Milwaukee, Famous for Bowling, Says Goodbye to Its Competitive Crown

The largest bowling alley in the Milwaukee area, Bowlero Wauwatosa with its 72 lanes, sits dimly lit with an empty check-in counter, dark lanes and few bowlers in sight.

Bowlero Corp. purchased the alley in 2021 and later rebranded to Lucky Strike Entertainment. Just four years on, the company is now planning for possible non-bowling upgrades, signaling a pivot from competitive bowling to family entertainment across the industry.

The alley is divided into a 24-lane side and a 48-lane side. The smaller section is closed, sitting behind locked doors as its equipment collects dust. Owner Lucky Strike is still making plans for its use.

Major tournaments that once filled the center have been relocated as the venue shifts focus from competition to entertainment. Almost all large tournaments hosted there have vanished.

The Professional Bowlers Association held its World Series of Bowling at the metro Milwaukee alley in 2022 and 2023. The Midwest Collegiate Championships ran there for decades, and the Junior Hall of Fame Tournament was among other events hosted at the site.

“This decision was not made lightly due to the history of the event being staged in Milwaukee,” read a Midwest Collegiate Championships post on Facebook. “After conducting host center inspections of the facilities, both the MCC and the host centers determined that the tournament could not be held at the centers in 2025.”

Organizers left the door open for a return. “After the necessary improvements have been made to the bowling centers, we will re-evaluate their ability to potentially host the event again in 2026,” the Midwest Collegiate Championships added in the post.

“We’re certainly not here because we don’t want to be here. That’s not the reason,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark, a Muskego resident. “Milwaukee still is one of the strongest cities in the country for bowling; it’s in everybody’s DNA in Wisconsin.”

The 2025 Midwest Collegiate Championships moved to Imperial Lanes in Detroit, the 2024 PBA World Series of Bowling relocated to Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, and the Junior Hall of Fame Tournament moved to Sussex Bowl in Sussex, Wisconsin.

“The center has been going through some pretty massive changes, and they’re deciding to close one side of the center,” Clark said. “The machinery all needs to be updated. And you know, essentially that center isn’t able to host PBA events anymore.”

Nationwide, bowling centers declined 32% from 2005 to 2025, according to research firm IBISWorld. Surviving alleys increasingly prioritize revenue from entertainment avenues over league play.

“Time on the lanes is now being filled with casual open bowlers,” said Alyssa Klopatek, executive director of the Bowling Center Association of Wisconsin. “Many bowling centers are adding additional attractions such as arcades, laser tag, volleyball, and restaurant services.”

“The recreational side is so successful, because it actually generates more revenue for a bowling center,” Clark said. “So that does blur the line, and it can impact the ability of a place to cater more to the sports side of the game.”

As major tournaments depart Bowlero Wauwatosa, local bowlers are following suit, many feeling the alley is no longer a home for the sport.

“They ran down the place like it’s abandoned,” said Layton Barlow, president of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bowling Club. “Horrible place for league or tournament bowlers.”

The closure of half of Bowlero Wauwatosa has forced organizers to scratch Milwaukee off the map for large tournaments. With only 48 lanes available and outdated equipment, the venue can no longer accommodate multi-day events that require 60 or more lanes, leaving the city without a viable host site for regional or national competitions.

The loss of capacity reaches beyond Bowlero Wauwatosa. No other Milwaukee-area center can handle events of that scale, removing the city from consideration for major competitions, including collegiate tournaments, state tournaments and professional bowling.

Bowlero Wauwatosa and Lucky Strike Entertainment did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the renovations and their plans.

The lanes at Bowlero Wauwatosa will likely remain mostly empty in the near future as the fate of the closed half awaits Lucky Strike Entertainment’s plans. For now, the heart of Milwaukee bowling beats elsewhere.