Reviews of Action Duckpin Bowl (Bowling Alley)

Jane Miller

Loved this place! All the displays of things from the old days are great. Fun for any age! Loved the small hold n your hand ball. Great for people that aren't able to bowl anymore! If you're ever near by, definitely worth checking it out!

Tonya Kelley

I use to take my kids here when they were younger. It's alot of fun. The kids had a & really good time, The pizza is actually not bad. It is a little pricey but is well worth. It's a good time for kids & adults

Nicholas Squillace

Just as I remembered as a youngster. Very fun, my 3 boys had a BALL ... super friendly staff. Will definitely be making a visit in the near future.

Tonya Withano

Supercool place. Plan to take the kids.

Andy Mercer

Was a lot of fun! They need some new bowling balls though. One of ours was cracked and so wouldn't roll all the way back down the lane.

Ryan Danko

Unique fun and aesthetic

Kris Holeyfield

Nice atmosphere, fun place.

Shraddha Birare

Not a traditional bowling but enjoyable!!!

Selina Krinock

Lots of bowling fun!

Jacob Walters

First time there and had a blast will be back for sure!!!

Larry Lackner

Throwback experience. Super helpful staff.

Allen Skinner

Fun old time bowling game in the heart of Fountain Square neighborhood. I docked one star as the building and lanes are in need of some maintenance. A great way to enjoy some local history and play a family friendly game.

shannon walsh

Such a fun place. Fun for everyone. I love the old vibe and the history if the building. You cannot have a bad time. There is food and drink too. Fun for a date night, hanging w friends or bringing kids.

Berseker Mayan

First of all, just know that the whole Fountain Square building is rather historic. And by "historic" I mean old. This can be both a good a bad thing, but it certainly lends to the feel of authenticity and nostalgia. As for the bowling, I thoroughly enjoyed it, much more so than regular bowling. The game is faster, while the three frames per turn make it more interactive. It's also less strenuous on the joints and the smaller balls are easier for kids to handle and control than regular balls. Overall, it is good fun and I look forward to returning.

Chris Garnas

Cute and nostalgic. I thought it was more fun than regular bowling!

Kevin Vlietstra

Unbelievable. History and fun. Hopefully their beer taps will make their way back.

Brian Jones

Fantastic old time fun! It van be a little hot though.

Tim Hughes

It was fun for the most part could use a little refurbishing and quite costly

Jason DeHaven

Cool place, fun. But bathroom situation is ridiculous.

Robert Grayer

Great place to hang out with co-workers

Joe Lucas

Fun place to hang and play Duckpins with the kids. But don’t expect much from the lanes they are in real bad shape, the bowl actually comes of the lane when it goes over the many high spots.

Sarah Brandt

Old school, a lot of fun to try out with family or out of town guests. The lanes are old, so the pins often got stuck on our lane, but we still had a good time.

Hannah Sheets

So fun!

Rick Jackson

Fun excursion for our adult aged family, home for the holidays. This game is much harder than it looks requiring some practiced technique to get consistent results, but the lighter, smaller balls make it easy for anyone and any age to play. They have snack and drink +beer service too. There was ample free street parking this day.

Brenda Wilson

A lot of fun! Duck Pin bowling from why back. A old game for all!

Sean McManus

The lanes are not even remotely flat. The balls have huge gouges in them. The resetting machine adds/removes pins at random. pretty overpriced considering the disrepair of the place. novelty turned to frustration after maybe 10 minutes.

Tricia McCoy

Our first time here. we had a great time

Noah Bales

Oh my god so fun in vintage building.

Gina Chambers

We had never tried this, but will be back. The only thing keeping this from being a five star is that it could use a deep cleaning.

Matt Lavin

Interesting old school vibe to the place. Place is pretty run down, but bowling is still fun

Joy Beck

Very cool historic building. We’ve been here several times and always enjoy it. Nice staff who take care of their customers.

Amelia Lengerich

Lanes are warped and you cant play a true game. Very disappointed.

Jim S.

Love the retro memorabilia and atmosphere. The lanes and equipment appear original from the fifties. Osiris on tap.

matt riley

So much fun. Old and small, but well-stocked bar, good beer choices, and a lot of family fun!

Elda Jameson

Very fun experience and uniquely Indy! Have also worked with them on larger group events and they were very easy to work with!

J Shep

Unique venue with great memories.

