Though it’s definitely not as popular a sport as it is in Indiana, bowling is emerging more and more as a sport of choice in Chicago. The problem with bowling, however, can be the bowling alley itself. Dark, dank, and without any amenities, the bowling alley often takes away from the experience and puts a real downer on bowling. My picks for top five 10 pin bowling alleys in Chicago don’t have that problem in the least.
Waveland Bowl. At 3700 N Western Avenue, this bowling alley is a close choice for Northsiders and for those who want to bowl in the middle of the night. The 40 lanes are packed during the weekend, but you can hang out at the full bar or eat a Polish sausage at the snack bar while waiting for a lane. Since this bowling alley is open 24 hours, you can go early in the morning or late at night. Prices are more expensive during peak times such as Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
Diversey River Bowl. If you want to rock out while bowling the place to go is at 2211 N Diversey Avenue. There are 36 lanes available for play, and be sure to get your name on the waiting list early as this is a popular hangout especially on the weekends. There’s also a DJ, and you can put music requests in for your rock favorites. They have a full bar and typical snack bar eats. Kids are welcome, and bumper bowling is available for them. Check out their website for more information.
Ten Pin. Located near the House of Blues at 330 N State St, Ten Pin is a classy club and bowling alley. It has an extensive menu and drink list as well as leather booths and secluded tables. It’s open at 11 am for open bowling and accepts reservations on Friday and Saturday nights. You can also reserve lanes for parties of 10 or more. One neat feature is that they have a music video library that allows you to request music videos as you bowl.
Lucky Strike Lanes. This 10-pin bowling alley is located next to the AMC River East 21 Theater at 322 E Illinois. This alley offers gourmet dining, pool, and bowling. Be advised that they enforce a strict dress code including no hats or sports jerseys for men. It also has many flat screen TVs making this also a great place to catch playoff games. They run frequent bowling specials, so it is best to check out their website before going.
Seven-Ten Lanes. This 10-pin bowling alley is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood at 55th and Ellis Avenue. It offers both 8 pool tables and 16 lanes. This is one of the more kid friendly locations because local families like to frequent the alley. Also, the alley offers bumper bowling upon request. The full bar offers a large selection of micro brews and the kitchen cooks up dishes from pizza to gourmet burgers. Reservations are suggested but not necessary. The crowd is mostly students from neighboring University of Chicago along with locals.
These are the best bowling locations in Chicago that you can find. You can check out Bowling Advisor for more details about your local bowling arenas. You can know where these bowling alleys are located and what are their ratings as well. This way you can enjoy your bowling experience wherever you go.
