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    Main Event Columbia

    2.4 (347 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated a few days ago

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    MAIN EVENT COLUMBIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Main Event Columbia

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    Hammed A.

    I visited Main Event Columbia for a teen's birthday party and had a good time. I wouldn't put the experience on the level of a well-run Dave & Busters, however it is a step above other children's entertainment centers like Laugh Out Loud, Chuck E-Cheese, etc.. The birthday party was scheduled in advance, however, it took a while before our designated seating area became available. Also, there was a delay in fulfilling the food order. Some of the food came out piecemeal, even as the party was coming to an end. The staff were polite, but I chalked up the deficiencies to the venue being short staffed for the day. The games were entertaining and the prize redemption shop (Winner's Choice) was adequate for children. Overall, an OK experience. I'll give it another shot if I have the opportunity.

    Austin G.

    After falling in love with the Main Event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Main Event Columbia broke my love affair. My eight-year-old daughter and I went around 4pm on a Saturday in February and left with a headache. Here's why: 1) Cost: We can't knock them on the price because we willingly paid, but it is expensive. To maximize our stay, we got a lot of credit for the arcade. Many of the games are rip offs. Your money is thrown at them. 2) Arcade: More than ten games were out of order. A number of them took our credit away and then didn't activate. We had to wait in a long line to get a staff member to help us out. 3) Lines: Despite having many staff, efficiency is NOT their middle name. We literally waited one hour to check out at the prize store. There was one worker despite another cash register and many staff just standing around. Each customer took around 15-20 minutes. It was wild. I'll never go back to this location, but I will return to the on in Grand Rapids.

    Double bacon cheeseburger for the win.
    Chris S.

    (9/30/25) The experience starts from the phone call. I understand people speak negatively about customers in private. However, Terry failed to hang up properly and proceeded to make fun of my inquiry about an open lane. Upon telling the "manager" (who never shared his name) about telling Terry to be more aware of her actions. It was accepted as a minor issue, after he unnecessarily pointed out who Terry was as if I knew her personally. Bowling, this is an entertainment spot, don't take your score seriously. Yes you're rolling a ball on a floor at pins, but it's not a true bowling experience. Food was surprisingly food. I felt bad for the single serving taking care of the whole bowling lanes area alone. Her co-workers nor the manager could be bothered. This made food and drinks come SLOW. Granted it was a Tuesday evening, but it got busy. The team failed her, and I'm sure revenue suffered.

    I visited Main Event to celebrate a special occasion, and unfortunately the night got off to a very rough start. An employee named Joshua told us that a coupon we presented was "false advertising" and claimed the email it came from was not actually from Main Event. I showed him that the same coupon was listed on the company's website, but he insisted it was invalid and something that needed to be discussed with management. It felt like he was trying to upsell us to a different promotion so we would spend more. I immediately asked to speak with a manager, and Phil completely turned the situation around. He confirmed that the coupon was valid and handled everything professionally, exceeding our expectations. However, shortly after we started enjoying our time, Joshua approached me again and asked, "Why did you play me?" which I found inappropriate and uncomfortable, especially as a female customer. I reported this to another employee, Madison, who was very understanding and empathetic. She promptly involved a manager again, and both of them apologized sincerely. After that, the rest of the evening improved, and we were able to enjoy ourselves and make good memories. I truly appreciate the professionalism of Phil and Madison, but the behavior of that one employee negatively impacted the experience and does not reflect well on Main Event as a whole. I am only leaving one star due to the negative experience with Joshua.

    Tables
    Sam C.

    Not the best experience. So my family and I came here for my son's 16th birthday. He loves bowling and we hadn't been here before so we figured let's try something new. We were greeted by a friendly team member and given our lane. Once we got to our lane we noticed that there weren't any tables set up. We eventually got that corrected but it took about 20 minutes for our server to come take our orders. When she arrived she was super nice and attentive. The down side was 4 things we tried to order were unavailable due to the oven being down. And the 6 sprites that were ordered were just soda water. These things were not her fault, it just put a damper on our experience. The games are pretty pricey as well. So you can get a 300 credits for $60 but the fun games that you get kids want to play are between 10-19 credits. So two kids will play about 6-7 games a piece. Thats about $5 a game. Also my daughter order a burger and it looked nothing like what was pictured in the menu, she was super disappointed.

    James C.

    Seven of us arrived and ended up waiting in a long line just to purchase wristbands and cards--it took an hour and a half to get through. The place wasn't crowded, but it was clearly understaffed. We then waited another two hours for our turn to bowl. On the positive side, the facility is clean and the food is good.

    Shari D.

    Great experience here! Took our students here for an attendance incentive and it was awesome. There are TONS of things to do here, and the packages are very affordable. We opted for the pizza for lunch and it went down without any issues. I would definitely chaperone a trip here again, the staff were very friendly and helpful when students needed support with games and the gift shop.

