Bowling History in the Lansing, Michigan area

Bowling History in the Lansing, Michigan area
Compiled by Timothy Bowman.
As of April 18, 2020, still in progress.

CD = City Directory….. SJ = State Journal newspaper….. LSJ = Lansing State Journal.

All Star Lanes
– Grand opening on September 5, 1959. (SJ-09-06-1959; ad-09-03-1959).
– Location: 4 Miles West of Waverly Rd. On Saginaw, Between Lansing & Grand Ledge. (SJ-09-03-1959).
– 8520 Saginaw Rd. (SJ-11-28-1961). [Delta Township].
– 8520 W. Saginaw Hwy., West of I-96. (ad-SJ-05-09-1964).
– Closed in March 1997 at 8520 W. Saginaw, Grand Ledge. (LSJ-03-23-1997 and 03-30-1997).

Bowlerdrome
– Opened November 13, 1941 in north Lansing. (SJ-11-15-1941).
– 728 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing. (1955 CD).
– Bowlerdrome is sold. (SJ-05-10-1959).
– first mention of new name for bowling alley, North Lanes. (SJ-08-30-1959).
– North Lanes, 728 E. Grand River. (SJ-11-28-1961; also ad from SJ-08-24-1962).
– North Lanes has closed. (SJ-09-07-1964 and SJ-03-11-1979).

Capitol City Bowling Alley
– 112-114-116 W. Michigan Ave. (1900 Lansing High School yearbook).
– need to check city directory’s.

Cedarway Recreation Center or Cedarway Lanes (called both)
– Opened about August 5, 1949. (SJ-08-05-1949-advertisement).
– 3507 S. Cedar St. (1955, 1967, 1976 CD’s).
– Cedarway Lanes – 3507 S. Cedar St. (1983 CD).
– Closed 1998 or after. (LSJ-08-22-1998-last mention in the papers).

Central United Methodist Church Temple House
– alleys opened when the Temple House did. (SJ-05-03-1923).
– N. Capitol Ave. and W. Ottawa St. (two lanes). 2019-still there.

Empire Bowling Alleys
– Opened between 1905 to 1908. (not listed in 1905-06 CD).
– 117 W. Michigan Ave. (1908, 1910 CD’s)
– 117 1-2 W. Michigan Ave. (1915 CD).
– 410 N. Washington Ave. (1927 CD and SJ-09-07-1935, 1940 CD).
– Empire Bowling Alleys – 410 N. Washington Ave. (SJ-06-05-1954-last ad seen).
– Central Bowling Alleys – 410 1-2 N. Washington Ave. (1955 CD).
– Bing’s – 410 N. Washington Ave. (SJ-03-05-1960-first ad seen).
– Bing’s Bowl & Arcade – 410 1-2 N. Washington Ave. (SJ-8-23-1960-first ad seen).
– Bing’s Bowl-O-Fun – 410 1-2 N. Washington Ave. (SJ-11-06-1960).
– Bing’s Bowl-O-Fun – (last ad found-SJ-1961-04-02).

Holiday Lanes
– Opened on or about August 10, 1962 at the corner of Grand River and Clippert. (SJ-07-29-1962, 08-15-1962).
– 3101 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing (1967, 1976 CD, LSJ-04-21-1996).
– In January 2012, bought and name changed to Spare Time Entertainment Center. (City Pulse-04-04-2012, LSJ-06-28-2014).

Holt Recreation Bowling Alleys
– Opened October 21, 1949 on Cedar St., Holt. (SJ-10-21-1949).
– Advertisement with address, 2168 Cedar Street, Holt. (SJ-09-15-1953).
– Closed about 1992. (mention of former Holt Bowling Alleys-LSJ-10-01-1992).

Knights of Columbus Bowling Alleys
– In 1925, Knights of Columbus building opened on 400 block of N. Capitol Ave.
– (Was there bowling alleys before or after this date there-?).
– 420 N. Capitol Ave. (SJ-09-08-1936, 1940, 1955, 1967 CD’s).

Lansing Recreation Center
– Opened about September 22, 1941. (SJ-09-21-1941).
– Fire in building on October 27, 1945. (SJ-10-27-1945).
– 1109 S. Washington Ave. (1955, CD) (address error).
– 1115 S. Washington Ave. (1967, 1976 CD’s).
– In 1997, new name appears in ad’s, Cosmic Lanes. (LSJ-05-15-1997).
– In about 2002, Cosmic Lanes closed. (LSJ-09-24-2002, 01-15-2004).

Majestic Bowling Alleys
– Opened in 1910-? (SJ-02-22-1944).
– 111 E. Michigan Ave. (1910 CD)
– 111 E. Michigan Ave. (SJ-12-07-1912, also 1915, 1927 CD’s).
– In 1930, place changed to a restaurant. (SJ-02-22-1944).

Marvelanes
– Opened in September 1960 in Meridian Township at M-78 and Towner Rd. (SJ-06-16-1960, 09-14-1960, 09-25-1960).
– 2120 East M-78 = (SJ-11-28-1961).
– Officially becomes City Limits-East (City Pulse-02-20-2013) at 2120 E. Saginaw St., East Lansing.

