This was one of the most fun things we did in Boston. Highly recommend 10/10. Feels like there is less pressure than regular bowling. Hector was extremely helpful and patient. He really made the experience feel authentic. We are from Oregon and he gave us the full Bostonian experience. I never want to ten pin bowl again. It was between this place and another candle pin bowling alley and I feel like we made the right choice coming to this one, as it is older and filled with locals. read more

This is a MUST go to place to visit. It's not your ordinary bowling alley. Candlepin bowling is old school. It's currently only the New England who has these bowling alleys. The balls are all small size with no holes. I don't have to worry about breaking my nails or struggling to find the right size bowling ball. It did take some time to learn, but the person at the front will gladly help explaining. I did catch him on a quieter day. He is one of the friendliest / sweetest person who made my visit memorable. Currently, it seems like it's just drinks, but was told they are adding pizzas to their menu soon. Also, darts are free to play. I definitely want to visit again if I am back in town. read more

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The best place in southie. Such an underrated gem. Vibes are great, they have touch tunes so you can queue songs you want to hear. Good beer list and snacks. Owners are super nice and great vibes. I had my birthday party there and everyone had the best time. Top 5 birthday parties i've ever had for sure! Definitely will be going back and recommending to all my friends. Retro old skewl vibes candle pin bowling keep score yourself or just bowl for fun read more

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Super fun. Local joint traditional bowling alley feel. No frills. Small light weight balls. Good for the entire family for fun night out. Not as easy as it looks. read more

South Boston Candlepin - View of the alley. - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So much fun! Candlepin bowling has become one of my favorite activities and this is the place to go. It's old school on the inside aside from some modern touches. To reserve a lane it's $10 per person and you get a sheet to track the scores. It takes a minute to figure out how to keep score but the game is so good. The drinks are affordable and the service is great. Heads up that the TouchTunes machine will eat your money so use the app instead. Can't wait to come back! read more

South Boston Candlepin - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

A must stop every time i'm in boston. Its very fun and has a very cozy lived in vibe. Staff have always been great

"What the hell are you doing in SOUTHIE?!" asked the incredulous locals next to us. I didn't tell them we're tourists, but my traveling companion is much more chatty and much less street smart. But these folks seem nice and not like they're about to mug us, so I let it slide. What are we doing in Southie? Trying out Candlepin bowling of course! Their confusion was not lessened in the slightest, baffled how two tourists ended up in their neighborhood in this locals only kind of spot. While I currently live in San Diego, I grew up in a small Midwest town with a bowling alley. You know the ones with funky lighting that's dim but too bright at the same time, well worn shoes, balls you're pretty sure are older than your parents, and the ugliest carpet you've ever seen? That was one of my favorite places to go. It wasn't fancy but it was fun. My family looks a bit different these days- dead, older, bum backs, and living in different states across the country. But one is never too old to try to crush their mother in whatever slightly sporty competition we can find, hence our evening trying our hand at Candlepin. Even flanked by other businesses, it's not hard to spot the Southie Bowl mural on the side. It's slightly worn, like the interior, so you know this spot has been open for decades. Once inside I was surprised to see it wasn't packed, but maybe the rain kept the crowd away. I'd made a reservation online ahead of time since it was a Saturday night, but because there was room we got to start our hour of bowling early. Worked out perfectly actually because at 9 the normal lights went out and they turned on the fun lights. Getting to do a little halfsies of that was a fun little perk. But before you get to the bowling you have to pick your shoes and your balls. Unlike traditional bowling with the different ball weights and finger holes of varying sizes that your fat little fingers get stuck in so every time you jam your fingers - candlepin balls here appeared to be the same, except the patterns on the outside that I loved. Also unlike traditional electronic scoring, at least at most alleys, here the score is kept with pencil and paper. And the scoring system? Look it up before you start playing because the game is a bit different than the bowling you're probably most familiar with. For starters you bowl three times, the pins aren't swept away between rolls, and your score is kept a bit differently. Did we bother to learn how to keep score accurately? We sure didn't. We were really going by who knocked down the most pins. Because given the sheer amount of gutter balls we rolled we were pretty sure we weren't going to be rolling a bunch of strikes. It was hard enough to get a single spare! We bowled, we laughed, and we wondered why Candlepin is merely an obscure New England tradition while we languish out west with regular bowling. Our hour flew by. If we hadn't had such a long day of sightseeing we could have bowled another hour. I won! And by that I mean I knocked over the most pins. Even better was in the morning we didn't wake up all sore, with aching muscles we often forget we have. No jammed fingers! All we had were fun memories and a "new" thing to tell everyone about. Are there other candlepin bowling alleys in Boston? Sure, but I loved this one. The seating was comfortable, the shoes weren't gross, and the vibe was old school but not ratty. If I was local I'd be a regular. Instead I'll just have to settle for coming by to bowl whenever I'm visiting. (See you in 2024 if I'm lucky!) Any top 10 list of things to do in Boston really should include candlepin, maybe even top 5. I'd also say to make the trip to Southie for your game. If your childhood was anything like mine, oh the nostalgia you'll feel walking into this place. A time warp of the best kind! read more

