixture of the Hobart bowling scene. Its vintage roadside marquee, advertising "Bowling • Food • Tap," remains one of Northwest Indiana's classic mid-century bowling signs, welcoming generations of league bowlers, families, and travelers looking to roll a few games. 10-08

Inside, the intimate 16-lane center paired neighborhood bowling with a snack bar and the adjoining Cressmoor Lounge, creating the kind of community gathering place that was once common across small-town America. While many similar alleys have disappeared, Cressmoor's building and iconic sign continue to stand as reminders of the postwar bowling boom.

UPDATE: Cressmoor Lanes is currently closed due to ongoing family medical issues affecting ownership. The closure has been described as temporary, and the historic building and its vintage marquee remain intact while the owners focus on family matters. 06-26

Dunes Bowl (Gone)
Gary, IN
Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi

The dazzling marquee at Dunes Bowl looked as though it had been lifted straight from the Las Vegas Strip. With its sweeping script, bold diamond shapes, and unmistakable Space Age styling, the sign was a fitting tribute to the famous Dunes Hotel & Casino and easily ranked among the most distinctive bowling alley signs in the Midwest. Originally known as 12/20 Bowl, the center later adopted the Dunes name, giving it an identity every bit as memorable as its architecture. 10-08

Located along U.S. Route 20 in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood, the bowling center operated 43 lanes and served the community for decades before declining attendance eventually forced its closure around 2007–2008. The vacant building stood abandoned for several years before demolition crews razed it around 2012, ending another chapter in Northwest Indiana's bowling history.

UPDATE: Although the bowling alley and its famous marquee are gone, part of the sign lives on. The illuminated "DUNES BOWL" letters were rescued before demolition and now form a unique light fixture inside a bar in Ottawa, Ontario, giving this classic roadside landmark an unexpected second life. 06-26