Metro Bowl
– Opened in August 1959. (SJ-09-10-1959-opened a few weeks before).
– 5141 S. Logan St. (1967, 1976 CD)
– 5141 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. [street name changed] (LSJ-04-21-1996).
– Closed in late 2015. (LSJ-12-06-2015-building at address being sold online).

Michigan School For the Blind
– bowling alley constructed on top floor of the main school building. (SJ-09-18-1915).
– bowling alley located on fourth floor next to library. (SJ-12-11-1959).
– three lanes from Spartan Bowling Alleys donated to them. (SJ-08-24-1962).
– School relocated from Lansing to Flint. (LSJ-09-29-1995). [were alley’s still there-?]

Morofsky Bros. Bowling Alley and Cigar Store
– 305 S. Washington Ave. (1904, 1905-06 CD’s).
– need to check other C.D.’s.

Olympic Recreation Club
– Opens June 2, 1926 in basement of new College Manor apartment building. (SJ-06-01-1926).
– 224 Abbott Rd., East Lansing, basement. (1927 CD).
– open until at least 1932. (advertisement-SJ-12-05-1932).

Pro Bowl (East)
– Opened August 26, 1977 (SJ-08-27-1977).
– 2757 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing. (SJ-08-14-1977).
– Closed August 1, 2001. (LSJ-09-25-2001).

Pro Bowl (West)
– Opened in August 1964 as just Pro Bowl. (SJ-08-23-1964). [Joe Joseph’s].
– 2122 N. Logan St. (1967, 1976 CD’s)
– 2122 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. [street name changed]. (LSJ-04-21-1996).
– Closed in September 2014 or earlier. (LSJ-09-21-2014-equipment for auction).

Rainbow Recreation
– Opens May 19, 1927 at 123 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing. (SJ-05-13-1927, 05-18-1927, 05-26-1927).
– need to check other CD’s for possible address change or error.
– 119 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, basement. (1940 CD).
– Closed 1949 or after. (SJ-10-02-1949-last ad found).

Reo Clubhouse Bowling Alleys
– Completed in the new clubhouse and new league formed. (SJ-12-28-1917).
– mentioned in article. (SJ-08-29-1931).
– recently razed. (SJ-01-01-1939).

Royal Scot
– Opened September 2, 1975 at 4722 W. Grand River Ave. (SJ-08-29-1975 and SJ-09-16-1975).
– grand opening (re-opening-?) advert at 4722 W. Grand River Ave., Lansing. (SJ-04-05-1980).
– 4722 W. Grand River Ave., Lansing. (LSJ-04-21-1996).
– Still open in 2020, west of the airport.

Russell, Henry bowling alleys
– 212 N. Washington Ave. (1915, 1916 CD’s). [Henry Russell]

Sepeter’s Bowling Alleys
– Grand Opening on February 26, 1941 at 317-321 E. Michigan (SJ-02-25-1941).
– mentioning Sepeter’s additional lanes almost completed. (SJ-09-21-1941).
– ad shows them at 317 E. Michigan Ave. (SJ-03-28-1947).
– bought by Dines Bowling Alleys at 317-319 E. Michigan Ave. (SJ-07-13-1954). [Dines restaurant was next door].
– 317 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. (1955 CD).
– Closes sometime in 1961. (last mention in paper-SJ-1961-04-23)

Spartan Bowling Alleys
– Opens on or about December 20, 1940. (SJ-12-18-1940, 12-20-1940).
– 3411 E. Michigan Ave. (1955 CD).
– Closed August 5, 1962. (SJ-08-24-1962).

Spartan Lanes
– Opens about July 20, 1949 in newly built south wing of MSC Union. (SJ-05-19-1949; 07-20-1949).
– MSU Union, East Lansing. (LSJ-04-21-1996).
– Still there in 2020, maybe.

Strand Lanes
– Opened April 21, 1921 at the same time as the attached Strand Theatre. (SJ-04-20-1921).
– Strand Theatre changed to the Michigan Theatre, the bowling alleys remained named Strand. (SJ-08-14-1941).
– 219 S. Washington Ave., basement arcade of Strand/Michigan Theatre. (1927, 1940, 1955 CD’s).
– Closed in about 1963. (SJ-08-23-1963).

Timberlanes Bowling Alley
– Opened about August 1950. (SJ-08-13-1950, 08-27-1950-first mentions in papers).
– 2900 N. East St., also under 2900 N. U. S. 27, Lansing. (1955, 1967 1976 CD’s).
– Ad with new name, Spartan Lanes, formerly Timberlanes. (SJ-02-26-1978).
– Last ad found asking for bartenders for Spartan Lanes. (LSJ-08-10-1984).
– First ad for bartender for Connxtions Comedy Club bar at same location. (LSJ-10-06-1984).

Westlawn Lanes
– Official opening on October 22, 1950. (SJ-10-21-1950).
– 1808 W. Saginaw St. (1955, 1967, 1976 CD’s).
– Closed April 1987 or after-? (LSJ-04-05-1987, 04-12-1987-last mentions in papers).

END.