A Shrine To Bowling's Legends
More and more museums offer interactive exhibits. But how many museums allow visitors to actually bowl four frames in the presence of greatness?
Since its 1984 opening, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in St. Louis has served as a "testament and a shrine to the sport of bowling," says Carrie Wobbe, its communications director. It is a place that celebrates the legendary bowling pro alongside the high-scoring hometown hero.
Surprisingly, the museum has a rich history to mine. The practice of bowling spans more than 5,000 years, dating back to ancient Egypt. Later, when Greek and Roman soldiers took to the lanes, they spread the sport throughout the ancient world.
In America, bowling made its first appearance in 1610 with the arrival of English colonists at Jamestown, Virginia. Dutch settlers played a form of the modern game in colonial Manhattan ten years later.
"It's really neat to see how the sport has changed in 5,000 years," says Wobbe. "The museum is truly a fascinating piece of history."
Hall of Fame curator John Dalzell puts the number of bowling game variations at 500. "As a sport, more people have bowled than just about anything else," Dalzell says. "Bowling has been played on every continent by almost every ethnic group."
The museum, open 360 days a year, is home to many artifacts and displays. "We try to juxtapose new and old," says Dalzell. "This way, people can get a sense of how the sport has changed and developed."
One notable exhibit is the bowling pin car. Hand-crafted on the chasis of a 1936 Studabaker, the car is shaped like a bowling pin. A resourceful businessman used to drive the vehicle around to lure bowlers to his lanes in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
You don't have to drive a novelty to earn your place in the museum. The Hall of Fame features a Hometown Heroics section displaying records of any bowler who has rolled a league-sanctioned perfect game, an 800-plus series, or who has been inducted into a state or local hall of fame. Dating back to 1902, there are more than 280,000 records in the database.
And if all this doesn't bowl you over, how's this: the building also houses the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.
Back to The Big LeBowlski
The Fast Lane
Lane Change
Don't Be A 'Powder Puff'!
Written by Joshua Platt with graphic design by Emily Fader