Jordan Powell

Great unique family fun in a great place in indy.

Jake O.

Great place to have some fun duckpin bowling! The guy working there was really nice and everything went pretty well as expected. The reasons I'm giving it four stars instead of five is because it wasn't immediately obvious to me or my friend how to actually get to it, parking was less than fun, and sometimes it's hard to know exactly what your score is supposed to be. Oh, and the balls didn't return properly a couple times when we were playing, but that was easy enough to resolve. Overall, I plan on going back in the future!

Brett Lytle

First time Duckpin Bowling, lots of fun, you feel like you went back in time here.

Lonnie Perry

Always a good time. You will enjoy being together whether it's a date night or fun with family or friends. It's a relaxing environment. It seems we do not rent the lane(s) long enough, but it does make for a fun time of "Speed Bowling" near the end of time. Our kids wish we played more often and for a longer period.

Sara Terry

Really fun! We had a great time here. Super nostalgic, there was not a line or wait. We went with our adult kids and really enjoyed it. The facility is great and worth a visit to play.

Jason Kirkman

Great way to have fun!

Michael Dowden

Always a great time for the entire family! I've hosted two birthday parties here and it's a big hit for everyone. You can request catering, or simply let your guests order from the bar. The duck-pin bowling yields lower scores, but it's a ton of fun and since you hold the balls in your hand (instead of inserting fingers into the ball) it's much, much easier to contend with, especially for those with larger hands.

Athena Sinnett

Super fun group activity!

David Chamblin

Super fun historic old timey bowling. Down stairs 50's upstairs 20s-30's.

Austin Fidler

Must go to entertainment. Super fun for entire family.

Mary McDaniel

So much fun. I cannot wait to go again

Al Rodriguez

Good place to have fun and nice staff.

Mike Durham

Definitely a unique experience compared to similar games. Great throwback vibe!

Stuart Kocher Jr.

Stepping out of the elevator is like stepping out of a time machine! This place is amazing and has great views!

Dan Showen

My three granddaughters and I would like to thank you Action Duckpin Bowl for a party to treasure for a long time!

Patrick Donahue

Really cool place. The basement is a 50's theme and the top floor is 70's themed.

Brandy Timberman

We had fun as a family. Drinks were good, food was quick to come out and good for bar food. Wasn't overly crowded.

Karen Jensen

The balls and lanes aren't the smooth waxed ones that you find at other alleys, and somehow that adds to, rather than detracts from, the character of the place and the fun. I know from personal experience you can't be grumpy in this place. And if you're even thinking of leaning toward curmudgeon, have a cocktail at the bar and fix that situation toot suite.

Ashlyn Yocom

Wonderful and different but loved it!!!

Jim Rogers

Tiny bowling balls thrown at tiny bowling pins in a really old bowling alley. Great atmosphere. Doesn't get much better!

Adam Callender

Lots of fun!

Jason Bowers

Duckpin bowling is a lot of fun for the entire family. This place has old school original decor. The lanes are rough. Prices are reasonable. Reservations recommend on weekends.

Megan Worsham

Fun and unique experience. Good price. Lane constantly broke down, though

Tristan Thompson

Old timey atmosphere. Great for private parties.

Shannon Pugh

First time. Had a blast & good food

Kari Ellis

Very cool place! Retro 50's....it was so fun to explore.

Kyle LaFeber

The boing balls are smaller than normal size, but the place is magical and dates back to the 1930’s. I will more than likely go back.

Ryan Good

We had a great time. I want to go back already.

Lawana Penrod

Such a fun outing! I love this place!

Bluet SUP By Juliet

It's so fun!! We always have a great time when we visit Indy!! :)

Kat Howard

We made a reservation at noon for Saturday. The lady we made it with made it seem like everything was booked. We arrived and had the place to ourselves. We were placed in the lower level bowling alley. The place is kind of cool with 50s items. The cashier was really nice. He explained the game and gave us our lane. You can wear your own shoes which was good. This is where the stars go down. The lane was warped and would never reset correctly. We couldn't switch lanes because there was water on the next two lanes from a leak that the guy kept mopping up. It seems like this could be a really fun place, but in need of some serious repairs.

Mike Jarvis

Super fun, terrible food

J Wilson

It's a blast from the past. Prices are steep for thirty minutes of bowling and we were "accidentally" charged more than the stated prices. Food and drink are limited while bowling. While it is a fun and unique activity, if offered the chance to participate again, I would pass and try something else. It is located in a great part of Indianapolis with lots of local revival.

