Richmond 40 Bowl | Richmond, IN

Throw a Strike with These Bowling Halloween Costume Ideas

Kid holding carved jack-o-lantern in front of face

Whether you’re planning a Halloween bowling party of your own, or just want to join the fun here at Richmond 40 Bowl on Halloween, your plans aren’t complete unless you’ve got an awesome costume. While any costume is better than no costume, if you really want to be the life of the party, these are some bowling Halloween costume ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 

Bowling Halloween Costume Ideas

Ball and pins

If you’re looking for a bowling-themed group costume, you can’t go wrong with a bowling ball and pins! There are plenty of off-the-rack bowling costumes available online, but this creative group costume doesn’t have to be fancy. You could just have everyone wear white clothes with two “stripes” of red around the neck. (Incidentally, the area where the stripes are placed on a bowling pin is also called the neck!) You could make your stripes from felt, fabric, or even posterboard. Or if your group is feeling crafty, use acrylic or fabric paint to stripe the necks of white turtleneck shirts. 

Are you expecting? If so, you can put an even more unique spin on the idea by using your pregnant belly like a bowling ball! You can even buy shirts already printed like this for an easy and adorable pregnancy Halloween costume. 

Bowling characters

Of course, the other obvious direction to go for a bowling Halloween costume is to choose an iconic character from a bowling show or movie. Any of the characters from The Big Lebowski are sure to be a hit, and it’s also a great inspiration for a group costume. You’ll need The Dude, obviously—east enough with a  t-shirt, shorts, and a bathrobe, or a t-shirt, pajama pants, and signature oversized cardigan. Maude will take a little more work, but a Viking helmet and gold bowling ball bra make for an instantly-recognizable costume. There are plenty of other great characters to choose from, too: Walter, Jesus Quintana, Donny, and Bunny.
Other pop culture bowling characters to consider: 

  • Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble
  • Roy and Ernie from Kingpin
  • Carol (aka The Bowler) from Mystery Men

Did we forget any classics? Let us know your favorite bowling characters!

Blacklight costumes

If you’re planning to attend one of our Cosmic Bowling sessions, make sure you plan a blacklight reactive costume. The best colors to wear for a blacklight party are white and anything fluorescent. Don’t forget to layer on the glowsticks! And remember to wear a mask. You can even find blacklight reactive face masks online. Think creepy or fantastical when it comes to your costume. Some blacklight costume ideas include:

  • Fairy
  • Ghost
  • Wizard or witch
  • Skeleton
  • Creepy doll or clown
  • 80s or 90s club kid
  • Beetlejuice
  • Oogie Boogie, Jack, or Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Other Mother from Coraline