The rules aren't the same for everyone which make it hard to visit. Musty old atmosphere. Food is average. I won't spend my money at a business that wants to operate with so much dip on their chip as you all were facing a lot of problems keeping doors open and it could very well happen again read more

We came for bowling and that's just what we did. Didn't order any food or drinks so I can't vouch for that. It was a Sunday afternoon, not crowded at all. Had fun with the family and kids!! read more

A very family friendly place with good prices! They have a family meal deal which includes a 16" pizza and soda with your bowling for less than bowling alone at most places. The pizza was amazing and all the staff were amazing as well! read more

It's wonderfully priced. The environment is everything you'd expect from a bowling alley [music, food, vibes, this one has beer and hard liquor ;) ]. The balls I believe go as low as 5/6 do it isn't heavy to bowl with. The parking lot is huge so that wouldn't be an issue. The staff is polite and all in all my Beau & I had a great time celebrating his bday. read more

Sparetimes - The score board during our 2nd game played within our 1 hr reservation. - Pool Halls Near Me - Hampton, Virginia

From our first experience with this place two years ago, I think the service and quality has improved. We've come a few times just to play and have always enjoyed it, so when my son said he wanted to do his birthday party here, I thought, okay - let's give it a shot. Based on our prior attendance at a few, I wasn't sure how it would go, but we had an excellent experience this past weekend. They offer a variety of party packages -- so depending on the bells and whistles you want, you can pretty much custom tailor things as you please. This apparently is key -- the basic kid's birthday only covers the kids bowling. We wanted both the kids and adults to be able to bowl, so we simply rented the lanes (each lane rental covers up to 6 bowlers) for two hours and added the shoe rentals, opting to do food separately. It was easier that way to order some pizzas to feed the kiddos and let the adults pick and choose what they wanted. They also allowed us to bring in some basic decorations and some cupcakes, which was incredibly helpful. The staff was very helpful, getting the kids set up in the lanes. You can tailor per bowler whether or not the bumpers are on, which is fantastic. They also have the little dragon aimers that help kids from being frustrated. Several of our kiddos discovered a chat function on the monitors and basically started texting each other in between bowling with all kinds of silly emojis. Very fun. Everything moved smoothly and seamlessly and everyone had a great time! Honestly, the only reason I'm placing it at a 4 and not 5 is the quality of the pizza. Not terrible, but oy, did a number on the adult tummies later. Kids with stomachs of steel seemed to do just fine. Overall, I'd highly recommend this as an excellent indoor location to have a kid's birthday party! The variety of customizing the packages is nice and there are many reasonably priced options compared to other indoor party locations. read more

I'd recommend this bowling alley...seems very family oriented. So on this particular Friday early evening, myself, my daughter and her friend visited this location for some bowling fun. About four months ago, I signed up for free bowling passes for the children and paid maybe $30 for an unlimited bowling pass for myself (adult) and this passes is made available to three other adults as well. This pass would be super beneficial if we lived closer to the bowling alley or if I had a different work schedule. The bowling passes are valid Mon-Fri for the children listed from open to 7pm. So in my case, I am off at 4:30 pm and considering traffic, I'll make it to the alley about 6pm. As a result, that gives us one hour to bowl for free. The passes are valid for two games/two hours and shoes are not included. You pay the cost of the bowling shoes or bring your own. Nevertheless, I left work early on this particular Friday and arrived to the alley at 5pm. We finished under two hours and was able to bowl 2 games each. And for one adult and two children our shoe cost totaled a little over $6. A great deal overall, but I wish they included weekend or later hours...at least until 8pm. The passes are valid a few weeks before the start of the Summer months until September. But it's so worth the cost and family fun. This was my first time visiting this alley. It's pretty much hidden from the main street/highway. Therefore, it is super easy to miss if you aren't familiar with the area or cannot follow directions well. But once you're there, the outside appearance of the building looks super historic. And when you walk in it looks historic still. Of course we are used to the newer AMF lanes in Chesapeake, so to come here and see their set up, we were a little hesitant. Well it was early in the evening and the alley wasn't packed at all. Plenty of lanes available and no waiting in line. The girls enjoyed themselves and order heavily from the snack bar menu. Food from the snack bar wasn't too pocket friendly, but we were pleased with the quality and ate everything. The alley has a bar for adults separate from the snack bar and I liked that. The alley is small and it's very well possible they can fill up quickly. Arcades games are available and the alley hosts several events as well as hosts parties. Party rooms are available as well. Parking no issues. We left about 7:30 pm and guests started to flow up, but it still didn't reach capacity. The alley is located maybe 5 minutes from the Hampton Town Center area and minutes from a Wal-Mart. I highly recommend you invest in the adult passes and definitely sign up for the free bowling passes for the children. They have offered this perk every Summer. Again just make sure the times suit you all...before 7pm during the week. And call ahead to ensure there is space available. It'll be a real bummer to arrive at 3pm and league bowling is in progress. Have fun and enjoy life! read more