    10.22.22
    Carroll N.

    8.10.24 Five of the machines (i.e. skee ball and photo booth) were out of order. When I went to inform the staff to get credit back, he informed me that the equipment was five years old. He said that he could look up which machines were out of order by looking at the details on my game card. My hubby said to me afterwards, that's not our concern. That's their issue and that they should repair them. At the very least they should put signs up to let patrons know. It was very frustrating and inconvenient. It makes us not want to return given the number of equipment that are inoperable.

    Rachel S.

    Came here for a group event. We took up 2 lanes with about 5 people in each lane. Shoe rentals are a little under $5 per person. Hubby and I ordered their pretzel sticks and fried pickles, which came out to approximately $24. What's hot - Layout. Pretty easy to find your way around from the entrance to the food court, to the arcade, to the bowling lanes. Each bowling lane is equipped with its own booth. Behind the booths are high tables and chairs with enough room to eat. This also allows you a place to eat after you've finished bowling. - Cost. Pretty reasonable shoe rental cost. Less than $5 per person. Cost of a bowling lane per hour was around $50 per hour and each lane can hold up to 6 people. - Location. Conveniently located at the mall in Columbia, which is helpful, because there are so many other amenities close by. - Food. Pretty good quality. The fried pickles we ordered were not too thin and not overly battered. The pretzels come with a cheesy dipping sauce. For $24, pretty good value for money. If you order food, you can also ask them to bring it to your bowling lane, which is helpful. What's not - Noise. It's very loud in here. They play very loud music. It's a large space, including food and arcade. However, it makes having conversations with those in your group very hard. Defeats the purpose of having a group event when the whole point is to talk to others, as well. This alone makes me not want to return. - Website. It's not very helpful, because it doesn't provide the price breakdown of cost of rental for shoes, the bowling lanes, etc.... Not very good customer service. - Customer service. I had called ahead to ask for a price breakdown for booking a group event, which included food catering from Main Event. Whoever I spoke to didn't ask me questions to help guide me and give me a better idea of what factors to take into consideration, such as cost of shoe rentals, price per bowling lane, making reservations, etc.... Furthermore, when we were there and ordered food, no one brought napkins and silverware when the food arrived. Not helpful, especially since the booths by the lanes don't have napkins and/or anything conducive to eating. Recommendations - Reservations. Definitely recommend to make reservations for bowling lanes, regardless of the size of your group, even if you plan on only bowling for an hour. This guarantees you a spot, including getting lanes next to each other for your group. Final answer Would be willing to come back, but not a first choice, especially because it's extremely loud inside.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Main Event Columbia Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Main Event Columbia

    Is there a coin game here such as the stark trek game at dave & busters or any game that pushed coins over the edge to win tickets? Also, is there a catch to the $20 unlimited play deal?

    Yes! They have a wizard of oz one and a superhero/marvel one!

    Does this place show pay per view boxing matches?

    No it does not

    My friends and I signed up our emails on mainevent.com and it said we would get $10 in free play per person, but none of us have received the coupon after we filled out the survey. Not in spam either. Is this promo still going on?

    My bartender told me about the survey at the bottom of the receipt that I should complete and take to the bowl desk with the code to get a $10 fun card if that's the same promotion you're talking about

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Main Event Columbia

    Brian was patient with our large group, even though we came in waves and were constantly ordering food and beverages.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Bowlero Columbia

    Bowlero Columbia

    2.8(98 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    I booked a party via online and let me tell you, the process was super smooth!! I had an amazing…read morebooking experience. I found the prices to be very fair. When I arrived they had the lanes reserved, ready to use and even had decorations for the party theme. My server was amazing!!!!! My experience was awesome!! But most of all my family had an amazing time celebrating togetherness at this location. Thank you Bowlero for helping to bring others together to create memories at your establishment.

    Started off 2025 with a really fun bowling date night! Went to Bowlero in Columbia, MD and was…read morehappy to see there was a pretty full parking lot on a Wednesday evening. Played the unlimited bowling and shoe rental package for $19.99 a person and think it was worth every Penny! You could take your time between games and the lane didn't shut off before you could finish a frame. The vibe was fun with the music, huge tv screens and a diverse group of bowlers that ranged all ages. They also have half price arcade games on Wednesday nights but we didn't get that far haha. For the food, we ordered the Smokehouse burger and the Chicken Club Wrap, both with fries as the side, and both were delicious. We were surprised at how good and fresh everything was for a bowling alley. All of the staff were very nice and attentive. Definitely recommend this spot for parties or groups to get some fun time out. Will be back.

