I'm not looking for a "bowling experience". Just a normal place with cheap games and pitchers. I can play 5 games or so without breaking the bank.
I have learned that if I don't research before showing up I could end up with a $150 bill for a few games and a few pitchers...
Edit: Thanks for all of the recommendations everyone! At least this corporate monopoly on bowling alleys has workarounds.
My recommendation too!
They have a weekday lunch special (or used to) - $10 for two games and lunch. The lunch definitely isn't anything to write home about, but it's more than edible.
Haha used to be the head cook there! Awful food but it’s appropriate for a bowling alley. Try to get into the “nudist league” if you really want a unique experience
Nudist league?
Yep, they have a nudist league(at least as of two years ago) that comes in weekly and bowls in the nude. Lanes are closed to everyone but them during that for obvious reasons. There’s also a blind league who share a spotter for tournaments . Pretty interesting.
Last I heard the nude league was now sharing their lane time with the blind league. Although the blind league still hasn’t caught on
Lol yeah, lot of smells but no clear ideas.
Apt username is apt... lol
Don't use your own ball here. Their returns are known for leaving chips and chunks.
I bowled an entire league there this year, not one ding, not one chunk gone.
Took a good piece of mine, and the pro shop I took it to asked if it was from Crown without me saying anything. Good news if they fixed the issue.
Beer is also stupidly cheap during happy hour!
I love crown however the pin machines malfunction quite a bit
Awwe Crown Lanes is the best!
This answer is far too low.
This is the answer
Wheat ridge lanes and holiday bowling are two I know of. Avoid Bowlero.
Bowlero is insane. They tried to charge me more than $100/hr for reserving a lane during “peak hours” on their website. Absolutely not. When I showed up in person, they also tried to tell me their “lanes were reserved for a league” when more than half were empty.
Fuck Bowlero. They can get the hell out of Denver. We don’t want Bowlero here. I’m not paying $100/hr for a lane, even during “peak hours”. I can literally fucking rent a boat, sports car, or mansion for less than $100/hr. And all of those seem a hell of a lot more glamorous than a lane at a seedy bowling alley with frozen twenty-dollar mozzarella sticks.
The original bowl ero was so much fun and cheap back in the day.
Is there a new one or they just remodeled?
No. Not like the old one. The original is now closed and some other business. The company that bought a lot of the bowling alleys in the area used the bowl ero name. I worked at the original in high school.
League was probably later that afternoon and they just oiled. No rec bowlers allowed on the lanes if that’s the case. These places are only in business because of leagues and they get preferential treatment. Join a Bowlero league! It’s like 10-15$ a week and games are only $3 each with your league rate
These places are only in business because of leagues and they get preferential treatment
Not anymore. They're limiting all leagues to only half the alley capacity starting after this summer. National policy. Bowlero is very much anti-league.
Another shout-out for Holiday. It's quite often full, but I think that's a good sign
I work there holiday dose have the best lanes (according to the die hare bowlers) but it is mostly league and tournaments based so that's why it seems like it always busy but during summer there not as many going on so its got a little more open bowling
The chile rellenos are also incredible!
The bloody Mary's are damn good too.
My child loves bowling but is on the spicy side for neurodivergent. Would they be cool with a kid who’s overly interested in how all the things work and what people are doing but may be loud if he gets frustrated? He’s charming until he isn’t and I don’t want to bring him places where his frustration might stress out others while we get him calmed down.
I don't have any input here but just wanted to say you seem like a good parent. Considerate of your kid, and of others. slow clap
Thank you. This has been an especially difficult week for parenting/being his advocate. I really needed to hear this, even if it’s from an internet stranger.
I have three neuro spicy kids. You're rocking it. No one understands, and you're not going to be able to explain it. You're trying to create experiences for this child, and a lot of parents wouldn't. You rock and don't ever doubt it! Never compare yourself to other parents, they do not have your life. You are a warrior, don't forget that either.
Yes we actually have a good amount of special need groups that come in tree out the week and month !
