Robin Hood Lanes (Demolished)
Edmonds, WA
Photo courtesy John Spencer

Not every bowling alley settled for a plain pin on a pole. Robin Hood Lanes in Edmonds gave its sign an unusual outline that made you look twice, even if bowling wasn’t on the afternoon’s schedule. It had the personality that made neighborhood lanes such dependable stops for roadside photographers.

Opened in 1960, Robin Hood welcomed bowlers along Edmonds Way for more than fifty years. League nights, birthday parties, and family outings kept the lanes busy, and regulars fought to save the business when redevelopment threatened it. Before closing, the alley held a farewell Dollar Day, giving customers one more chance to send a ball down the lanes.

UPDATE: The Robin Hood Lanes shut down in 2013. after 50 years of serving bowlers with alley like entertainment. After the closure of several local lanes over the past decade, Robin Hood was typically very busy. After closing, the whole place was razed over a couple of years later. A Walgreens now occupies the site. 04-17

UPDATE: Robin Hood Lanes closed on April 25, 2013, and demolition followed that same year. The property was redeveloped for a Walgreens and bank, taking the bowling alley and its distinctive roadside sign out of the Edmonds landscape. Another familiar place to rent shoes became a place to run errands. 07-26

Medford Lanes (Gone)
Medford, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

It’s hard not to smile back at the sign for Medford Lanes. A cheerful bowling ball perched above the starburst gave this Highway 99 landmark a face of its own. Between the playful mascot and bold lettering, the sign did a pretty good job of advertising an evening’s entertainment without showing a single lane.

Medford’s bowling history reaches well into the 1950s. Newspaper reports described Medford Bowling Lanes expanding from twelve lanes to twenty two in late 1956, reflecting the growing popularity of the sport. Bowling was big business, and colorful signs like this helped make a trip to the lanes feel like an event before you even parked.

UPDATE: The marquee for the Medford Lanes has been replaced by a back-lit plastic sign. 04-17

UPDATE: The vintage marquee shown here had been replaced with an internally illuminated plastic sign by 2017. The smiling bowling ball and starburst are no longer at the property, although their whereabouts remain unconfirmed. The sign’s removal is documented in the earlier update, but the supplied account of the building’s later commercial use still needs confirmation. 07-26

Interstate Lanes (Demolished)
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

At first glance, Interstate Lanes looked almost like a neighborhood movie theater. Its streamlined front and unusual roadside sign gave bowlers something to admire before they ever reached the shoe counter. Along North Interstate Avenue, this was a building with considerably more personality than the average recreation center.

The bowling center opened at this location in 1963, during the boom years of league bowling. Operated for decades by the Allen family, it became a familiar North Portland gathering place. There were personal milestones here, too. Members of the family later recalled meeting as junior bowlers at Interstate in 1977.

UPDATE: Donn Allen's Interstate Lanes along Interstate Blvd in Portland shut it doors on April 30, 2016. The paint on the building was looking a bit chippy and the cool space age looking sign was well worn in 2015. Unfortunately, Interstate Lanes has met the fate of most of the other old bowling alleys. Which is they are no longer economically viable in many cases as league players get older and young fans are hard to gain. The future of this location? An apartment complex. 04-17

UPDATE: Interstate Lanes closed after more than fifty years at this location. The building was subsequently demolished for apartment development, and its distinctive sign disappeared as well. 07-26

Tower Lanes
Tacoma, WA
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Cook / 1999

The Tower Lanes sign has been giving motorists along Tacoma’s 6th Avenue a reason to look up for decades. It’s the kind of familiar roadside marker that becomes part of the trip, whether you’re heading inside for league night or simply passing through town. This 1999 view catches another survivor from the days when bowling centers put plenty of thought into their signs. 08-99

Unlike many of the alleys pictured here, Tower Lanes has kept the bowling going. The business operates as an entertainment center, giving another generation a place for games, gatherings, and an evening away from the television. The old pole sign helps connect today’s business with the one longtime customers remember.

UPDATE: The bowling alley is alive and well, including the sign. Tower Lanes in Tacoma WA is not nor never has been demolished. It is currently owned by a group lead by Bob Hanson and Jeanne Naccorato. (Original posting incorrectly stated Tower Lanes had been demolished) Many thanks to Chris Purley and Dave Hanson for update. 03-12

UPDATE: Tower Lanes is still open 24 hours a day. The marquee still stands, though it's been painted over with some bland brown paint. 04-17

UPDATE: Tower Lanes remains open at 6323 6th Avenue, and its familiar roadside sign survives, although the colorful finish shown in older photographs has changed. The earlier report that it had been demolished was incorrect. Its former round the clock schedule has also changed, so check current hours before planning a late night visit. 07-26