Dude, you won’t strike out here! Bowling is a great indoor activity for the whole family and this is a great time of year to check out one of these awesome alleys. With bumpers, special family discounts and glow bowling, your little Lebowskis are sure to have a great time at one of these Des Moines area bowling alleys.
Find more fun things to do with kids in Des Moines, from escape rooms to our guide on indoor play spaces to roller skating. And, be sure to subscribe to our Weekend Fun Guide to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox.
Editor’s Note: Open bowling times vary widely. Some venues accept reservations, as well as walk-ins, others do not. It’s a good idea to visit the bowling alley’s website or social media before visiting and double check hours and pricing.
Here’s where you can take the family bowling in central Iowa:
Air Lanes Bowling Center
4200 Fleur Drive • Des Moines • (515) 285-8632
Got a big family or crowd that’s looking for a day of bowling? Air Lanes offers multiple Family Value Packs that includes two hours of lane time, rental shoes and a snack. You can also get crazy with Glow in the Dark Galaxy Bowling at family friendly times on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. They also offer Galaxy bowling birthday parties for kids and teens.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Times vary every day.
Price: Prices vary by day and time, starting at $3.50 per game.
Shoe Rental: $4.50
B & B Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling
1580 SW Market Street • Ankeny, IA 50023 • (515) 423-0979
Imagine what would happen if a movie theatre and a bowling alley had a baby – you’d get B&B Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling! Located in Ankeny’s The District shopping area of Prairie Trail, B-Roll Bowling offers 12 bowling lanes, a full bar and menu. Whether you head to this entertainment venue on a date night or make a reservation during the day with the kiddos, a trip to this “bowling alley” is always a fun experience.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Sunday to Saturday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm
Price: Prices vary by day and time, starting at $25 per hour.
Shoe Rental: Adults $4; Youth $3
Bowlerama
1313 E. Diehl Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50315 • (515) 285-2811
Multiple generations of Des Moines bowlers have rolled more than a few games at Bowlerama. This bowling alley features 28 lanes with lane bumpers for the littlest bowlers along with darts, video games and delish pub fare in their sports bar and grill. Additionally, they host kid’s birthday parties and a youth bowling league that meets on Saturday mornings.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Monday through Thursday & Sunday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm; Friday through Saturday: 11:00 am to 12:00 am
Price: Monday through Thursday & Sunday: $4 per game; Friday through Saturday: $4.50 per game.
Shoe Rental: $3.00
Bowlero – Great Escape
655 NE 56th Street • Pleasant Hill, IA 50327 • (515) 263-1700
This state-of-the-art entertainment and amusement facility located in Pleasant Hill hosts Open Bowling, Bowling Clubs, Cosmic Bowling, Youth Programs and School Outings. They also participate in the Kids Bowl FREE program and they also offer No School Days specials. In addition to bowling, the facility has an arcade and lazer tag.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Times vary every day.
Price: Varies by day of week and time, starting at $26.99 per hour per lane.
Shoe Rental: $4.59
Game Day Lanes (Formerly Merle Hay Lanes)
3800 Merle Hay Road #505 • Des Moines • (515) 253-3901
Located in Merle Hay Mall, Game Day Lanes brings a traditional bowling feel with great prices. Order food from their Sister Store – Game Day Arcade and have food delivered to your lane or table. Cosmic Bowling on the weekends dims the lights, pumps the music and adds lighting effects to the normal bowling routine.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Times vary every day.
Price: Varies by day of week and time, starting at $3.00 per game.
Shoe Rental: $3.50
Spare Time Entertainment
340 Jordan Creek Parkway • West Des Moines, IA 50266 • (515) 414-2824
A swanky bowling lounge located close to Jordan Creek Mall, Spare Time features an arcade, laser tag arena and escape rooms in addition to a 14-lane bowling alley. Food is available from their multiple restaurants and bars within the facility. A great day to visit is on Tuesdays, which is “Half Off Day“. They also host kids’ birthday parties.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Times vary every day.
Price: Monday through Thursday $36.99/hour; Friday through Sunday $44.99/hour
Shoe Rental: $5.00
Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill
1000 Bass Pro Drive NW • Altoona • 515-957-5400
Located in the Bass Pro Shops Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl offers a unique underwater ocean bowling experience. There are 12 lanes to bowl on and the kids will love their custom bowling bowls that look like mermaids and octopus. They host birthday parties and have a billiard room connected to the bowling area.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm; Friday to Saturday: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Price: Monday through Thursday $27/hour; Friday through Sunday $36/hour
Shoe Rental: $4.50
Val Lanes Recreation Center
100 Ashworth Road • West Des Moines • (515) 274-0493
Val Lanes has been a West Des Moines establishment since 1957. It has 36 lanes and is well worth the drive for a game or two. The prices are reasonable at this bowling alley and they have automated bumpers on every lane, rather than making you wait for a bumper lane to become available. They offer a kid’s birthday party package and glow bowling on Friday and Saturday nights.
Open Bowling:
Hours: Sunday through Thursday: 12:00 noon to 9:30 pm; Friday and Saturday: 12:00 noon to 12:00 am
Price: Varies by day, starting at $5.10 per game.
Shoe Rental: $3.50
Warrior Lanes
190 Laurel Street • Waukee • (515) 987-4840
If you’re looking for a family-friendly bowling alley experience Warrior Lanes is a great choice. Parents will like bringing mini-bowlers here – it is clean, the staff is friendly and helpful and the prices are reasonable. Bonus points for throwing awesome birthday parties too! Warrior Lanes is also part of the Kids Free Summer Bowling program.
Hours: Sunday: 12:00 to 8:00 pm; Monday through Thursday: 12:00 to 9:00 pm; Friday and Saturday: 12:00 to 10:00 pm
Price: Varies by day of week and time, starting at $4.45 per person per game or $26.95 per lane per hour.
Shoe Rental: $3.74
Where’s your family’s favorite bowling spot in the metro?