That’s so great! I’m excited to surprise him with a visit. Thank you.
Of course
Could you recommend a day and/or timeframe it might be a little more free for a group of 7-10?
Call ahead dood, that is too large a party to just show up no matter what it is; don't be that person
I never said we are just going to show up. I'm trying to not be that person. I'm asking if I was to invite 5-8 of my friends, what would be a good day and timeframe to look into. I haven't shown up with a big group. I'm asking this person (who works there) cause I'm trying to plan ahead.
Bowlers/AMF do have all you can bowl times. Westminster is after 9 for $20. Get two lanes. Well worth it.
Love Wheat Ridge Lanes.
That Thursday steak dinner is a favorite of mine. Great place.
I swear to you, if you don’t stop telling the neighborhood secret you’re going to get kicked out.
To everyone wondering, it’s not worth going because the wait is ALWAYS too long.
The wait is SO LONG and they DONT have an awesome bar area to wait for your name to be called or anything …
Waiting in bar is HORRIBLE and even though the staff is awesome, they don’t get paid enough.
Horrible place. 😜
That’s so wild bowlero is that high in Denver! We have a bowlero lanes in Pueblo (about 2 hr away) and each game is only like 8 bucks. Not sure on the $ for pitchers tho but even just bottles of beer like a corona is only $3
I don't think their Bowlero in Denver is the same as ours here in Pueblo
I think the Denver ones are more like a chain like lucky strike used to be, where they try to make it like top golf.
Maybe ours is owned by the same company but it's not like the Denver ones.
8 bucks a game adds up fast
Haven’t been in awhile, but it was my favorite around for awhile. I’m past due for a bowling night. Prices still decent I take it?
Is wheat ridge lanes the same former ownership as paramount? Used to bowl there every week. Good people
For real, when did the cost of bowling skyrocket? $150 to knock some pins down is crazy ridiculous. Used to be the pitcher of beer was the big ticket item, and even that was like only $5. Maybe it's been awhile since I bowled lol
To do anything that implies you exist outside your place of employment is apparently a "luxury" these day x-x
Don't you understand? The CEO can't simply lower his salary to compensate for higher wages, they have to raise prices again! Won't someone think of the CEOs!
Those poor misunderstood billionaires. Why can't people just let them hoard their gold and ravage the planet in peace 😢
Poor Things 😢
One Upvote = One Fuck to give to a CEO in your area
Bowlero intentionally bought up all the bowling lanes to create a monopoly and drive up prices.
Bowlero bought out nearly every bowling alley and jacked up the prices. They also own lucky strike
It skyrocketed when bowling became cool again and bowlero bought up all the bowling alleys. Blame bowlero
Bowlero
Paywall, but the post had an article about them. Bought up as many alleys as possible and then jacked the prices sky high. 200 bucks!
https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/15/bowling-expensive-rising-costs-denver-bowlero-chain/
Oh and they are under investigation for firing people for being too old or as retaliation.
Sounds like a shitty company.
That’s just how America does business. If you don’t like it, go bowl in North Korea!
/s
I think the role of private equity gobbling up so many different industries gets lost in the context of where the economy is today. It was happening before and alongside and since COVID. I'd be interested to know how much of the businesses they buy are boomers cashing out and retiring.
Bowlero is owned by Atairos Group.
Vet practices.
Housing.
Retail.
Publishing (Sports Illustrated).
The list goes on...
And their purpose is to cut costs and grow profits to return to investors. So we get the enshittification of everything.
I have no idea. I always think about the amount of profit the owners make in those situations and it pisses me off.
Chippers in Broomfield used to be decently priced but it’s been awhile. Agree with the avoid Bowlero comment
Chippers in Broomfield is no longer decently priced. Got rid of all their daily deals and jumped the prices up. On the weekends there might be a band playing on a stage that takes up two or three lanes when they had a perfectly good space for that off to the side.