    Photos
    Bowlero Columbia
    Bowlero Columbia
    Bowlero Columbia

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    Greenway Bowl - Greenway on October 12, 2025 -- panoramic

    Greenway Bowl

    3.4(56 reviews)
    12.0 mi

    Greenway Bowl has that classic bowling alley feel. Nothing overly fancy, but that's part of the…read moreappeal. You go in, get your lane, and just have a good time. Whether you're going with family, friends, or just trying to get out the house for a bit, it works. The lanes are kept up well, and everything runs smooth for the most part. You're not dealing with constant issues, which makes a big difference when you're just trying to enjoy yourself. One of my favorite things is the galaxy bowling on Friday and Saturday nights. From 10pm to 1am, it's unlimited bowling, shoes included, for $25 per person. The lights, music, and overall vibe make it a whole different experience. Definitely a good move if you're going with a group or just want something a little more fun than regular bowling. It's a good mix of people too. Families, groups of friends, and casual bowlers all in the same space. It keeps the vibe fun without feeling chaotic. They've got food and drinks available, which adds to the experience. It's not gourmet or anything, but it does the job while you're there. Staff is solid. They keep things moving and help out if something comes up. Only downside is it can get crowded, especially on weekends or evenings, so you might have to wait for a lane. Overall, it's a reliable spot for a good time. Simple, fun, and a nice local option when you're looking to do something different.

    Clean, older style bowling alley setup. Most of the staff is older and work at their pace not the…read morecustomers. The kid ramps were dirty which was a turn off for me to bring a kid. The bar server was great! All in all their weekday deal of 2 hour unlimited play shoes included was worth it at $15.99 per person including children which I found odd as every other bowling alley I have been to always allow kids under 6yrs to play for free or half price. When u go in pick out ur ball first then go and pay cause ur time starts right when u pay!

    Photos
    Greenway Bowl - An old-style sitting area on some of the lanes. Other lanes have more conventional tables.

    An old-style sitting area on some of the lanes. Other lanes have more conventional tables.

    Greenway Bowl - Greenway in October 2023

    Greenway in October 2023

    Greenway Bowl

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    Bowling Brook Apartments

    Bowling Brook Apartments

    2.3(8 reviews)
    6.1 mi

    Bowling Brook was home to my family for 3 years. Overall I would say it's dated, but an ok place…read more The location is good because you can walk down to the public library, Savage trail or over to Savage mill or even to the grocery store if you need to. Also it's Laurel, Howard county so you're central to sooo much. Parking was not usually an issue. It's a pain to park a little farther away when you have groceries because it is all stairs here but that's just apartment life. They offer various floor plans but we settled on a 1 bed with a den and 2 bath. The units themselves could use some updating. Our kitchen was galley style and tiny, but we liked having a laundry room so we made that compromise. The bedroom closets are also tiny. Having 2 full bathrooms was great and our balcony was huge. That being said, some of the deck boards were in pretty bad shape when we moved in, like rotten. When the siding was replaced throughout the community in 2022, the contractors replaced some of the boards, I'm assuming because it was dangerous for them to work on. But wouldn't it be dangerous for us to use as well? That was a little concerning that resident safety wasn't considered. The community is close to the woods so I sometimes saw insects I've never seen before. We had an issue with silverfish, which are harmless and live in lots of buildings/housing but beware especially if you have a fireplace. Before the siding project, there were carpenter bees all over the place because everything was wood. Again harmless but annoying. Besides that we had your typical house spiders and thankfully nothing else. There is a poorly maintained sand volleyball court, a tennis court, kiddie and full size pools, a decent fitness center but unfortunately the fitness center is not 24/7. Despite there being several children in the community, there is no playground but there's a good amount of open space where kids run and play. Maintenance is pretty responsive which is good but like others have said, they will nickel and dime you. Our microwave door frame started separating and when maintenance came they said we would be responsible for the replacement cost. We paid about $1K for some localized carpet stains in the dining room (wasn't expecting the security deposit back because we had a toddler) but we were just ready to be done with this place. Management has balcony decorating contests during the holidays where you can win money towards your rent. They also started having food trucks come to the community regularly, which was a great idea. I feel like communication for significant things was hit or miss. A resident was shot and killed in the parking lot but I never saw anything from management to address it. When the siding project started we didn't really know when our building was scheduled and because of all the banging, the power cord to our Internet that was locked in the utility room kept getting knocked out so we lost Internet for a few days. There was communication regarding the building that burned down though. Rent went up significantly every year. The biggest increases I've seen at any apartment I've lived in. $1000 for rent the first year, $1700 the second, then $2K for the 3rd. I realize there's inflation but this was crazy. Despite the resident shooting, which I believe was targeted, I generally felt safe here. Some residents were friendly, some kept to themselves. If I had one easy-to-do recommendation for management it would be to add building numbers to the outside of buildings instead of those signs in the grass. Use the signs in the grass to direct people to the unit letters. Delivery drivers and visitors are very confused when trying to find units and we had several deliveries dropped off at the wrong door without the courtesy of the neighbor making sure we got it. With all that being said, after 3 years it was time for us to move on.

    This staff is very discriminatory with the residence depending on your race. Sad we are still in…read morethose days. I was lied to about fees and other issues. I don't recommend this as a community to live in.

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    Bowling Brook Apartments
    Bowling Brook Apartments
    Bowling Brook Apartments

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    Main Event Columbia - bowling - Updated September 2026

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