Do you have some spare time on your hands and you’re o-pin to fun activities? This might be right up your alley.
Saturday, Aug. 12 is National Bowling Day and we’re ready to roll through the history of candlepin bowling in the Bay State.
The game dates back to 1880 when it was first introduced in Worcester by the owner of a billiards and bowling hall named Justin White.
Candlepin bowling is slightly different than the traditional tenpin version of bowling. This version of the game is played mostly in New England + some areas of Canada.
It’s played with a handheld-sized ball and tall, narrow pins that resemble candlesticks. The goal is to knock all the pins over, but they’re not moved away until the end of your three roll turn. The scoring is lower too; in traditional bowling a perfect score is 300, whereas in candlepin bowling the highest official score is only 245.
Ready to give it a go? Check out one of these local alleys:
American Flatbread Bowl Brighton, 76 Guest St.
Visit Boston Landing and play a game or two on one of the nine lanes.
South Boston Candlepin, 543 E. Broadway
This Southie bowling alley has been family run for over 20 years.
Boston Bowl, 820 Morrissey Blvd.
This location has something for everyone with candlepin lanes, tenpin bowling, batting cages, and billiards.
Sacco’s Bowl Haven, 45 Day St., Somerville
This location dates back to 1939, when the famous Sacco’s Bowling family opened one of their many candlepin bowling alleys. Today, American Flatbread owns the location and it remains a classic bowling alley with a pizza kitchen.