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We had such a great time bowling here! We are from out of state and we're looking for a special activity to do and found South Boston candlepin bowling. We did not have the food so I can't report on that but service was great. We ordered our spot online and was able to get a good rate for five of us for an hour. The environment is very much like a bowling alley. One thing I did notice is that it's very old school. You pick your own shoes, you have to press the button to clear your lane and you keep score yourself. Not a big deal and a good opportunity for the kids to learn how to manually score a bowling game. Seems like a fairly popular place for the locals. One thing to me, just keep an eye on the prices as they do change after 5 PM. read more

South Boston Candlepin - Candle pins - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Looking to have some fun, then this is the place to go. We knew nothing about candlepin bowling until we moved here and were introduced to this great establishment. Great bowling, darts and drinks. Staff is friendly and always helpful. read more

In town for an overnight. Hurricane Henri caused some disruption. Our friends are in the same boat. One went to school with Mac and Donna who live a half a block from this place. We ended up there yesterday afternoon for a few hours of candlestick bowling. Oh my what fun. This place is (dare I say) "vintage". It the folks are super chill and everyone has a good vibe. They have a dozen lanes, full bar amd a dart board section. What else can you ask for? The game is fun and a bit frustrating at the same time. But if you're hanging out looking for a fun way to kill a few hours, have a beer and toss some balls at the pins! read more

South Boston Candlepin - Similar to bowling. But much less stressful. Ha. Ha. - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Seemed liked a decent place even though I'm not the biggest fan of candlepin bowling. We were there for a 6 year old birthday party. Weird that they wouldn't allow us to light a candle for the kids which was really hard to explain to a group of 6 year olds. It's January in Boston and its clear that they did not turn the heat on because it was freezing in there. So everyone put their coats/layers on while bowling. Beer selection seemed decent and had what everyone was looking for. So not the best but not the worst either. read more

If you want inexpensive old school, [New England style] candlepin bowling, this is your place. This place is very far removed from the loud, dark, black-lighted, automatically-scored, expensive 10-pin alleys that more resemble a nightclub. The only "modern" touch is some flat screen TV's. As I am a "serious American bowler" as named by a colleague in an exchange program, this is just for me. They do have some equipment (like a disco ball) for what I would assume to be cosmic, but it wasn't on the night I was there. Where it comes to gameplay, the only automation is a reset button. Scoring is done with paper and pencil. There are instructions given for what to do if this is your first time playing and scoring candlepin by hand. There are two real (steel tipped) dartboards, some beers on tap, snacks, and the option to have your own food delivered. Where it comes to price - I was there as part of a group booking. Price was $12 pp/hour (1 and 2 hour booking available) with shoes included. Very reasonable rate if you ask me, especially in light of the location! My only negative is that I would have liked some more seating around the lanes. If this "serious American bowler" wanted to bring a group of serious bowler friends, some would end up standing. read more