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First time having been here and it was a nice experience. The desk is right in front of entryway so you get right to business with your shoe purchase ($3) and lane assignment and even put our names in for us. Lanes are well maintained. Staff was friendly and helpful. Mid afternoon they were not busy either plenty of lanes available. Kids summer bowling offered here. Kids bowl 2 free games (shoes are additional purchase). read more

Sparetimes - Pool Halls Near Me - Hampton, Virginia

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We hosted my son's 9th birthday party at Sparetimes! It was a nice package. For 8 kids, we got unlimited bowling for 2 hours, shoe rentals, food for the kids, and a bowling pin for my son. It was cool! We brought the cake in ourselves and they had a table decorated with bowling themed paper products. The screen was getting weird recording the kids' scores so they ended up giving us paper score sheets, which I dont know how to use. The kids enjoyed their food and we ordered pizza for the adults, which I enjoyed but others commented that it was too doughy. Overall we had a great time and my youngest son has already requested to go back for his birthday. read more

Had a group there yesterday for a charity event. Everything went really smooth and Spatetimes was really easy to work with. I'd also like to commend Sparetimes on how clean the bowling alley is and how nice the lanes are. I've been to other alleys in the area and after every couple frames we'd have an issue..... Not here. The snack bar was also efficient and fairly priced as well. Kudos to Sparetimes and all the staff. Keep it up, you're truly a gen of a bowling alley. read more

Went to SpareTimes for the first time, nice enough place. Got the fried chicken basket, which was decent enough, but by the time you finish it you feel gross. The curly fries were good though-- I should have just ordered those. I also had occasion to try... I want to say buffalo chicken pizza? It was a free slice from an event so I don't exactly know, but it was decent. read more

Does this place have a history or what? Well, okay, maybe only in my life but a little known fact is that this is the location where Bubbachuck, AKA, Allen Iverson, got into it with some other players and the infamous brawl took place. I wasn't there that night and from what I've heard it got taken way out of proportion. Sparetimes is a cool hang out spot to bowl or shoot pool with friends. That is exactly what I used to do there with my friends from the time I got a license until I graduated from college and stopped coming home as often. It is kind of in the cut because you have to take a special side street to get to it (or at least you did last time I went there). It was a teenage favorite and a place I'll show my future kids one day (as they sigh in boredom). read more

