Best of the best. Old school atmosphere with better than average ownership. I bowl in a men's league Thursday morning, and look forward to the experience each week. Ted is a joy to converse with! read more

Absolutely the best bowling alley in the Boston area! Best customer service. It's CandlePin bowling not ten pin! The best type of bowling!! read more

I've been bowling on Monday nights for about 10 years now on a league . Everyone who works here is very helpful and nice. I always bring my grandaughters on school vacation to bowl and they love it. read more

Awesome candle pin bowling alley!! I don't think this place has been updated since the 70s - paper and pen scoring, reset button for the pins, cash only... a great setup. Honestly it's a nice break from technology. The other great thing is that you can practice if you want to, the pins won't auto reset until you press the button, so I would say that's definitely an added benefit if you're looking to improve your bowling skills. Highly recommend. read more

Food taste great. Great service. I will definitely visit them again jerk pork curry goat and ox tails.

Wakefield is a family friendly, but bare bones bowling center for candlepin bowling. There is no disco, there is no food or beverage other than a few vending machines. For the purist it is a great place to concentrate on your skills. Leagues are available, You can rent the lanes by the hour. I wish they were open more frequently. read more

I have not heard of candlepin bowling before and was told it must be a New England thing. Do I want try something I haven't completely done before? The answer it yes and there isn't any other option. The establishment has a retro vibe with cash only, a musky smell like your grandmas house, and a do it yourself scoring system with none other then a piece of paper and pencil. The pins are thinner, balls significantly smaller, and three trys to knock the pin down instead of two. Thank goodness for technological advances such as our phones otherwise we would've been clueless on how to score. It is somewhat similar to bowling but if I didn't know any better maybe I could've been in second place or even first. Reality is, I wasn't given any luck or skill for candlepin bowling for a newbie so I stuck to the bottom of the score board. I don't remember but I don't think food is sold there. The lanes closes at 10PM. When we got there some time before 8PM, it was packed. We had to wait for about 15 - 20 minutes for a lane to open up. We were the last group before the alley closed but we had enough time for at least three games. read more

See all

Went here with a new friend for the first time on Saturday. Had an amazing time, it was the first time I did this style of bowling. Everyone was super friendly and very helpful! Will definitely be back, especially because we embarrassed ourselves with our score for our game and need to redeem. read more

Went there for the first time tonight. Paul was a very kind host! There was a very welcoming and great spirit in this charming bowling alley. Thank you Paul read more

I absolutely love this place! It brings you back in time with the old school feel. Not many of these places exist anymore, so be sure to stop in! You have candle pin bowling and paper to keep score. It is cash only, so be sure to bring enough, but it's totally worth visiting! read more

Wakefield Bowladrome - Amusement Parks Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

My entire family went to Wakefield Bowladrome yesterday to celebrate my mom's 77th birthday. There were 13 of us and we had an absolute blast! I haven't been here in years and if you're looking for a no frills, family friendly, old school candle pin bowling alley, this is your place to go. The two gentlemen behind the counter were incredibly kind, friendly and accommodating. The place is dated but it's kept very clean. We are all definitely coming back! read more

A great place to relax and have a few laughs. Welcoming atmosphere and good, old-fashioned fun!

it took my Dollar the vending machine took my dollar and said enjoy...enjoy what the air that smells like a grampas ass the pins are sticks the bowing balls don't have holes and the vending machine only took a dollar or 25 cents this is just to save you from a 1 star experience read more

Too expensive for what it is. 28 dollars per hour at a bowling alley that makes you write in your score manually. Not to mention it's also cash only. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Can't say I felt welcome here. Place was pretty empty when we got there. Person behind the check-in cashier ignored us (i had said hi), continued to talk to the shoe guy, then another customer came and she took his order before even looking at us. She dropped a piece of paper and said fill this while helping the other customer. First impressions are important. This business didn't seem to care so we left to Kings. read more

I have been bowling at Wakefield Bowladrome since the 1990's. I have never have any complaints. I like Bowling where you score yourself as well as have a few vending machines. You can bring in your own food & drinks. They have great prices, other bowling alleys charge more for bowling and some of them require a credit/debit card to pay but at Wakefield Bowladrome you pay cash only which in most cases is much easier. If you join a league at the Wakefield Bowladrome it is Cash Only, where most other bowling alleys it requires a credit/debit card and require a down payment and a weekly bowling fee and some bowling alleys will only charge $30 or more per week. Most Leagues at the Wakefield Bowladrome is very affordable. Wakefield Bowladrome is very accommodating when it comes to Bowling Leagues as well as Parties & Events. The Bowladrome staff are very nice (Gerry, Ernie, Tom, John, John, Frank, Paul, & Steve) Bowling Old School & now I run a Mixed Bowling League On Tuesday Night's During the Summer (May thru August) & Saturday Nights Mixed League During the Fall & Winter (September thru April). If you want to Join any league or leagues email Wakefield Bowladrome @ wakebowl@gmail.com. Let's Go Bowling!!! read more