Chris King

Lots of fun with friends or family. Just a cool piece of history that you dont get to do everyday. Way better then bowling alley.

Shawna Reinhardt

Nostalgic. Our family goes twice a year. Fun time and memories.

Roger Moore

Honestly, the cutest old-school bowling alley ever! Walking into this place, you are walking into old world charm of Indy back in the day. Everything looks the same as it did back in the 50s, and it's amazing that this place is still functional, but so so cool. Duckpin bowling is a little bit harder than normal bowling, so it was fun to try it for the first time. The bar is functional, the service is good, and the drinks are on point. I would totally recommend checking this out for a night on the town. We were there with a larger group, and had a great time.

Craig Harden

Classic iconic venue. Friendly staff. Archaic phone based reservation system, but they do call back quickly.

Anthony Marsiglio

Always have fun here.

Jon Harrington

I had never heard of Duckpin Bowling until we went! It's a fun and unique take on regular bowling. The scoring is tricky but they explain it to you before you play as well as provide instructions at the lane. There nice beer at the bar and a full restaurant too. Looks like it's going to be a recurring spot of fun for me and my friends.

Allison Avery

Fun place, but they are hanging on to the retro thing to the extreme, could use some updates

Alex Eggers-Daffron

Lots of fun. Harder than you think but that just adds to the enjoyment.

Scott A

Great experience. We had a blast. Slightly pricey, but worth it for the experience. Different than regular bowling. Much harder to score well, which makes it fun for everyone.

David Stewart

It was great and different

Kayla Orsini

Great night out. Very vintage atmosphere and inexpensive.

John T

I really liked this place, for starters it's on the fourth floor which definitely took me by surprise. This is a great place to go with a bunch of friends and family if your visiting Indy or looking for something different. The lanes are a but worse for the wear but you can still have plenty of fun and the games go by pretty quick. The views from the 4th floor are pretty good as well.

Matthew Cope

Cool vintage place. A little run down, but all in all definitely worth checking out.

Catherine Schmidt Berube

Put it on your Indy bucket list! Timeless fun for the family or a date night.

jacob Galle

Been going duckpin bowling since I was a little kid. Literally nothing has changed and still love it. Also, best pizza in the whole town. Js.

Jennifer Dueweke

This place is a goldmine of fun for kids/adults who like bowling but want to try something slightly different; it's an outstanding place to take visitors and people who enjoy an entire building full of retro/vintage items/ads. You will not be disappointed!!! We've been several times, but this latest time was this past week. We discovered it's best to call to reserve lanes, but we still got in. There is a second floor with duckpin bowling, but it was packed with reserved parties. That interior is also amazing. If you haven't played duckpin bowling, it's pretty simple. Smaller balls with no holes, smaller pins, and 3 tries. The floors are original and lovingly warped. There are no "guardrail" options, so watch out for a wayward ball in your lane! The place itself is like walking into a time warp of the 50's, wooden benches at the lanes, non-working cigarette machines, a non working jukebox, old cigarette ads, old bowling league trophy and clothing. Everything seems to be in sky blue and formica. I could spend hours looking at old pictures and taking in the atmosphere. You can get food and alcoholic drinks here. I love it here. I bet you do too.

Joe Proctor

A fun place for the entire family. You can bowl in your street shoes and the lanes are rented by the hour. For $40, four of us bowled 3 games each. In regular bowling, one gets two rolls/shots to get ten pins. In duck pin, one gets three shots...you're going to need them! The ball's are light with no finger holes and can be held in one hand. The pins are smaller than regular bowling, and it is harder than it looks. Duck pin bowling provides a lot of laughs along with some really challenging shots.

Lindsay Webb

Great environment witb a fantastic staff. Highly recommend ...especially for private parties!

Brad Woolery

Authentic vintage duckpin bowling. Loud atmosphere when people are there, food is mediocre, pin machines aren't the most accurate (being nearly 90 years old), and the whole place is kind of dirty and aged. However, it's an absolute blast to go with a group.

Fred Head

If you are in Indy you have to go at least once. It's funky and retro and fun. It used to be cheaper on weekdays but not any more.

