Strike! 13 of the best places to bowl throughout New Jersey

The popularity of bowling has ebbed and flowed over the years. It became very popular in the United States in the mid-1800s.

It was brought to the New York area by German immigrants where it is believed to have been started a few centuries earlier.

It spread from the New York area west into the upper Midwest to Chicago and Wisconsin where there were sizable German populations.

It's estimated about 67 million Americans bowl and over 1.2 million Americans belong to some sort of them bowling league. They offer much more than bowling lanes typically many with food and drinks service and some with elaborate game rooms as well.

They used to be called bowling alleys, now they're bowling centers. We'll break down where the best places are to take the kids, for young adults, and for active seniors.

FOR FAMILIES AND KIDS

AMF STRATHMORE LANES — Aberdeen. 

EAST WINDSOR BOWL — East Windsor. 

WOODBRIDGE BOWLING CENTER — Woodbridge. 

COLONIAL BOWLING — Lawrenceville.

HOWELL LANES — Howell. 

MAJESTIC LANES — Perth Amboy. 

THE BIG EVENT — Cherry Hill. 

DIDONATO FAMILY FUN CENTER — Hammonton.

FOR ACTIVE ADULTS OVER 55

JERSEY LANES — Linden.

THUNDERBOWL LANES — Wrightstown & Manahawkin. (Formerly Thunderbird Lanes)

PINSETTER BAR & BOWL — Pennsauken. 

FUNPLEX — East Hanover & Mt. Laurel.

KINGPIN BOWL — Egg Harbor Twp. 

FOR YOUNG ADULTS

All of the above-mentioned bowling centers are good for anyone from people looking for a fun date to a pretty cool night out. Saturday night our family went to an adult bowling birthday party at Laurel Lanes in Maple Shade.

There was a bar & grill attached that had a private bachelor party going on. Nothing wild, just some nice guys having fun. They invited us in, but we stayed "in our lane". "Uncle Dennis" had the high score which wasn't anything to brag about, but I hadn't bowled in a really long time.

It was a lot of fun and we plan to go again real soon. Whatever your preference or location, New Jersey has plenty of places to bowl in whatever atmosphere you like.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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