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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Bowling Signs (page 3) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Owyhee Lanes Homedale, ID |
Tough Guy Lanes Pocatello, ID |
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The Owyhee Lanes giant bowling ball and pin sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]
The Tough Guy Lanes opened in 1957. The neon "Bowling" sign is from then. The plastic and neon pin sign is probably from the 1960s. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Pop 'n Pin Lanes Preston, ID |
Magic Bowl Twin Falls, ID |
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The Pop 'n Pin Lanes appears to be from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]
The Magic Bowl was built in 1958. This sign is probably from then. The place was renamed Magic Town Center in 2016. It closed around 2021 and is currently vacant. The sign remains the same. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Bowladrome Twin Falls, ID |
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| The Bowladrome opened in the 1960s and these signs appear to be from then. [map] |
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More Idaho:
Malad Bowl (Malad) [gone] Rigby Bowl (Rigby) [gone] |
| Beardstown Bowl Beardstown, IL |
Dodge Lanes Belvidere, IL |
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The Beardstown Bowl opened in the early 1940s. I believe it has been closed since the early 2000s. [map]
Dodge Lanes was built in 1965 and this sign must be from then. The neon has been missing for decades. The bottom panel was originally a readerboard. The business is expected to close in 2025 as plans were announced to demolish the building for a Starbucks and Chipotle. I doubt this sign will survive. [map] |
| Castaways Bowl Calumet City, IL |
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| The Castaways Bowl opened in 1960 and this 40-foot-tall pirate sign was installed then. The slanted steel pole next to the pirate's foot originally supported another sign which has been missing for decades. That panel had the AMF logo and read "Bowl Where You See the Magic Triangle." It projected from a tall pile of rocks which reached up to pirate's raised foot. An electronic message board was added beneath backlit plastic panel by 2008. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Diversey River Bowl Chicago, IL |
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| The Diversey River Bowl features light shows and fog machines as part of its "Rock N Bowl" theme. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Woodmac Lanes [gone] Chicago, IL |
Town Hall Bowl [gone] Cicero, IL |
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This Woodmac Lanes sign was still there in 2006 when this photo was taken although the bowling alley had been closed for years. By 2012, the building and sign were gone.
The Town Hall Bowl sign appeared to be from the 1950s. It had the Federal sign company name at the bottom. The sign was removed in 2022 and will most likely be sold to a collector. |
| Crete Lanes Crete, IL |
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| The Crete Lanes sign was restored around 2009 with the neon lit in three-part animation. When the bowling alley closed around 2016, Evil Horse Brewing Co. moved into the building. The sign is now displayed inside the bar. For more, see this website. |
| Metro Bowl Crystal Lake, IL |
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| The Metro Bowl opened in 1956. The name came from the original owner, William G. Metropulos. [map] |
| Pla-Mor Lanes Decatur, IL |
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| The Pla-Mor Lanes opened in 1963. These signs must be from then. The business closed in 2019 and the building remains vacant. [map] |
| Sim's Bowl [gone] Des Plaines, IL |
Tivoli Bowl Downers Grove, IL |
Herrin Bowl Herrin, IL |
Bowl Inn Jacksonville, IL |
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Sim's Bowl opened in 1956 and closed in 2009. The red letters originally spelled out "16 Lanes". The building was demolished in 2011. I don't know if any parts of the sign were saved.
The Tivoli Bowl was built in 1928 as part of the Tivoli Theatre building. Vintage photos do not show any sign for a bowling alley. This sign was installed on the corner by the 1940s for the Tivoli Hotel. The hotel opened in 1929 and originally had an I-shaped sign on the side of the building. This later sign was adapted by 1982 with the "Hotel" text changed to "Bowl". For more, see this website. [map] Herrin Bowl was built in 1959. This sign was built then by the Roth Neon Sign Company of Herrin, now Roth Signs. The company's name is painted at the bottom of the panels. The bowling balls are still sequentially lit in red neon. The pins were always static. For more, see this website. [map] The Bowl Inn was built around 1948 and these signs appear to be from then. [map] |
| Washington Lanes [gone] Joliet, IL |
Don Carter Lanes Rockford, IL |
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Washington Lanes was long gone but this sign remained until 2020. It is now in a private collection.
Don Carter Lanes opened in 1953 and this sign is from then. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Viking Lanes South Beloit, IL |
Park Lanes Bowl Loves Park, IL |
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The Viking Lanes opened in 1961 and this single-sided sign appears to be from then. [map]
The Park Lanes Bowl was built in 1962 and this sign must be from then. There were at least three other bowling alleys built in the area that had the same signs: the Meadowdale Lanes in Carpentersville, the Hoffman Lanes in Hoffman Estates, and the Town & Country Lanes (later Spillway Lanes, see below) in Springfield. This is the only sign left. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Spillway Lanes [gone] Springfield, IL |
King Pin Lanes Springfield, IL |
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The Spillway Lanes bowling alley and sign were built in 1960 for the Town and Country Lanes. In 1985, it was renamed for the Spillway Lanes. It closed in 2007 and the sign deteriorated after that. By 2014, the sign was gone.
The King Pin Lanes was built in 1960. The sign had neon originally. It has been repainted many times since then. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Bowl-Mor Lanes Streator, IL |
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| The Bowl-Mor Lanes were established in 1948. It moved a few times and opened at this location in 1961. This sign was probably from then. It was changed around 2016 to read Jax Grill and Bowl-Mor Streator. [map] |
| Hank's Bowl Trenton, IL |
Jeffery Lanes Wheeling, IL |
Willowbrook Bowl [gone] Willowbrook, IL |
Wayne's Lanes Woodstock, IL |
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Hank's Bowl opened in 1967 but the building has been used as a bowling center since the early 1900s. This sign appears to be from the 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]
Jeffery Lanes was built in the 1950s and this sign appears to be from then. The bowling alley is still operating. [map] The Willowbrook Bowl opened in 1963. This sign appears to be from then. The bowling alley closed in 2016. This sign was removed soon after that. It is now in a private collection. Wayne's Lanes opened in 1941 and this sign may be from then. [map] |
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More Illinois:
Bel-Air Bowl (Belleville) Ten Pin Bowl [vintage] (Carlyle; now American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, OH] Fireside Bowl (Chicago) Eldorado Bowl: 1, 2 (Decatur) [vintage; gone] Bowlway (Elgin) [gone] Town N Country Bowl (Peoria) [gone] |
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Bowling Signs page 1 |
Bowling Signs page 2 |
Bowling Signs page 4 |
Bowling Signs page 5 |
Bowling Signs page 6 |
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Bowling Signs page 7 |
Bowling Signs page 8 |
Bowling Signs page 9 |
Bowling Signs page 10 |
Bowling Signs page 11 |
Bowling Signs page 12 |
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Main SCA Article Companion Page |
Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |