The premise of bowling has been around for centuries, and it’s become a pastime that everybody from all walks of life can enjoy. Whether you’re a six-year-old going to a birthday party with your classmates, or a sixty-five-year-old joining a tenpin league on Tuesdays and Thursdays, bowling is always a great time. Luckily for Londoners, the Forest City is home to some great bowling alleys. These classic London establishments have planted their roots as reputable businesses providing Londoners with incredible memories since their opening. Read on to learn about the best places to bowl in London, Ontario!
FLEETWAY
Fleetway is a classic London destination that since its opening has solidified itself as a reputable bowling alley of choice amongst kids and adults alike! The major appeal comes with their undeniably fun glow-bowling and the fact that Dairy Queen is attached to it. The family traditions that have formed at Fleetway have become engrained in many Londoners childhood memories.
While the classic London destination stuck in our minds as an awesome childhood memory, it was impossible to ignore its ageing interiors and atmosphere. It soon became an outdated and unassuming spot for bowling and billiards. Since its recent renovations though, it has once again become one of the most entertaining and fun destinations for both kids and adults.
The facility offers 44 lanes of bowling, with ten-pin and five-pin options. Their state of the art machinery and extreme lighting elevates the bowling experience. If you want to impress your kids, make sure you go to glow-bowling, they will be extra entertained by the black light effects and it’ll make the experience even better! One of the newer additions to Fleetway is their 7,000 square foot miniature golf course! It is a full 18-holes of glow in the dark, fictional characters such as pirates, and fun landscapes. Perfect for a carefree date night or an afternoon out with the kids.
Fleetway’s brand new Kid’s Play Centre is a must-visit for those with children 12 and under. This playground offers five levels of fun for kids including slides, tubes, punching bags, trolley glides, a toddler area and way more.
Fleetway wouldn’t be Fleetway without its classic Billiards Room. The large room is home to fourteen Boston Pool Tables that are kept in mint condition. Novices and experts alike will enjoy practicing their skills on the professional surfaces.
The Fleetway experience wouldn’t be the same without a stop at attached Dairy Queen! This became a tradition amongst families in early years, and still is today. There’s nothing better than grabbing a well-deserved blizzard after a few rounds of bowling on a Saturday afternoon.
Fleetway, in all its glory, is the perfect destination for date-night or just fun with a group of friends. It’s kid-proof in all the right ways, but offers up entertainment that’s perfect for adults only!
Deals and Pricing:
Glow Bowling: Fridays 8:00pm – 1:00 am // Saturdays 3:30pm-6:30pm and 9:00pm – 1:00am
Shoe Rental Rates: Adults (13+) $3.75 per person // Kids (12 and under) $2.75 per person
Days:Monday – Friday: $25.00 per lane per hour until 5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: $29.00 per lane per hour until 5:00 pm
Nights:
Monday – Thursday: $29.00 per lane per hour from 5:00 pm – 11:00pm
Friday – Saturday: $34.99 per lane per hour from 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Specials:
Tuesday & Sunday: $21.00 per lane per hour from 5:00pm – 11:00 pm
PALASAD
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In a time where arcade-like bars that boast billiards and bowling alleys are becoming an increasingly trending business to get into, it’s hard to ignore the fact that London has been home to such an establishment for over twenty years!
Palasad has been providing Londoners with endless fun and entertainment since owner and founder Rob Szabo made his dream a reality. He felt that bringing billiards and bowling together in a cool and comfortable atmosphere complete with delicious food and snazzy drinks would be an asset to the London community.
There’s no doubt he was right as since Palasad’s opening back in 1994, almost 24 years later they have two locations and have established themselves as the go-to destination for events with people form all walks of life. Whether you’re a kid wanting to play at the arcade, a couple going on a date or an office looking for a place to host a work party, Palasad is able to cover every event!
Bowling, billiards, laser tag, ping pong and karaoke are all offered at both Palasad locations. Both venues boast an inviting and comfortable atmosphere complete with a life-size bowling pin for a mascot. London-based community events will often have the life-size bowling pin walking around, greeting children and handing out free-play cards for Palasad, further establishing the brand as a mainstay in the London community.
Both locations are equally fun but boast different decor and atmosphere. The north location is the tried and true original, flaunting a more casual vibe with retro decor, while the south location is more modern and upscale. There is an exciting renovation happening at the north location, so Londoners look out for the sparkling new Palasad north as we know it won’t disappoint, and will surely give Rec Room a run for its money. Both locations offer the most delicious wood-oven pizza that has become a favourite amongst those residing in the Forest City.
Palasad North has ten bowling lanes and ten pool tables and the South location has twenty lanes and six pool tables. Rather than bowling pins being secured on the lane by a magnet, they are attached to strings. This reduces lane issues and makes for a smoother bowling experience!
Pricing and Deals on bowling at both locations:
Shoe Rental: $3.99 per adult // $3.49 per child
Monday: $2.00 per game + shoe rental
Bowling is priced per person, with lane time based on group size.