Charming and authentic atmosphere, very courteous staff, and extremely reasonable pricing

We hosted my sons 6th birthday here and had an amazing time! We had the place to ourselves 12-2pm on a Saturday. Sue was the woman who was there working and let us in around 11:30 to start setting up. While the grownups set up she let our 2 kids bowl so we could focus on getting things ready. She was so friendly and was even cleaning up for us as the party was going on! Taking care of empty plates, waters, pizza boxes. Highly recommend! read more

Great beer/drink options, fun times but a bad layout if it's crowded. There isn't a way to walk by without saying excuse me 3x, so if you're still cautious (good for you) or a germaphobe, I don't recommend. Then again you probably won't be bowling. Don't forget to push the button to reset!! read more

I had never been candlepin bowling before and I loved it! Candlepin bowling is much tougher than standard bowling so be prepared if it is your first time. Lanes go for about $25 an hour. Also prepare to use a pencil and paper to keep score, there is no electronic setup here. Perhaps more importantly, there is a bar with several taps and lots of cans/bottles to choose form. Don't make plans to end your night here though, this alley closes relatively early for a Saturday night. That being said, South Boston Candlepin is very close to a slew of bars so it is easy to keep your night going. read more

Excellent experience. Nice man running the operation. My girlfriend and I had some drinks and played 2 games of Candlepin. Service was great, business was clean, bowling was organized, overall a very nice business. Thanks for a good time. read more

Absolutely fantastic old school bowling ally found in Southie. I must admit I found this place watching Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations" but damn this place is the type of dump I enjoy frequenting in my travels. This establishment is a place where real locals enjoy themselves and there easy to spot with there thick south Bashton accents and a stupid look on there faces like there in there in the midst of asking a dumb question. As for the bowling the experience it was fantastic. Old school pins that Aren't exactly to knock down. With these micro balls that you grab with your hands and roll. Far different than 99% of the bowling alleys in America where you grab an enlarged ball and stuffing three fingers into and throw your arm & shoulder out with. Fun place to take the family or date. A must for any local or if your in Boston as a tourist. Frank Booth " DOUBLE THUMBS UP" award. read more

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First things first .... what an absolute blast playing candlepin again !! I grew up playing candlepin bowling in Southbridge MA and I don't think I had played in 45 years! I have been thinking about my afternoon at South Boston Bowlarama with my daughter frequently since visiting a few weeks back. Clearly, I enjoyed myself. My visit really brought me back to my candlepin bowling youth. South Boston Bowlarama was featured in an episode of Anthony Bourdain. This is why I put it on a list of places to hit ... mostly bars =) ... when I made a recent trip to Boston. Thank you, Anthony (RIP). I received great service that was friendly and efficient on my visit. The bowling alley was clean and well maintained. The lanes were well stocked with balls. You need to keep score yourself here, which was refreshing. There were beers and snacks available. I had a Narragansett or 2 that really hit the spot. In summary, South Boston Bowlarama was no frills but was well run... and I am looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Really interesting bowling experience. Don't come here expecting nice lanes or computers to keep score...everything is old school here and you just need to embrace it. Don't expect the most outwardly friendly service but they do treat their customers well. This place has candlestick bowling which uses thinner pins and smaller balls. You also get 3 rolls instead of 2 because it's harder. Getting them all on the first roll is a strike, second is a spare, third is just 10. Keeping score is done all by eye and hand. You count how many pins are left up and then you keep score on paper (so make sure someone knows the scoring rules, though don't expect too many spares or strikes). To reset the pins, you push a silver button on the side of the place that holds the balls. They DO NOT serve food here but you are welcome to bring whatever food you want here which is a nice perk. They do have both bottled beer and beer on draft. They offer a $20/person for 2 hour deal which I would highly recommend...more than enough time to get several games in. I will definitely be back. read more