I had seen the signs for this place ever since we moved here 4+ years ago and it always struck me as a very shady place, just based off of where it is (near the intersection of Mercury and Armistead). When we tried to go there to meet some friends, we did have a hard time actually finding it since it's tucked away down what looks like a little residential road. Parking lot confirmed my concerns. Lots of broken class and some suspicious-looking characters hanging around. But we were already there so headed in to meet our friends. Security, yes, security at a bowling alley, met us at the door. My handbag was searched and my husband was wanded. Friday and Saturday nights (9:30pm to 1:30am) are Glow Bowl, with black lights and loud music. Unlimited bowling for $16 a person (including shoe rental) and $11 for kids under 12. Not a bad deal at all. The bartender that night was way over his head. I guess he is used to just serving beer, because our order for 2 Bacardi and Cokes really threw him for a loop. He made them way too strong (not complaining -- if they're going to be made poorly, I'd much rather them err on the side of too strong vice too weak) and put almost no ice. My husband actually had to ask for a plain cup of ice so we could add more to our drinks. At the end of the night, he gave me our tab but with someone else's credit card. I pointed out the mistake and luckily, he still had my card behind the bar and hadn't gone and given it to someone else. I was not amused by this mix up at all, and kept checking my online banking to ensure no mystery charges popped up. Overall this place seemed alright. There wasn't any drama and the place was clean and well maintained. But Sparetimes advertises as a family place (literally, the actual address is 1 Family Fun Place, Hampton, VA 23666) and personally, if I had children, I wouldn't take them anywhere that needs security. read more

I've been here twice, and I'm definitely going back. I worked at a bowling alley diner for 5 years. If I know bowling alleys, I would say that the demographic is the same. Bowlers are special people, and so are the people that work at the alleys. Their job is a lot more than just handing out shoes, taking your money, and spraying disinfectant in your eyes. They also maintain the lanes, the balks, and the facility. It's a community, and if you are a recreational bowler (every now and then) you may sense a sort of nonchalant vibe coming from them. Don't take it personally, bowlers are just particular people, and most are SERIOUS about the sport. You don't often find dedicated bowlers bowling at the same times we "recreational" bowlers bowl. Catch them during league time, and you'll see a different side of them, both employees and bowlers. I found that chatting them up a bit perks them up. Probably because everyone that comes there simply sees them as a "service." I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. Become a regular, and you'll likely have a totally different experience. This place was cool, the prices weren't bad, and the food was decent and made to order, so it wasn't cold AT ALL. We had to wait for it to cool down, even the burgers! The value was pretty good before glow bowl, and really good after. Be mindful of small children during glow bowl, because some of the videos . read more

Bowling here is pretty good. It's in the back off the main road and seems pretty ghetto. But once inside it's nice and clean. My favorite is the food here. It's so flavorful and the portions are pretty generous. Price is a little high in my opinion for bowling alley food but it's good. Only complaint is the pizza. Stay away! It's cardboard with sauce and cheese. It's terrible!!! read more

We were trying to find something to do that won't too far away from our hotel, the Embassy Suites. Sparetimes is literally right around the corner (though, it took some maneuvering to actually figure out how to get to it). We went for the $10 all you can bowl on a Tuesday night around 10pm. There were 2 other groups there, 40 year old couple, and family of 3 bowling. The guys working there, were friendly enough, not overly attentive, but I guess that comes from the bowling alley being pretty dead late night weekdays. The equipment isn't state of the art, but it works. They play music, but I'm not really sure what vibe they were trying to get going, there was a little bit of everything and in no real sequence. I wish they had more ball sizes, and either my shoes were slippery or the floor was slippery, I slid literally every time I bowled. One of the couples was bowling in their own tennis shoes, this is usually absolutely forbidden at every bowling alley I've ever been to. It didn't bother me, especially not like they saved money by NOT getting shoes, since they're included in the $10 AYCB, just thought that'd give you an idea of the type of atmosphere it is. We ordered food, pizza and popcorn shrimp. The fruit punch was REALLY sweet, the pizza was okay, I've had better bowling alley pizza. The shrimp was surprisingly good, but it may have just been because my expectations were low. The parking lot isn't well lit, and I could see how someone would think it was sketchy, but I didn't feel unsafe there, inside or out. There's also a bar and pool tables, but I didn't use them. Pool tables cost $1.50 per game. read more

I really enjoyed Friday night "Glo Bowl" here. The facility is very up to date and the music/music video selection was amazing. There were plenty of balls, and the bar was pretty good as well. It was $20 for the lane rental and shoes for an hour or more I believe. This was over all a great way to spend a Friday. read more