Loved it. Back to basics and fun little alley. Nice clientele and welcoming staff. If you're looking for some indoor activity in a convenient spot, check out the bowladrome while you still can! read more

These lanes are immaculate, they really take excellent care of they're facilities. They price per hour, have drink and snack vending machines on premises, and the staff is pretty friendly. The parking lot is a little on the smaller side but it's manageable. Call ahead for availability! read more

See all

It's an old place that looks it, but that doesn't take away from the fun! Our family of 4 only got 3 of us bowling, so it was nice that price was based on time and not people. We taught the kids how to add up the scores, had a blast and look forward to returning! read more

My wife, daughter and I came here for the first time this evening (Sat. 12/30/23). League bowling was about to start and all non-league lanes were busy. The gentleman at the counter was friendly and really nice; he apologized, and gave me an idea about how long it might be until a lane would free up. While we waited (it took a while) he and we chatted about things like how candlepin bowling is only available in this area of the US, the old TV program "Candlepins for Cash", another bowling alley I had called (no names) and the unpleasant guy who answered, and the "Blizzard of '78". We had fun, the price was right, the counter man and other customers were very nice, and there were families with little kids. We'll be back. read more

This place is old and a bit smelly as you would expect; however, there's always lanes open, it's cheap, and easily accessible. It is the only candle pin in the area open during the day; I wished it didn't smell so badly in there. They have a couple of vending machines as well. A-OK. read more

Go up to the counter, get your shoes and scoring sheet. You'll pay at the end (CASH ONLY!) and it's prorated by 15 min increments. FYI - there are no instructions on how to score, we looked up some rules on the internet, it's not that hard. There are vending machines for drinks, but you should bring your own. Price was reasonable and shoes are included. The place was super clean. I actually prefer candle pin bowling over "normal" bowling, I'm really glad I found Wakefield Bowladrome! read more

This place is awesome. The decor is super retro and the staff really makes it a great experience. Prices are very reasonable and there is plenty of parking in the lot. Thursday night is league night so there may not be a ton of lanes available. They are very accommodating to parties or events that you might want to have there. I had my father's 60th birthday party there and everyone had a spectacular time! read more

Instantly transported to another time in the best way! The employee we encountered was so nice and helpful. Highly recommend for simple classic fun! read more

We had a great time today!! There were 26 of us bowling, and we celebrated some birthday's. Place was clean and staff very friendly. Everyone had a good time, andwe loved that the kids had to write in their scores. read more

Wakefield Bowladrome - Amusement Parks Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

I always love Candlepin Bowling at Wakefield Bowladrome in Wakefield, MA. I have been bowling at the Bowling Alley since the 1990's and then Joined a few Candlepin Leagues in the Early 2000's. I love Old School Candlepin Bowling. All The people that work behind the desk (Gerry, Tom, John & John, Ernie, and Paul) that work there are very friendly and accommodating. I have never had any problems bowling there. There is Plenty of Parking !!! They do have 2 Vending machines inside if you want snacks or drinks or if you want to order food you can go across the street to Kipos Roast Beef or pick something up at Shaw's next door. After Bowling you may also want to try Harrington's Restaurant. Everything is in walking distance. Also there are Men's, Women's & Mixed League's . Join a League Today!!! If you want to rent out the Wakefield Bowladrome for a party or event they will be happy to accommodate you. The Price is Right for any occasion. If you have never Candlepin Bowled before or Bowled in awhile Wakefield Bowladrome is the place to go!!! read more

I will never bowl anywhere else again. I showed up with 8 friends. The place is retro yet very clean. He doesn't have food, doesn't serve drinks. I was hungry and walked across the street to get some food. We started playing. Nothing is automated. You have to keep your own score and press the reset button. After Tom refreshed my memory on how to score, we were ready to go. We had alot of fun teasing the people who couldn't remember to hit the reset button ("Were you raised in a barn?!") As for drinks, well bring your own. We brought in some booze with us. As long as you keep the drinks on the designated table for drinks he doesn't mind. It was $100 for 9 people to bowl for almost 3 hours. We had 2 lanes. They charge a flat rate of $18 per lane per hour INCLUDING shoes. We will see you again soon, Wakefield Bowladrome! read more