Bowled there not too long ago. It’s not cheap but it’s cheaper than Bowlero, which is to say it’s a price I’m willing to pay sometimes but wouldn’t prefer to pay. I think you are looking at like $80 for two people/2 hours on a Saturday night or cheaper during the week
Did they go to string pins too?!
I would've never gone to Bowlero had I known the price before hand.
I love Holiday Lanes. $4/game Mon-Thurs, $6/game weekends, and $2/game for league members.
They are a popular spot for leagues and tournaments. Things quiet down in the summer, but I always call ahead to check for open lanes. They almost always have open lanes from ~10PM to close, however.
usually unless its a very important league or tournament they leave 5 ish lanes for open bowling( I bartend there ). and on top of that all cocktails are doubles that range for 2$ during happy hour to $7 tops unlimited refills on soft beverages daliy double cheese burger w/fries and a drink spacial for 9.66 all the food Is cheap and decent pitchers are always 8$ draft beer is 3-4 $
That's awesome that they're still cheap! I haven't been there in years!
Arapahoe Bowling Center
Yep I always rep Arapahoe bowling center, but be warned they run alot of leagues so call ahead, but that said it's one of the best real bowling alleys we have left out here.
I agree. Never trust what their website says. But they are the friendliest I’ve been too
You are completely right. The website is almost never correct. A phone call is the only way to get open Lanes. We've been screwed over multiple times by trusting the website
Arapahoe FTW!
Came here to also say ABC! Best chicken tenders and fries anywhere and they just redid all the lanes a year or two ago!
Pretty much avoid any lane that has sold out to any conglomerate. (Bowlero, AMC whatever those are)
Arapahoe Bowling Center is exactly what you're looking for if you're on the south end of the city.
Moe’s BBQ on south broadway in Englewood. They only have 8 lanes, but a retro vibe, good food and drinks and live music occasionally.
Monday-Thursday $5 per person/game Friday-Sunday $6 per person/game Shoe rental $4 per person
Moe's in Englewood! Plus decent enough BBQ.
It's got a cool vibe to it...small, old school
Arapahoe bowling center does 5$ games all Sunday. Fridays and Saturdays it’s 6.50-7.50 a game.
You can get cheap bowling deals on Groupon, I almost always do that.
First off, buy your own bowling shoes. Second, go to Wheat Ridge Lanes. Spencer is the owner who bought it from the original family. Old owner lived that he was going to keep it the same. I love that prices and food are good. Support local!
I'd knock them for their confusing af site alone. Just give me a price list instead of needing to go through booking a lane (like seriously, this is bowling not a dentist appointment lol) just to find that information out. Like Arapahoe and other non bowlero lanes at least give you a price list by the game or hour, which is more than helpful.
It's absolute BS now. Our local, small town alley is $65 for 1.5 hours and drinks are expensive. Nope!
Crown lanes is great. $5 a game. Nice people. Go in the afternoon or after 9. Join Groupon for bowlero. $26 for 2 hours on south federal. $36 for 2 hours at others.
I refuse to support Bowlero. Thanks for the Crown Lanes recommendation!
Arapahoe bowling center in centennial. Off of arapahoe and Dayton. Find Chris Fizer, tell him Whiskers sent you.
It’s a bowler’s bowling alley. The have the best lanes in the state and regularly host tournaments, including the high school state tourney.
Been going there over a decade. And I’ll never go anywhere else
Shhhhhh
Main event has pretty cheap unlimited deals, 13 bucks on Mondays and think it was 18 every other day.
I always say it and get down voted but punch social is very cheap and fun
Bowlero is the answer for why everything went to shit, you have to find one of a few independent spots. There used to be a bunch of independently owned alleys that had competitive pricing, then Bowlero bought almost all of them up and turned them into shitty carbon copies of the same lame ass thing with crazy prices. Avoid Bowlero both because they're an awful monster destroying the game and because their prices are shit. Also they don't take care of their lanes, they basically live off first dates and kids birthday parties so they don't care much about the service they offer.