D Law

Really neat to visit and see all of the bowling nostalgia. The bowling itself is fun. It's bowling

Marci Ball

So. Much. FUN!!! This place is a national treasure. The fourth floor lanes were closed for repairs, so we bowled on the basement lanes. I LOVED the mid-century music and decor, and the dude on staff was super helpful and friendly. Neither me or my friend had gone duckpin bowling before, but we had the best time ever. You rent your lane for 30 minute or hour increments. 30 minutes was enough fun for us! Your arm and hand definitely get more tired when there aren't finger holes to help support the weight of the ball. We'll be back for more fun soon!

Nathan B. Shupe

Super cool historic vibe love this place fountain square.

Eric Anderson

Such a cool vibe and unique game. It's not a place I'm interested in frequenting, but for the occasional change of pace it's great.

Mark Cabrera

For casual bowlers. Lanes are in bad shape but so what? Superb service.

Jonathan Kinnard

Staff are nice and it's easy to make a reservation

Connor Ray

One of the coolest places I have been to in a while. Seems like its frozen in time, somewhere in the 1950's. The atmosphere is great, the staff is friendly, and duckpin bowling is so fun!

Brian Eckert

A throwback to the old days. Had a great time at a corporate event. Staff was super great and throwing smaller balls down a bowling lane with so much fun

Allan Hughes

Vintage bowling lanes. Decor was nostalgic. Enjoyed the duckpin bowling.

Brian Revels

Fun and guy running the place was great as well.

Aphrodite Abby

Seems a little creepy initially, but is really a fun experience.

Kyle Wilson

This is a true gem for Indianapolis and I wish we had sometging like this vack home. We had a great time and experience. Don't let the look and feel distract you, you'll have a blast.

TraVonn Jones

Very different family activity, it was crazy fun.

David Butche Jr.

Best fun I have had in a long time, great for people of all ages.

Dr Pamela Reilly

Great environment witb a fantastic staff. Highly recommend ...especially for private parties!

Kurt Kriese

A FUN place for all ages! We all had a great time!

Justin Stratton

Super friendly staff! Price seemed a little high but the place was small so I see why they need to charge a little. They have a little bar so you can order drinks which is nice. The building is awesome I love how dated it is! Fun experience you’ll need two lanes if you plan on bringing a group of 8! Try it out if you want to enjoy a couple hours with your friends!

Armando P

Loads of fun. Make a reservation and don't be late!

Amy Ward

This is an excellent find here in Indy! Be sure to make a reservation before you go!! The price while a little more expensive than regular bowling also includes shoes if needed. The game itself is actually a lot harder than regular bowling but the fun throw back atmosphere makes it all come together. Be sure you know how to score by hand and be ready to learn the duckling bowling isn't as easy as it looks ha. I can't wait to go back, just a fun time all around. You can get alcoholic beverages and regular bowling ally food. All in all this is a place to take friends from out of town or just friends in town! Go check it out !

James Bronkema

Lots of fun

Vance VanGogh

Really fun experience and cool environment

Andrew Young

Hard wooden balls, cupped ever so gently. Squeeze one and notice it's imperfections and guide it down an old oaken lane. Each game is an opportunity to cup history in the palm of your hand and roll the balls from your fingers to the gaping maw of legend art status in Fountain Square. They also serve chips!

Marshall Averill

Food was good. The event space has all sorts of bar games which was fun. Finding our group in the large building was a little confusing

Andres Crovetti

Very cool retro bowling alley. Duck pin bowling (smaller pins and balls) is very different from regular bowling and arguably much harder. But super fun. Went on a weeknight but it was easy to get a lane and get rolling. Reasonable price for a group of 4 or more, a little on the pricier side for a couple. Overall great experience and super cool place to hang

BluetSUP Pilot Knoll

So fun!! Old school....not cheap but worth it!! It's skee ball bowling!!

Chase MacPherran

Fun spin on bowling!

Quincey Tuttle

We had a birthday party here. It was a ton of fun. The bowling alley is a little dingy but the guest area is clean and nice. It feels like a trip to the 50’s, you can feel that the building has history. We highly recommend.

Spencer Kindred

This is a great place to have some fun. If you've never been you should try it!

Lawrence Carver

Great date place, more expensive then normal bowling but it's still great fun and good atmosphere Upstairs is better than downstairs in my opinion.

Emily Stoner

Really fun experience! We bowled downstairs in the 50s area. Loved that you can reserve lanes, we had a 15 person bday party down there. Food looked good and drinks were strong! Will be going back! Only complaint is that bathrooms weren't fully functioning/locks didn't work on stalls and that the floor was uneven on the lanes slightly. Overall good time!