I've had a lot of fun times here with college friends. The food isn't half bad either. If you're looking for something fun to do that's not too hard on the pockets, catch a game or two here. The service could be a little better, but they don't really bother you much. read more

I always have a ball. I love to bowl and I would give a 5 start but the prices are a little high. It's just bowling you can come down a little read more

A visiting 11 yr old grandson and a rainy Friday night is what brought us to Sparetimes. I had tried relentlessly to call the amf here in norfolk to see if they had leagues playing, lane availability etc but no answer etc. Finally giving up, I got on the Google and sparetimes popped up. My grandson has never bowled before so I was apprehensive as to whether this bowling alley was geared to kids or family friendly, and I will say that really are on point as to providing a great family friendly atmosphere and are VERY kid friendly. From the minute you walk in the front door the staff is very friendly, very courteous and very professional. They have state of the art scoring systems ,so simple to use. A nice little arcade for the kids which is a good distance From the enclosed bar area which is located at the far end of the building . They have really achieved a great balance between keeping it family friendly and still have a spot for the grown folks to keep it grown. Great snack bar which is very reasonable priced as well. No need to worry about security as they have very courteous yet professional security at the entrance . Also, they have glow in the dark bowling which is pretty spectacular , flat screen tv's with music videos thumping, lights flashing, etc..just an all around great place and time. Prices are good, 20 an hour to bowl, 2 dollar shoe rental, and they do have military prices as well . It's a very clean place, very hospitable, and very well balanced to keep it family friendly. This is our new spot to bowl and mix it up so I would suggest if you have the opportunity to check it out, do so! Great place, great fun, great atmosphere and great prices! read more

Worst taken care of lanes I've ever seen. Not oiled. Rough. Uneven. Can see hundreds of bumps and divots in the reflection on the lane guessing it's a clear coat because it's definitely not oiled. I Didn't even need to wipe my bowling ball off because there was no oil. Caused rough patches and abrasions to my Brunswick quantum bias pearl after the first game. Would not recommend ever. read more

My family and I went there for some family fun which started out well until it came close top choosing time. The employees started becoming very rude.I can't believe I spent do much money for so much rudeness. To top it of as we were leaving I said good night and it was to much for the 4 employees to even acknowledge me. Don't think I would recommend this place. read more

Just visiting the area for the first time, decided to shoot pool and possibly bowl. The parking lot was dark and scary, but when we walked in we got pat down and a metal detector ran across our bodies. I felt like I was dealing with the TSA at an airport. We ended up shooting two games of pool and left, quickly. The lanes and pool tables were clean and neat, I'll give them that. Not sure if it was the welcome that we received at the door or the environment in general that put us on edge, but we felt like a gang war was going to breakout at any minute. Needless to say, I definitely wouldn't recommend coming here, especially at night. read more

I have been to this bowling alley once for their 'glow bowl' night and had a really good time hanging out with friends. It is a nice and clean bowling alley with food and drink available. My friends and I had a few beers and bowled for a couple of hours before we were tuckered out. The only thing is this place is pretty expensive for the glow bowling, although if you look at their website it does list some of their weekly specials. I actually traveled from Norfolk to Hampton to go to this bowling alley specifically for the glow bowl night - a mixture of black lights and top 40 music, fun times! read more

Sparetimes was an excellent change up in things to do on a weekend. We got there around 930 and waited in line for about 5 mins just for them to set up the "glow bowl". I went with my husband and it cost us 32$ for an all night bowl from 930 to 130am. You can drink at the bowling alley, we just drank pitchers of Bud Lite and it cost 9$ a pitcher. We didnt plan on staying all night but we were having so much fun we stayed the whole time! Sparetimes was more fun then I thought, i definietly advise you to try it out if your looking for a change! read more

We had an awesome time at Sparetimes the atmosphere was great. The people were so nice to me and my church family. Planning to go back again soon. read more

This place plays some of the best bowling alley music I have ever heard. You will definitely have a great time during the evening. I don't like the price point for glow bowl its a bit expensive but still a good time. Oh did I mention the funnel fries are a must. read more

I like the kids and family summer program. Really helps with having something to do with the kids. The food is pricy.

