Throughout this post we will be breaking down the best bowling alleys and pro shops in Philadelphia. Our main goal is to give you the info you are after whether you are a professional or just trying to have some fun at the lanes.
We can’t come up with a more practical way to begin this than by listing the best Philadelphia bowling alleys. The majority of our readers are probably ready to hit the lanes right now making them the most logical place to start.
We’ll try to provide you with as much information as possible about what is available at each spot during our discussion of places to bowl near you. Some centers may host kids, adult, senior, or ladies leagues and tournaments and if so that will be noted.
Then we will discuss which alleys have cosmic bowling or are good for kid’s birthday parties, have laser tag, arcades, pool tables, or private rooms. Additionally we will try to fill you in on any specials, discounts, or happy hours for cheaper lane time in your area if we know about them.
Some alleys can be better for adults as they might have sports bars, live music, or just more of an adult party atmosphere. After that you will learn about where you can buy balls, bags, shoes, grips, finger inserts, and all kind of accessories at the best local bowling pro shops.
You can expect them to also be able to do things like drilling, plugging, fitting, resurfacing, cleaning and engraving. Towards the end you will even find an alley and pro shop map so you can get a better feel for the area, and you are all welcome to read more of our posts on this part of the world right there.
Best Bowling Alleys In Philadelphia
The best Philadelphia bowling alleys and centers are a good place to join a league, get some practice in, or just have some fun at the lanes:
- Pep Bowl at 1200 S Broad St
- North Bowl at 909 N 2nd St
- South Bowl at 19 E Oregon Ave
- Thunderbird Lanes at 3075 Holme Ave
- V&S Elmwood Lanes at 7235 Elmwood Ave
- St Monica Bowling Lanes at 1601 W Shunk St
- Brooklyn Bowl at 1009 Canal St
- Westbrook Lanes Family Bowling Center at 1 Creek Rd
- MacDade Bowl at 2105 MacDade Blvd
- Sproul Lanes at 745 W Sproul Rd
- Our Town Alley at 2912 Swede Rd
- Better Off Bowling at 1336 Chestnut St
- Wynnewood Lanes at 2228 Haverford Rd, Ardmore
- Laurel Lanes at 2825 NJ-73, Maple Shade
- Pleasant Hill Lanes at 1001 W Newport Pike, Wilmington
Pep Bowl features a restaurant, a bar, and cutting-edge play in a true vintage alley with six well-maintained pro-lane synthetic lanes plus they offer a wacky Wednesday deal for $40 per hour per lane all day and they also hot winter, spring/summer, and senior bowling leagues in your area.
There is a restaurant, a bar, and four bowling lanes for semi-private bowling and winter league play available at North Bowl.
South Bowl is a multipurpose alley and event space featuring two private bowling areas and 26 lanes where Philadelphia singles bowling tournaments and a winter league go down.
If you are trying to find a great entertainment destination with 36 synthetic lanes and computerized bumpers for children as well as a restaurant and bar head to Thunderbird Lanes. Like some others on this list they host local league nights with theirs running Monday through Thursday evenings from 6pm to 9pm and the main league season runs from September through May.
V&S Elmwood Lanes’ bowling center has 26 lanes, a pro shop, and a snack bar pus they host sanctioned leagues for youth bowlers, seniors, and other mixed leagues throughout the year in addition to regionally renowned bowling tournaments.
St. Monica features 12 lanes and offers a range of bowling leagues for women, men, senior citizens, kids, and businesses.
Brooklyn Bowl Philly has 24 lanes, two fully stocked bars, and an event facility.
Expect to find a number of bumper lanes for kids at Westbrook Lanes where cosmic bowling near you goes down with bright laser lights, loud music, and outstanding special effects. On site there is also the full-service Big Jim pro shop, several leagues, and the ability to arrange private and group bowling lessons.
MacDade Bowl has 24 synthetic lanes, computerized scoring, and bumpers and they also host men’s, women’s, mixed, senior, and youth leagues.
Sproul Lanes is a family-owned and run bowling alley providing adult, senior, mixed, and junior leagues as well as a pro shop, a restaurant, and a bar.
For a cutting-edge 40-lane bowling alley, entertainment venue, pro shop, restaurant, and bar visit Our Town Alley who happily hosts leagues, birthday parties, catered events, and family bowling nights.
At Wynnewood Lanes adult mixed leagues also play on their 24 lanes plus they provide a pro shop, restaurant, and bar.
Laurel Lanes in Maple Shade is the ultimate entertainment venue with over sixty bowling lanes, Tony Rado’s Pro Shop, a cutting-edge scoring system, private meeting and party rooms, a private bowling suite, two bars, and a restaurant as well as leagues for all levels.
Pleasant Hill Lanes is a family-owned and operated bowling alley in Wilmington that features a pro shop, a full-service bar, and a restaurant. Women’s, senior mixed, men’s, and youth leagues all go down here and they are also a good place to take bowling lessons in Wilmington.
Best Local Pro Shops
When you need to buy a new ball or get some new gear the best bowling pro shops in your area are a good place to look:
- Joe’s Pro Shop at 100 E St Rd
- Pavlinko Pro Shop at 1326 Delsea Dr
It is fair to assume that each of those bowling pro shops near you will be a good place to buy balls, bags, shoes, grips, league uniforms, finger inserts, cleaning kits, towels and more equipment. Drilling, plugging, fitting, resurfacing, cleaning, and engraving balls should also be possible.
Check out their links and make sure they provide the specific product or service you need at the moment, or just show up and browse around to see what is available.
Other places we have mentioned throughout the post that also have a local pro shop include Wynnewood Lanes, Sproul Lanes, Our Town Alley, Pleasant Hill Lanes, V&S Elmwood Lanes, Laurel Lanes, and Westbrook Lanes.
Some of you may also want to read our posts on:
- Baltimore Bowling Centers
- New York City Bowling Centers
- Washington DC Bowling Centers
- Atlantic City Bowling Centers
Have Fun Bowling In Philadelphia
We really did do our best to break down the local scene for you today. Anyone that wants to head to an alley in your area to have fun on the lanes, join a league, win a tournament, throw a kids birthday party, or enjoy the music and lights for a fun cosmic game you should have a much better understanding of what is available around town.
Now go have fun visiting the best bowling alleys and pro shops in Philadelphia!