Did You Know These Fun Facts About Bowling Alleys?

Do you think you know bowling? Well, we bet you probably don’t know all of these bits of bowling trivia.

How Old is Bowling?

According to one anthropologist, bowling may date all the way back to 3200 BC! Sir Flinders Petrie discovered objects in an Egyptian grave that are believed to be used for an early form of bowling. However, the earliest American indoor bowling alley was called Knickerbockers, and it opened in New York in 1840.

What are Bowling Lanes Made of?

Bowling lanes are made to very specific specifications. Bowling lanes are 60 feet long and are traditionally made from exactly 39 strips of wood. Today some lanes are built with synthetic wood, but sugar maple and pine are the traditional woods of choice.

How Does the Bowling Ball Come Back After Your Throw?

Have you ever wondered how a bowling ball is returned to you after your throw? This is all thanks to a machine called a ball accelerator. After your ball passes through the pin-deck, the ball accelerator uses a conveyor-like systems to transport the bowling ball back down the lane and into the ball return.

What is a Pinsetter?

A pinsetter is the machine that resets the pins. It is named after the original pinsetters, the people who stood at the end of the lanes and manually reset pins back in the old days. Today’s automatic pinsetters use camera or “fingers” (special mechanical appendages) to sense which pins remain after each throw.

Bowling history is fascinating, but the best bowling fun you can have is by actually bowling! Check out our bowling specials and Richmond events and make plans to visit our Richmond bowling alley today.