The reviewers are partially right. Outside of the bowling alley looks a little sketch. But! When you walk inside... Wow. This was probably the nicest bowling alley I have ever been to. High ceilings, nice murals, nice couches, lots of space, smooth lanes, $10 for 3hrs of unlimited bowling! You can't ask for much more. I recommend bringing your own bowling shoes because their shoes are really slippery. 1 star off for the location and slippery shoes but otherwise check this place out! read more

Our family got coupons from Sparetimes from our Summer Reading program. It was easy to find and my kids had a great time!!!!

This bowling alley is a staple in the Hampton community. It's been there since I was a teenager. Classic fun!

First time visiting this bowling alley, and went in thinking that it wouldn't be a great experience because the exterior of the building looked super shady. The bowling experience (we did Glow Bowl) was actually really nice! The management was great, and the lanes were in great condition. They played a variety of music to suit everything from Country to Hip Hop. Bartenders were very friendly! The only poor experience was the concessions. They were not properly staffed for a Saturday night, and so the lines and subsequent wait for our order took forever. Hoping that someone just called in sick and they couldn't find someone to backfill. I will absolutely try Spare Times again! read more

The guy at the front desk wasnt very helpful. There werent any lanes available and he didnt offer us any solutions initially, but after a discussion he mentioned we could get on the wait list. So we did. The food we ordered took about 30minutes and the pizza is NOT good, very generic and tasteless. There needs to be a limit of 4 people to a lane, we were beside parties of 5 and 6, not only is there not enough seating for 6/12 per section, there isnt enough space for that many different balls. There was also no staff roaming around making sure people werent eating and drinking on the floor, nor were they clearing tables for people to sit and eat at. The facility was good other than the bathroom having a strong urine odor. Near the end of our first game, I went and asked to pay for 1 more game. Upon returning to our lane, I see that he had shut down our first game and started the second...we were on the 9th frame still, so our game got cut short. Like I said, the guy at the front desk was a little on the rude side...tall guy with dark hair. I know there is an older gentleman that also works the front desk, he is nice and helpful. read more

Had a great time for my birthday there. Reserving my lanes was a breeze, grood music and food. My whole party had a great time. Glow bowling definitely a must do @sparetimes read more

My church group meets here reqularly and the staff, along with the bowling alley are outstanding for fellowships. Won't go anywhere else!!

A great, clean, pleasant bowling alley with great staff and wonderful decor. A pleasure to spend a day there anytime.

I try to go here every Tuesday and Friday when my In-Laws bowl for their bowling league. I absolutely love everytime I go. I enjoy myself, as well as my daughter! It's a great place to hang out and have fun! You can also eat and drink there.... It has a bar. Kudos. read more

this place is very shady. just read the papers. however, it seems to be the only place hampton has that really draws a crowd anymore. its sad that it draws drama, but i encourage more decent families to try and attend. if your concerned i would reccommend the bowling on fort monroe. much cheaper and the cleanest place i have been. it is private now so no military id needed read more

A little pricey, but a good time was had by all, so it was worth it. They could invest in a few better ingredients on the pizza, but that's about it. read more

Does Sparetimes have a history? Sure, but what business doesn't? Sparetimes isn't defined by its past or a few bad apples, but instead by being a clean, safe place to enjoy a day or evening. And don't let the infamous history disuade you because this center strives to maintain a safe environment and employs security on weekend nights. It is getting a makeover with new paint, carpeting and more and is available for corporate parties, birthday parties or other functions. If you're a sport bowler or a person who bowls for fun there is a wide variety of leagues available to join and there's an awesome youth program for kids that provides scholarships in lieu of trophies. With the game room, pool tables, a full service bar and 32 lane beds there's plenty to do. This is not a corporate owned business, but a locally owned small business! If you do a price comparison with this locally owned business vs an AMF corporate center you'll find that you'll get more bang for your buck here. read more