Best bowling alley on the North Shore. If you walk in there with a 115 average and think you are going to blow everyone away, you are mistaken. Those pins will stand up on you all night long. Some nights you will get alot of action, some nights you will be punching out splits. Great place, great atmosphere and great food nearby! read more

Great mom and pop establishment! The owner, Tom, was wonderful in helping to arranging my Dad's 60th surprise bday. He rented us 10 lanes (half the alley) for about 3 hours to accommodate about 40 guests. Jerry was working the day of the party and was extremely accommodating and helpful. They provided us with 4 folding tables and let us bring our own food/drinks as long as alcohol was in coolers (no kegs) and food/drinks stayed out of the bowling area. Price was VERY reasonable also. My dad had a blast bowling with his buddies and grandkids. I'll definitely be back with my fiancé or friends to bowl with takeout and a bottle of wine! P.s. cash only, there's a liquor store across the street and several takeout restaurants in the area, plenty of off street parking on the side and in the rear. read more

What a great way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy autumn day. Found this place on Yelp and it sure did take me back. Back to when my Dad used to take us candlepin bowling in the 80s. Although this place probably looks just as it did about 30 years prior to that. We parked in the empty lot and cautiously wandered in, thinking that maybe the place was closed. We were pleased to find a guy snoozing (the owner) at the front desk. It was pretty humorous. I said a sing-songy "hello?" and he was brought right to attention. "Sorry, so sorry, what size shoes." was all he needed to say. We had a great time bowling a few strings. Cost came out to like $17. Great way to kill a couple hours and have some simple, family fun. read more

I really love this place. I grew up going here with my parents who were members of a league back in the late 90s. In fact, for the longest time I didn't know there was any other type of bowling besides candlepin! The place probably hasn't changed much since the 70s. It's very retro, but still seems clean and well kept. $15 a lane for an hour, shoe rentals included. You can't even come close to that at ten-pin alleys. Only warning is make sure you call before you go as when it's league night, all the lanes are taken! read more

I love it here. I love it's retro vibe. It is very clean and the staff is friendly. It is self scoring and you have to press a button and rest the pins yourself. I thought that was kinda cool. It is $18 for one lane for an hour. I would definitely come back here again. read more

See all

Totally empty on a Friday night sadly. Met the owner, it's been in the family since 1952. He could not have been nicer. Very clean environment. 4 stars for no food or drinks except for vending machines. read more

Took my whole family there earlier this morning for the first time and we had so much fun! It's $18 an hour and cash only. The place has 1960s feel and it is so, so clean. No high tech stuff and it is totally retro. Use a sheet and pen to record scores. Reset button for a new game. They also have arcades, vending machines for snacks and sodas. My kids just kept rolling small balls, but wished they had bumpers so they could knock those pins rather than falling into the gutter so many times. Lol. Aside from high tech we learned to appreciate the time and family together! We will go back there again! read more

Wakefield Bowladrome - Amusement Parks Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

This is the perfect candlepin alley, aesthetically and functionally. Wakefield Bowladrome keeps the historical charm of the building while meticulously maintaining the premises and bowling experience. I've never bowled at a house with newer pins, they are pristine. The single most gorgeous alley I've ever been to. I spent 20 minutes easily just taking pictures of it. Lanes are $20 an hour and shoes were free. read more

Awesome place..Very clean and very fun place. One of the few candlepin bowling alleys around. Price is right. We have been 3 times in the past few months. My 6 year old boy is having his birthday there he likes it so much. Nice workers there as well. read more

This place is great if you are looking for a local candlepin location. During the day there are specials. Went there a few months ago but I think my dad may have been able to get a senior discount. Vending machines are there too if you need a snack or drink! read more

Been here a few times. You definitely get a retro feel here. I'm from the South and we only have traditional bowling alleys down here. I'm decent with the regular size ball, but absolutely stink with the little ones you use here. I think little kids will definitely have a blast here, but for folks used to bowling with a 14-16lb balls, it might be a bit of a bleh experience. This is also the only bowling alley I'm aware of the doesn't take credit cards. Cash only, so come with cash. read more

A true relic from another era. Beautifully untouched and unrestored... Sure, it's a little dusty, but this could be a bowling alley that Don Draper plays in. It's not quite cool enough for say, original Eames chairs... But it's pretty damn cool. And did I mention it's BYOB? read more

Very friendly staff and good price. You pay by the hour for a lane ($18) and the shoe rentals are included. Definitely more old-school; no monitors or flashing lights. You keep score on paper and bowl as many games as you can fit in. Just note that it is cash only, so come prepared for that. read more