Candlepin bowling in Boston: 10 alleys for the New England original

Who needs the bulkiness of tenpin?

By Tom Acitelli@tomacitelli Jul 19, 2018, 9:59am EDT

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By Tom Acitelli@tomacitelli Jul 19, 2018, 9:59am EDT

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Candlepin bowling—that cousin to tenpin bowling, with lighter balls and slenderer pins—was first played in Worcester in the 1880s. No surprise, then, that it’s become a staple of New England play (it’s also big in northeastern Canada).

Here are 10 top options for candlepin bowling in the Boston region. Get your string on.

More for Play Week: Downtown Boston’s 6 best places for public art :: 12 quaint Boston-area towns to visit this summer, mapped :: Lighthouses near Boston that you can visit, mapped :: 9 beginner bike rides in the Boston area :: Boston walks: 10 perfect ones for warmer weather :: Boston hikes: 10 superb ones in and around the city, mapped :: 5 Boston-area hikes that end in great beer :: Boston’s 10 friendliest parks for strollers, mapped

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Needham Bowlaway

The eight-lane alley goes back more than a century.

Open in Google Maps

16 Chestnut St, Needham, MA 02492

Visit Website

Flatbread Brighton & Brighton Bowl

This relatively recent outpost includes a lot of pizza options.

Open in Google Maps

76 Guest St, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream and Twentieth Century Bowling Alley

The name kind of says it all: Wholesome fun with bowling and ice cream.

Open in Google Maps

1231 Hyde Park Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136

Visit Website

Lucky Strike—Fenway

This alley is part of the Jillian’s/Lucky Strike complex near Fenway Park: 70,000 square feet of all sorts of fun.

145 Ipswich St, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Kings Dining & Entertainment

The Back Bay location of this chain has dining and other gaming options.

Open in Google Maps

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Lucky Strike Social Somerville

This Assembly Row outpost of Lucky Strike opened in April 2018.

Open in Google Maps

325 Revolution Dr, Somerville, MA 02145

Visit Website

Boston Bowl

This alley is open 24 hours and touts itself as particularly family-friendly. There are also outside batting cages.

Open in Google Maps

820 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA 02122

Visit Website

Boston Candlepin

Southie. Candlepin. Not much else to say about this family-run joint.

Open in Google Maps

543 E Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

Central Park Lanes

This Eastie standard comes with few frills, though that’s kind of the point.

Open in Google Maps

10 Saratoga St, East Boston, MA 02128

Sacco's Bowl Haven

This bowling-and-nosh spot predates World War II.

Open in Google Maps

2823, 45 Day St, Somerville, MA 02144

Visit Website

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Needham Bowlaway

16 Chestnut St, Needham, MA 02492

The eight-lane alley goes back more than a century.

Open in Google Maps

16 Chestnut St, Needham, MA 02492

Visit Website

Flatbread Brighton & Brighton Bowl

76 Guest St, Brighton, MA 02135

This relatively recent outpost includes a lot of pizza options.

Open in Google Maps

76 Guest St, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream and Twentieth Century Bowling Alley

1231 Hyde Park Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136

The name kind of says it all: Wholesome fun with bowling and ice cream.

Open in Google Maps

1231 Hyde Park Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136

Visit Website

Lucky Strike—Fenway

145 Ipswich St, Boston, MA 02215

This alley is part of the Jillian’s/Lucky Strike complex near Fenway Park: 70,000 square feet of all sorts of fun.

145 Ipswich St, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Kings Dining & Entertainment

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

The Back Bay location of this chain has dining and other gaming options.

Open in Google Maps

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Lucky Strike Social Somerville

325 Revolution Dr, Somerville, MA 02145

This Assembly Row outpost of Lucky Strike opened in April 2018.

Open in Google Maps

325 Revolution Dr, Somerville, MA 02145

Visit Website

Boston Bowl

820 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA 02122

This alley is open 24 hours and touts itself as particularly family-friendly. There are also outside batting cages.

Open in Google Maps

820 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA 02122

Visit Website

Boston Candlepin

543 E Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Southie. Candlepin. Not much else to say about this family-run joint.

Open in Google Maps

543 E Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

Central Park Lanes

10 Saratoga St, East Boston, MA 02128

This Eastie standard comes with few frills, though that’s kind of the point.

Open in Google Maps

10 Saratoga St, East Boston, MA 02128

Sacco's Bowl Haven

2823, 45 Day St, Somerville, MA 02144

This bowling-and-nosh spot predates World War II.

Open in Google Maps

2823, 45 Day St, Somerville, MA 02144

Visit Website