South Boston Candlepin - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Hello, nostalgia ... (if you're over 50!!!) Old wooden ball return, shaky plastic benches which match the color of the women's bathroom walls (celadon) and are held together with duct tape, the smell of pink toilet cleaner wafting in the bathroom ... Come on...lovers of bowling should come here more often. They have cheap beer. It's $20/hr. Oh, and it's candlepin, you have to score your own card, and press the button to release the re-rack. This is all good. This allows you to bowl as fast or as slow as you want ... and to, well, cheat. Kids, let this not be a lesson to you. read more

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Was a great affordable stop for afternoon out. Great beer menu, let us bring in lunch. Kids loved it! Turns more nightlife spot late afternoon for the adults. read more

I stopped by South Boston Bowlarama as part of a kick off party for a charity walk I'm participating in in June. The space was donated to us for the party, which was appreciated. Free bowling was a nice benefit to being a fundraiser & walker. My guests & I made the mistake of thinking there would be a parking lot at the bowling alley. There wasn't and the driver of the car got very annoyed that she had trouble finding parking. (It was Southie with snow and parking space savers of every kind all along the street. We eventually found parking a bit of a walk away from the bowling ally.) Take public transportation here if you can, and save yourself a parking headache. As others have mentioned, the lanes feel old. There is no computerized scoring, which I would have preferred. The lanes also broke down for a few different teams. The bar to collect the pins got stuck half way down, and wouldn't go back up. So, we had to change lanes to finish our game. There are also arcade games and the place has a beer & wine liquor license. read more

Really, really loved this place! We had such a great time! Great music, super clean place, the Manager working the place solo was very friendly, and the craft beer selection was on point! Would highly recommend this place for sure. read more

Fun for every age! Easy online lane booking, lots of lanes, we had a blast. Even bought a sweatshirt

Cool little gem in Southie with candle pin bowling. It was my first experience with this type of bowling, but it was tougher than regular bowling as the ball is smaller and harder to control! The interior is pretty old with a few arcades games and a bar area. I came for a corporate event in the evening on a Thursday around 6 and there wasn't anyone there. I can see this as a nice spot for college kids or locals to hang around during the weekend. All in all, a nice little spot to come by for some relaxed fun. read more

Walked in and got an alley right away on a Saturday night. They have TVs and beer on tap so it felt like I walked into a sports bar. You have to keep your own score which is not something my friends and i have done in a while but we had fun with it. Did not have any issues with our lane all night which was great since I always seem to find the broken lanes at other Boston bowling establishments. For one hour of bowling we paid a $25 which came out to about $8 a person, not bad for a night out in Boston. read more

South Boston Candlepin is just bursting with unrealized potential. It's in a great location on a main drag in a rapidly evolving neighborhood, and the core business - bowling and drinking - is solid, but it falls short of being the bustling, clean, and modern bowling center that it could be. South Boston Candlepin has 20 candlepin lanes. Several, but not all, are outfitted with "bumpers" - rails that keep bowling balls from going into the gutters (or "channels", as many now call them). There's also skee-ball, video games, and vending machines. And they serve beer at reasonable prices. I visited on a Saturday afternoon, and bowling was $20 per hour - extremely reasonable! I used my own bowling shoes, so I do not know what they charge for shoe rental. I'm all in favor of neighborhood bowling centers both surviving and thriving. With that in mind, I offer the following recommendations: 1. Refinish the lanes and approaches, and perhaps even replace the ball returns. There's a difference between "going retro" and just letting the old stuff fall into disrepair, and unfortunately, South Boston Candlepin leans towards the latter. The approaches appear to not have been refinished in years, and the lanes show significant wear and tear. The lane next to mine had a rather large patch in the first ten feet past the foul line. I could barely make out a lob line ten feet out past the foul line, as the lane surface was very chewed up. The ball returns had some chips and signs of significant wear. There are many modern alternatives to what they have. 2. Install some sort of computer scoring system. Scoring is on pencil and paper, but most modern centers have at least semi-automatic scoring (Compu-Score makes a wonderful system). It would be a nice alternative to writing everything down. 3. Rip out everything in the bathrooms and start over. The bathroom smelled really bad when I went in there after bowling, the hot water faucet didn't seem to work, and the trash can had paper towels sticking out of it. Now, there weren't many other customers in there, so how could it have already been that full? They do appear to have a Cosmic Bowling setup, which is a positive thing, but I think that South Boston Candlepin could grow and greatly expand its business if it makes some important renovations. And I would be willing to pay more for bowling to help make that happen. Overall, South Boston Candlepin is a pretty basic bowling center that's in a great location. I think that, with some TLC and some modernization, it could really be a great gathering place for the neighborhood and a destination for people outside of Southie. read more

