Premiere Lanes (Closed)
Santa Fe Springs, CA Photo courtesy Sal Garcia
Hmm... what's this sign by the side of the road with the multicolored
starbursts? Oh, it's Premiere Lanes, with a still good lookin'
sign after all these years. The towering neon marquee gave Telegraph Road a little space-age scenery, with enormous “BOWL” lettering making the evening’s entertainment easy to find.
Opened in 1961, the center included a coffee shop, pro shop, and the Encore Room cocktail lounge. There were plenty of reasons to linger, even if the bowling score wasn’t worth remembering.
After losing its land lease, Premiere closed on May 18, 2008. The building was demolished in June 2010, but portions of the colorful marquee escaped the wrecking crew.
Java Lanes (Demolished)
Long Beach, CA Photo courtesy Sal Garcia
Java Lanes in Long Beach is another good ten pin alley spot that
still displays its Polynesian roots. From the unique sign out front to
the building itself, Java Lanes is a pretty cool place.Check out the swirling neon at Java Lanes in Long Beach. The oversized “BOWL” lettering and dramatic A-frame entrance gave Pacific Coast Highway a little South Seas scenery. Apparently an island getaway could begin with rental shoes.
Opened in 1958 and designed by Powers, Daly & DeRosa, the 32-lane center included dining and a cocktail lounge. Its later Lava Lounge became a live music destination, and Lit filmed the video for “My Own Worst Enemy” here.
Java Lanes at 3800 East Pacific Coast Highway closed on May 31, 2004, and was demolished that summer for the Cienega townhome development. Its distinctive neon marquee was removed.
Santa Anita Bowl (Demolished)
Temple City, CA Photo courtesy Sal Garcia
The flags and grandstand-like shapes on the Santa Anita Bowl marquee gave this Temple City bowling alley a little racetrack atmosphere. The name might bring horses to mind, but the action here involved sending a ball toward ten waiting pins. No need to study the racing form before heading inside.
The marquee made an imaginative roadside introduction. Its shapes carried some of the pageantry associated with nearby Santa Anita Park, giving motorists something more interesting to look at than a plain bowling sign. Even without time for a game, the display was worth a second glance.
Inside, the center offered 32 lanes, a coffee shop, cocktail lounge, and billiards. A few games could turn into dinner or a longer evening with friends, especially if someone wanted another chance to improve the score.
If you're from the San Gabriel Valley and think of Santa Anita, the Santa Anita
Racetrack comes to mind with its grandstand, flags, and the like. Well,
this marquee for the Santa Anita Bowl maintains this feel. Unfortunately,
the bowling was razed over last year.
Santa Anita Bowl (Demolished)
Temple City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
For neighborhood bowlers, the place was a familiar gathering spot. For roadside enthusiasts, the attraction began outside, where the sign gave an ordinary bowling outing a distinctive greeting.
Unfortunately, the lanes and marquee disappeared as the property moved into another commercial chapter. The photograph preserves the earlier scene, when this roadside invitation still led to a game.
UPDATE: Santa Anita Bowl was demolished, and its marquee was removed. The former bowling site was redeveloped for a CVS pharmacy. 10-26
Del Rosa Bowl
San Bernardino, CA Photo courtesy David Carrasco
Here is a photo of the Del Rosa Bowl located in San
Bernardino, CA. This ten pin alley has undoubtedly been home to many 300
games. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info. 04-05
The center served the community for 55 years, welcoming neighborhood leagues, families, and tournament bowlers. Its professional events added another level of competition to a place where casual customers could still come in for a few games.
The long run ended when the property changed hands. Operator Ron Sandusky leased the site, and the county’s acquisition of the land brought the bowling business to its final game in June 2016.
UPDATE: Del Rosa Bowl at 1499 East Highland Avenue closed on June 5, 2016, and was subsequently demolished. The property was redeveloped for San Bernardino County assistance and employment-services offices. 10-26
Canoga Park Bowl (Rem.)
Canoga Park, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the starbursts decorating the old Canoga Park Bowl marquee. The huge sign gave motorists plenty of notice that bowling was available, adding a little atomic-age scenery to the drive along Vanowen Street.
Opened in 1958, the center became a familiar Valley recreation stop. The colorful roadside display was an attraction in its own right, even for anyone who preferred photographing pins to knocking them down.
The business became Winnetka Bowl in 2014. Its signs changed along with the name, and the old neon lettering later gave way to backlit panels. The bowling center itself continued operating.
UPDATE: The former Canoga Park Bowl remains open as Winnetka Bowl at 20122 Vanowen Street, with 32 lanes and Lane 33 Bar & Grill. The historic signs were altered during modernization, with their neon lettering replaced by backlit plastic by 2018. 10-26
Mission Hills Bowl (Closed)
San Fernando, CA Photo courtesy Jay Villa
Check out the boomerangs and circular cutouts at Mission Hills Bowl. The exposed beams give the building a distinctly space-age look, as though a neighborhood bowling outing needed a little lunar scenery. Designed by Martin Stern Jr. and built in 1957, this was an entrance worth noticing before picking up rental shoes. 06-15
The architecture turned a practical recreation building into a roadside attraction. Glass, brick, and steel framed the bowling center, while those unusual roof details gave passing motorists something to remember.
The lanes closed on May 31, 2015, but the building escaped complete demolition. Its distinctive framework found another purpose through a retail conversion, preserving a recognizable piece of the old bowling scene.
UPDATE: The Mission Hills Bowl closed on May 31, 2015. 06-15
UPDATE: Mission Hills Bowl was adapted into a Ross Dress for Less store within the Olivo shopping center. The surviving building received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation in June 2022. 10-26
Santa Anita Bowl (Demolished)
Santa Anita Bowl (Demolished)
Canoga Park Bowl (Rem.)
Mission Hills Bowl (Closed)
