Ypsi Arbor Bowl (Demolished)
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

The Ypsi-Arbor Bowl sign spelled “BOWL” inside colorful bowling-pin shapes, creating one of Michigan’s most memorable marquees. It welcomed motorists along Washtenaw Avenue until the alley closed in 2011. Even without plans to bowl, the sign was worth pulling into the parking lot to admire. 04-01

The center served both Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, offering billiards and a cocktail lounge alongside the lanes. For generations, it supplied a neighborhood evening out, while the neon handled the invitation from the road.

Fortunately, the marquee escaped the demolition crews that arrived in 2013. Removed and sold after the closure, it avoided becoming another load of scrap from a lost bowling center.

UPDATE: A Fresh Thyme grocery store occupies the former site. The sign was reportedly relocated to a private museum in South Dakota, though its current display status remains unknown. The lanes are gone, but those imaginative bowling-pin letters were saved. 06-26

Bowl-Mor Lanes
Streator, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The vintage marquee at Bowl-Mor Lanes has been greeting bowlers along Route 23 for decades. One feature that always stood out was the sign advertising the Lamp Lite Room, giving passing motorists another reason to pull in besides a few games of bowling. 04-01

Bowl-Mor was originally established in 1948 before relocating to its current home in 1961. The 16-lane bowling center has remained a longtime gathering place for leagues, families, and casual bowlers, surviving while many neighborhood bowling alleys have disappeared.

The roadside sign has changed over the years, with updated lettering reflecting new owners and businesses operating inside the building. Even so, the original sign structure remains, preserving a bit of the bowling alley's mid-century character. Recent ownership has also invested heavily in the property, adding new lane surfaces, updated scoring equipment, and other improvements while keeping the alley active.

UPDATE: Bowl-Mor Lanes remains open under new ownership. The vintage marquee survives with updated panels, and the bowling center continues to undergo improvements. 06-26

Grand Bowl (Gone)
Franklin Park, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The bowling ball incorporated into the Grand Bowl marquee gave this Franklin Park alley a fitting roadside identity. Along Grand Avenue, the sign helped welcome generations of neighborhood bowlers. 04-01

The alley closed in the early 2000s. A church’s effort to purchase and convert the property led to a lengthy zoning dispute, eventually resolved in the congregation’s favor.

UPDATE: The building became a church. The lanes and equipment were removed, along with the distinctive bowling-ball marquee. 06-26

Bowling Alley
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

This abandoned bowling alley in Indianapolis certainly looks like it has seen better days. Empty parking lots, faded buildings, and silent bowling alleys always make me wonder how many league nights, birthday parties, and family outings once took place inside these walls. 04-01

Unfortunately, the identity of this particular bowling alley has been lost over time. Without a business name or additional location information, it hasn't been possible to determine exactly which Indianapolis bowling center is shown here. Like many cities, Indianapolis once had dozens of neighborhood bowling alleys, but changing entertainment habits led to the closure of many of them over the years.

UPDATE: The identity and current status of this bowling alley could not be verified. This may have been Jubilee Bowl or Sport Bowl, both which were shut down in Indianapolis. Anyone have an idea? 06-26

Yorktown Lanes
Cleveland, OH
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

The colorful lettering and giant arrow at Yorktown Lanes make this one of my favorite Ohio bowling signs. Opened in 1960, the center has remained a familiar stop along Pearl Road in Parma Heights. 04-01

The Cottrell family has operated the 40-lane alley since its beginning, offering leagues, open bowling and entertainment in the Inferno Lounge. A damaging kitchen fire in 2011 threatened that tradition, but restoration brought the center back the following year.

UPDATE: Yorktown remains open, with its outstanding vintage marquee still welcoming bowlers more than 65 years after opening. 06-26

Diamond Bowl
Edwardsburg, MI
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The giant bowling pin built into Diamond Bowl leaves little doubt about the entertainment inside. Paired with its roadside marquee, it makes this Independence, Missouri, alley worth a second look. Apparently, a sign alone wasn’t enough to get the message across. 04-01

The business began in 1947 and moved to its present home in 1972. With eight lanes, billiards and a sports bar, it offers a smaller neighborhood setting than the sprawling bowling centers built during the sport’s postwar boom.

A major renovation in 2007 introduced a retro-style marquee topped by a rotating diamond. Although newer than the building, the sign complements its playful appearance. Between the diamond overhead and the enormous pin on the wall, there’s plenty to photograph before renting shoes.

UPDATE: Diamond Bowl remains open. The 2007 marquee and oversized architectural bowling pin continue giving this small center a memorable roadside identity. 06-26

Town and Country Lanes (Rem.)
Columbia, MO
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

An oversized ball and bowling pin made the Town & Country Lanes sign hard to overlook in Columbia. Opened in 1960, the 32-lane center offered the sort of bold roadside welcome that made bowling alleys such good photographic subjects. No need to get close to figure out what was happening inside. 04-01

Local developers built the center during bowling’s postwar boom, and generations arrived for leagues, family outings and weekend games. The building continued serving the community through ownership changes, retaining a long connection to neighborhood recreation.

The marquee wasn’t as fortunate. Its distinctive ball-and-pin design eventually gave way to a standard AMF sign. Bowling carried on, but the approach to the parking lot became considerably less interesting for roadside fans.

UPDATE: The center remains open as AMF Town & Country Lanes. Modern corporate signage has replaced the original display, leaving the familiar bowling tradition with a different roadside introduction. 06-26