New York has the most bowling alleys at 410. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois follow closely with 393, 356, and 368 alleys respectively. The industry has grown from $4 billion in 2014 to $10 billion in 2018 with 69.1 million participants nationally. The average bowling alley makes approximately $36,750 per lane annually. The most successful alleys are in areas with over $100,000 average household incomes.
The largest bowling alley is the 90-lane Thunderbowl in Allen Park, Michigan opened in 1962. It has hosted Professional Bowlers Association World Series events. Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois and Freeway Lanes in Wickliffe, Ohio each have 84 lanes.
Bowling remains popular in England, the United States, Finland, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Germany, Colombia, and Korea. Metro Detroit is known as the “Bowling Capital of the World” with 4.5 alleys per 100,000 residents.
The oldest sanctioned bowling alley is Wisconsin’s Holler House opened in 1908 with two lanes still using human pinsetters. With 1,246 centers, California has the most bowling alleys followed by Texas with 736.