In the Denver area your options are Holiday, Wheatridge Lanes, or my personal favorite Crown Lanes. Be warned though, you probably won't be able to walk in to any of them on a random day and just hop on a lane. Wheatridge is small and doesn't take reservations and Crown has a bunch of leagues (I don't know the Holiday vibe as well). Calling ahead to Crown to reserve a lane is probably your best bet.
Punch bowl social is 20/hr
Try Moe’s BBQ. They only have a few lanes but it’s $5-6 per person per game.
Right!!! Last night I thought bowling sounded fun. I’m in cap hill, so the closest thing to me is Lucky Strike downtown. I looked and it was gonna be $200 for two people to go bowling. I was like mkay never mind that.
Pro tip, bowlero and amf are stupid cheap on Groupon, just make sure you buy it 24 hours in advance http://www.groupon.com/deals/bowlmor-lanes-nat-bowlero-corp-2024-b?utm_campaign=UserReferral_mih&utm_source=undefined
I refuse to go to Bowlero after researching their shady business tactics. I'd rather not give them my money promoting them. Thanks for the heads-up though!
Pour one out for Lakewood Lanes.
RIP.
Bowlero but when they have the Groupon
CROWN LANES!!!
I said this on another post in the sub, but if search bowling you’ll find a another thread where someone asked awhile ago that is still relevant.
the places i got from that were Wheat Ridge Lanes and Arapahoe Bowling Center. There were a couple others mentioned but i haven’t been to them yet. If you go to WRL, just know you may have a long wait time depending on the day because they only have 12 lanes
It’s not in Denver but king pin lanes in the springs is a couple Bucks a game it was like 25$ last night for 3 shoe rentals and 2 games
Hangar in Lakewood
The hangar is great but it’s not a real bowling alley. Lots of fun but I don’t want people expecting real bowling. Odd sized lanes, bad shoes and balls, the weirdest pin system I’ve ever seen, and still a bunch of fun.
Is it that one where they’re on strings
Thanks! I have driven by many times but assumed their plane gimmick would make the lanes stupid expensive.
Honestly I don’t remember how much it costs. Still fun place! Definitely not a bowling alley, though!
Arapahoe Bowling Center is my go to for a real bowling alley. Went to Main Event recently and the all you can play was a pretty good deal for jumping between bowling, pool, and laser tag
Sonesta Lanes.
You’d have to go way north, but Sweetheart Lanes in Loveland is an awesome old school bowling alley.
Coal Creek Bowling up in Lafayette!
The pandemic taught a lot of industries in low competition environments that they could behave as monopolies and be price makers rather than price takers.
Businesses have forgotten how to increase profits by lowering prices and increasing sales. Monopolies never have to.
We will never get out of this mess until the country learns to break monopolies again. Citizens United was the worst thing to ever happen to this country.
I do my part by refusing to give them my money but I feel like I am the minority overall.
Moe's on Broadway has cheap bowling
Wheat Ridge is cool but Tues-Thursday is league from 6-10 so plan accordingly.
Moe's on S. Broadway
I think this is the winner for me! BBQ AND bowling?! Only 15 minutes from the house? Sounds amazing!
It's short track bowling, not a full length lane, but it's a ton of fun and their wings rock. Just make sure they are not having music if you go. It can fill up when they have a band.
Holiday Lanes
Hangar 101 Billiards
If you’re willing to drive, Coal Creek Lanes in Lafayette.
Also Arapahoe Bowl on Arapahoe and i25
"bowling experience" made me chuckle
stop telling people the good spots dammit
Hangar 101 has 10$/hr bowling per person. So you could get 5 games for yourself for like 20-30. Only downside is they only have like 6 lanes so on a busier night they’ll get taken pretty quickly. But they have a 21+ rule after I think 10 or 11pm so you have a better shot of getting a lane once the kids are gone. I go Wednesdays and usually by 11 most of the lanes are open.
Bowlero has a Groupon right now. 6 people, shoes and hours of bowling. 64 bucks.