Employees are kind of rude over the phone but not in person. I originally made a reservation for the 21st last month but because something important came up, I called them to ask if I could reschedule free of charge. They said yes and I told them I'd call them back after I ask my friend which date she wants to reschedule to. I called them and asked about the coming Wednesday but they said they have bowling leagues on Wednesdays and Thursdays so I won't be able to reserve a lane so I told them I'd call them after we pick another date. I called them about the coming Sunday and they said I'm all set and that they'd send me a confirmation email. They hadn't and it was almost the time of my original reservation so I had to call them to ask about it and another employee answered the phone and said that I should've received a confirmation email. He said he'd be back and when he put the phone down, I heard him talking to the first person I spoke to and he said to her "that's what I said!" then told me that when I show up for my rescheduled reservation, the employees will know. I understand that I called a couple times but it wasn't my fault and it's reasonable that I'd want a confirmation email just in case since I already paid for my lane. If you're going to get annoyed because of that and talk about a customer like that, at least do it so that they can't hear you. Because of this, it made me not really want to go here anymore and I didn't receive my confirmation email until three days after I spoke to them but I ended up going. They helped my friend and I get set up, bowling was fun, and it was a reasonable price read more

Fun place for bowling in Boston and from what I can remember it was pretty cheap too. Score your own bowling so only go if you know how to write. Only downside was we went on a random weeknight and thought the place was closed because the front door was locked but then the guy working there opened it for us. read more

This place is from another era. The candlepins with paper scoresheets, wooden racks, and the grade-school style restrooms make you feel like you have taken a little vacation from the bustling city of Boston. The equipment is simple, and has been well-used, but is all in working order. Surprisingly, there are several nice beers on tap, but if you are a bud fan, that is also available. They don't serve pitchers of beer, I assume because most of the revenue is from individual beers. The cost to play is fairly steep: $25/hour per lane, which is equal to the cost at much nicer bowling alleys elsewhere. Shoe rental at $1.75 is manageable. The rear is lined with arcade games, but not a single game worked when I was there; fairly disappointing because the cashier sold me several tokens, and there were a bunch of little kids who wanted to use the games too. Finally, the hours are completely at random. If there are people bowling at 8pm on Saturday, they will stay open until 11, but if no one happens to be there at 8, you are out of luck, because they will close. This unpredictability makes it hard to be a regular, but I will certainly try. read more

South Boston Candlepin - Bowling Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Cool atmosphere, good beer, cheap prices, friendly workers. Recommend! 20 lanes in total, much larger than it looks from the street.