1 person = 20 minutes
2 people = 40 minutes
3 people = 60 minutes
4 people = 80 minutes
5 people = 100 minutes
6 people = 120 minutes
Tuesday:
- All day / All night 11am-midnight
- $7/person
- Shoe Rental Included
Wednesday & Thursday:
- Before 5pm $10/person
- After 5pm $14/person
- Shoe Rental Included
Friday:
- Before 5pm $10/person
- After 5pm $16/person
- Shoe Rental Included
Saturday:
- All day / All night 11am-11pm
- $16/person
- Shoe Rental Included
Sunday:
- Before 5pm $16/person
- After 5pm $14/person
- Shoe Rental Included
BOWLERAMA ROYALE
If you’re a Londoner who is serious about bowling, then chances are you’ve been a regular for years, (or you’re at least familiar with) the classic of all bowling spots in the Forest City, Bowlerama Royale! Located at the east end of Dundas Street just west of Clarke Road, Bowlerama Royale is the tried and true, ultra-vintage yet consistently reliable bowling alley that will never disappoint.
The venue itself began as a bowling alley, Town Bowl, and went on to serve its purpose as a recreational facility hosting bowling alleys and roller skating rinks through the years. After a brief stint as a furniture store, the site returned to its roots as Bowlerama Royale. This is a destination that will bring back memories for Londoners as a place they either bowled or roller skated at in their younger years.
The facility needed much updating which was fulfilled when the new owners, Mark and Brenda came on board in 2011. Mark Decman has done professional bowling in the past, and is well known in the bowling world. He competed in the TSN championship and is auditioning for Team Canada. This in and of itself is a reason to check out Bowlerama Royale!
The bowling community is tight-knit and ranges from kids to adults. Bowlerama is home to many bowling leagues that run throughout the year. These leagues are open to people with all skill levels from beginner to competitive. Bowlerama hosts end of season banquets with prizes and offers discounted open bowling practice rates and shoe rentals for league bowlers. There is a Bowlerama Royale Youth Program which offers opportunity for scholarships and tournaments.
Bowlerama itself is an awesome place to go for a fun night out or to join a community of like-minded people who love to have fun. A unique aspect of Bowlerama is its bowling pro shop. The pro shop provides any avid bowler with every accessory they may need. From custom drilled bowling balls (who even knew there was such a thing?!) to customized individual training for people of all skill levels, the staff at Bowlerama will welcome you with a energetic attitude that will no doubt teach you something you didn’t already know about bowling!
The venue boasts 32 lanes of ten-pin bowling. If you and your friends are looking for a fun night of bowling, the building is licensed so you can get drinks while you bowl making it the perfect spot to go on a Friday or Saturday night (or any night of the week, really!). The area is 27,000 square feet and is perfect to host events such as parties, fundraisers, field trips and much more.
Pricing and Deals:
Shoe Rental: $2.75 for juniors // $3.75 for adults
Daytime:
Monday – Friday: Juniors & Seniors bowl for $4.00 per person per game // Adults $4.50 per person per game OR daytime by the hour $21.00 per lane
Nightime:
Monday – Thursday: $26.00 per hour per lane after 6:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: $31.00 per hour per lane after 6:00 pm
Deals:
Monday: Cosmic Bowling // 9:00pm-11:00pm special game rate of $2.20 per game
Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00pm-11:00pm $15.90 per person including shoe rental for all-you-can-bowl
Wednesdays: Red Pin Bowling! Red pins are placed between the pins and if you bowl a strike on the head pin you get your bowling for free from 9:00pm-11: 00 pm
Thursdays: All you can bowl for $15.00
Weekends: Cosmic Bowling all weekend long!
Group rates are offered depending on how large the group is. Check them out or give them a call to see what kind of discount they’ll provide you and your party!
FAIRMONT LANES
While tenpin bowling seems to be the game of choice for many, we can’t forget about the five-pin option. Whether you’re a five-year-old who can’t yet hold up a tenpin bowling ball or a 55-year-old who loves the difficulty of aiming the small ball at those pins situated pretty far from each other, five-pin should most definitely be your game of choice! Invented in the early twentieth century for those who deemed ten pin bowling too strenuous, five-pin bowling made its mark and is here to stay! There is a bowling alley in London dedicated to five-pin bowling. This bowling alley is called Fairmont Lanes.
This small and unembellished alley is located just west of Highbury Avenue North and Hamilton Road. Fairmont Lanes offers a combination of that classic bowling alley vibe, and a pleasant family-oriented atmosphere thus providing patrons with a sense of familiarity and nostalgia from those afternoons spent at the bowling alleys as a child. Especially those memories of being enthusiastic about bowling, yet not quite strong enough be like the adults and tackle those daunting yet alluring ten-pin lanes.
Fairmont Lanes has been around for 52 years and has cemented itself as one of London’s most steadfast establishments. Let’s be honest, bowling alleys normally aren’t recognized for their state-of-the-art equipment and flashy technology. What makes a bowling alley great is their loyalty to the game itself. Fairmont Lanes has stayed true to its devotion to bowling in its half-century run and has created an incredibly tight-knit community of bowlers from all walks of life!
Most of Fairmont Lanes revenue comes from bowling leagues which are primarily hosted during the week. They offer open bowling, but that’s mostly on the weekends. Their facility houses full twelve lanes and has a liquor license! While this is a smaller business than the others on this list, the quaint atmosphere brings people closer together, which is exactly why it’s such a great destination for bowling leagues!
Deals and Prices:
Free Bowling: Adults $4.75 per game // Kids $4.00 per game
Hour Rentals: $36.00 per lane (up to 5 people)