Yes! I only go to Bowlero on a Groupon. You must purchase 24 hours in advance though before it will activate, so takes some planning ahead.
Everyone is saying 'F Bowlero' but they usually have Groupon deals (yes, Groupon still exists) for great rates.
Right now for the Leetsdale location they have:
2 hours bowling for 2 people that includes shoe rentals for $35
2 hours bowling for 4 people that includes show rentals for $61
You're not going to find a better rate anywhere else.
Edit: already found a better deal lol. AMF has the same deal above except its only $24 for 2 people
Nah, I'd rather not promote their shady business tactics. I'll give my money to the alleys that are still standing by bowling being a fun cheap night out.
You asked where to find cheap bowling. I provided an answer.
If you don't like Bowlero and don't want to promote, please put that in your original post - so people don't waste their time responding to your question that you asked.
🤡 🤡 🤡
You good? I have never seen anyone so sensitive about a bowling location.
My brother, I answered your question and you responded back with some silly shit about you not promoting a product that you were asking about lol.
But your response asking me if "I'm good" and being "sensitive" about a bowling alley is quite ironic.
🤡 🤡 🤡
Arapahoe lanes is the shit. Haven’t been in a long time. Hopefully it’s not a bowlero now
Turns out this is the closest alley to me, just dropped by today for the first time. They're still independently owned.
Crown Lanes on S Federal!!!
Flyteco is cheap and has a bunch of options for adult mini games like axe throwing and mini golf too
Crown Lanes in S Federal is my go to, it remains a classic sorry alley with decent pricing and solid bar.
Oklahoma
Yes, Ohio. See, many idiots moved here and that means they will pay anything to do the thing they read about in some trend piece they found on some stupid trend media. However, Ohio is not trendy so you can still bowl there, for now.
I only paid $42 for like 3 hours of bowling for 2 people at bowlero on leetsdale 🤷♂️ that’s more than reasonable for me
Main Event in Highlands Ranch! There is an All You Can Play wristband. Everyday, it's $22.99 per person. All You Can Play Bowling, Billiards and more. Pass good for ALL day, until close. (Pass is $27.99 on Saturdays)
Lane rentals, without the pass, are $32.99 per lane during the week + Sunday nights. Unlimited games for the hour. Covers up to 6 people per lane. There are 2 different Happy Hours per day for drink specials. Also, we have a FUN League starting June 18th. $14.99 per week for 12 weeks. Lots of prizes, themes, and fun. Need to create a team of 4. Tues, Thurs or Sun nights for leagues. Stop into the Sales Office when you come over. We'll get you hooked up!
Round1 at southwest plaza is about $40 for 2 people unlimited games.
Wheatridge Lanes!
LMK if you ever wanna bowl. I’m terrible at it and get weird looks a since I’m wheelchair bound (no shoe rental tho 😂). But I find it fun and like meeting new ppl.
I work for Main Event, which has bowling, so if you wanna know anything about deals and whatnot, let me know.
We have good bowling lanes, but we’re not really a professional bowling center (don’t expect league style lanes).
Hangar 101 in Lakewood
Join a league. Fun to roll a few games and meet some people with the same hobby.
Also with bowlero u get 3 free games a week and any additional games are only $2.
Celebrity lanes
It used to be the shit before the remodel. And they used to do 10$ 3hrs lane rental on Sundays but that ended years ago. Still nothing but fond memories of celebrity lanes in my eyes even though I haven’t been in a while. My best game to this day is at celebrity lanes.
Bowlero is a good deal if you do the Sunday deal and play at least 4 games. Me and the boys grab a beer tower or two and none of us are making big bucks so I’d say it’s affordable. Atleast the one in heather ridge is.
AMF lanes. I usually go to the one off 104th and I-25 in Northglenn.
Wheat Ridge for sure
Bowlero has unlimited bowling for 16 bucks on Mondays
crown lanes on federal
$6 mixed drinks, the best fried pickles I've ever had, 90s vibes fully intact. lively atmosphere.
$5 / game, $5 / shoe rental.