Maybe agreeing to walk here with my friends has an effect on my review, I don't know but I do know this was an interesting experience for me. After the 30 minute trek to the alley from the World Trade Center, and listening to a particular contingent gripe the entire walk, I was hot and exhausted. The alley itself was not busy and most importantly had beer. I just wanted to get in a quick game of candle pin bowling and go back to my hotel. They do not serve food here and it's an old style alley. Paper scoring, no electronic reset, and wooden balls. I liked the old fashioned element, but chafed at bit at the lack of food. A local pizza place was able to delivery at a reasonable price so I guess it worked out fine. Price is about $25 per lane, per hour. Beer is about $5. And I believe it's a $20 minimum to charge on a credit card. 15 min walk to the Andrew stop on the redline. Not bad read more

Pay no mind to the unassuming at best, creepy at worst, entry. South Boston Candlepin is a great place to have some good, clean fun. And if you need further incentive, they serve beer. The manual scoring and semi-unreliable ball return, coupled with the noise of the skeeball machine, only add to the charm. Slightly less charming (okay, really much less charming) is the ladies' restroom. It looks like the kind of place where bad things happen, and I'm not sure the waste bin has been emptied since "Sad girl" tagged one of the stall doors in 1999. Next time I bowl, I'll hold it. Everything else was perfect, though. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the price for rental/bowling cannot be beat. We didn't realize it was cash-only, but the gentlemen working had no problem with my running to the ATM next door before paying. read more

We visited here during a recent trip to Boston. No one in my group had ever done candlepin bowling before and it was definitely an experience we enjoyed! Small old bowling alley but that is part of the charm! No scoreboards you have to keep your own scorecard- we went early evening around 5 and had the place to ourself for an hour! read more

I really love this place! It is by no means modern but that's part of the charm! Everything here is old school and manual. There are no screens keeping score, no automatic bowling resets (you have to press a button), and no automatic bumper settings. However, on a Saturday night you can usually get a lane with little to no wait for $25 an hour and $5 beers. This is such a fun place to come with a group of friends to enjoy an activity without breaking the bank and having fun with a little old school bowling. Having lived in the area for 3+ years now, my only regret is that I didn't try Boston Candlepin Bowlarama sooner! read more

Retro, clean, cool, lots of character. I can't recommend it enough. Great experience.

Finally decided to stop by after walking by hundreds of times and I wish I'd done it sooner! 6 beers and cider on draft and super cheap for southie. Candlestick bowling was cool, especially with a group, and loved the vibe. Definitely going to be a regular visitor from now on! read more

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. Okay, not gonna lie, I've lived in South Boston for a year and a half and had this place pegged as a townie crack den. I am SO SORRY South Boston Candlepin Bowling! It's actually quite normal inside. A spur of the moment decision while walking past it and a minute later I was putting on someone else's shoes and getting prepared to BRING IT! haha. The place is old, no questions asked. But if you were ever around bowling allies in the early 90's, you'll like it. CASH ONLY! Paper score cards, old school plastic seats, everything has that "if you hit me the right way I may break from age" look. They serve beer!! They play good music. There are games which I assume work because they also have a prize counter. At first glance it seems too sketch to believe, but the girl at the counter was nice, it's a cheap date and when I was in there, the average age of bowlers was probably 24. read more

South Boston Candlepin is another of those hard to find places. It's marked simply with an Orange and Yellow "BOWL" sign on the front of the building above the front door. The Guru has bowled at South Boston Candlepin a few times, but hasn't been there in a few years. The last time the Guru was there, the place was old and in need of some help. The place always seemed like it could use a good cleaning. It always seemed to the Guru like the owner(s) really didn't care much about the place - they were just putting enough into it to keep it viable and that's all. South Boston Candlepin has 20 lanes of Candlepin Bowling on one level. They have on street parking. You can try to park in the Court House parking lot across the street when the Court is closed. Parking can be difficult, so be aware! It is a relatively honest house (you get what you hit). They *DO* have games. They do not have pool tables. They *DO* have bumper bowling for children. They *DO* offer "Glow" or "Cosmic" bowling (of sorts). They use paper scoring for the public. South Boston Candlepin is "smoke-free". read more