Carrie C

Always a great time, love the SMALL BALLS!

Miranda Masters

Really fun, and a cool experience. However they do not have AC, and it gets VERY warm in there. Also it is crazy expensive for what it is.

James Roscoe

Laid back, bowling, hanging out, shooting pool, or just having a meal or drinks. Came on a Friday morning so it was just us, and got to hang out with the real friendly staff. Had a reservation (recommended), but today would have been fine without.

Funky Kong

It’s so much fun. Located in a historic building, this place is home to awesome duckpin bowling. There is also a bar on the top floor and there is a roof with a patio and bar.

Joshua Martino

So much fun. And way harder than regular bowling!

Brandon Garmon

It was a nice change of pace from regular bowling.

Kathy Anderson

Awesome place, like a trip into the past and the duckpin bowling was fun!

Elizabeth Curfman

Would give a 0 if I could. Rude employees and cut our hour that we paid for 15 minutes short because there was another group waiting. Wrote 9:20 on my sheet and then came at 9:05 telling me that I didn’t know how to read. Will make sure to let others know to go elsewhere.

John Doe

We had never done duckpin bowling before. The actual bowling was very fun. And the guy that was managing the place was very nice and humorous. But the cost is just to high for a couple. 2 of us sharing a lane for 40 bucks an hour. I just couldn't justify it. We played for a half an hour, got a game in and left. It's a shame. They served drinks too, but I imagine staying for a couple hours and having a few cocktails, we'd be over a hundred bucks. Shame. For a tad less we'd come every time we were in town. It was a blast.

Hannah Blair

Very retro place with great vibes

Loretta Kelly

It is always fun. But they need to do some work one the lane returns.

Waylon Gross

Great times. Cool atmosphere

Jason Hagen

Like walking back in time, what a cool place! The service and staff is great and the bowling is fun and challenging. Worth a trip!

Heather Conner

Hidden gem in Indy! Duckpin bowling is a lot of fun, definitely a unique experience. Always great service, there is a small bar inside, I've had dates and birthdays here :)

ButterScotch

This was my first time duck pin bowling and it was an amazing experience to be able to play in the same style as i would assume it was "back in the day".

Kelsey Abdallah

A nice family activity. Equipment is starting to get rough, but did not affect our ability to have a good time.

El Martinez

Cool place, the 4th floor has the view. Make a reservation. The basement has the retro theme. Not ur average bowling alley. It's pricey, but worth it.

Samuel Dickman-Rogers

One of the coolest gems in Indy. A lot of fun for a group, and the prices are very reasonable-

Cay McCubbin

My sister had her 50th Birthday party there. It was fabulous and fun! So clean so many fun things to do, very nostalgic. The area updated plus easy parking highly recommended!

Brad Irvin

This place is a lot of fun. Everyone in Fountain Square should give it a try at some point.

Jacob Anderson

It was decent . Could be cleaner

Matt Miller

Not well maintained and very expensive. It's a great throwback to the past, but the lanes and balls are a disgrace.

Rachel Conner

They messed up the scheduling and shorted us 30 minutes. There was 18 of us with 3 lanes which was great. But because they messed up the scheduling we didn’t get to bowl a whole game through. Very unfortunate.

Flip Vega

Great fun place. Have been a few times and love it.

Mary McCormick

Always a great time for people of all ages. No bowling skills required. Love all the vintage bowling memorabilia.

Kaylee Messler

It was fun but kind of expensive.

David Riggleman

Fun place that has a cool vibe and a lot of interesting history. Duck pin bowling is definitely not like your traditional bowling and is a whole new experience. Even with the extra attempt per frame, don't expect to do as well as you would normally bowl; just enjoy the challenge and embrace the unpredictability of the lanes. On that note, our lane did seem to have some mechanical issues at the time with not resetting properly after a throw and other times there wasn't allowed enough time while waiting on a ball to return to complete a throw. But all of this does add to the entertainment value as long as you don't take yourself too seriously.

Denise Wright

Great fun. This place is a landmark but it is need of some TLC

George

What a fun place! We were down in the basement and had two kids with us (5 yrs old and 6 yrs old). Had a lot of fun. We booked the lane for an hour but should have done so for 30 minutes - kids got distracted and hungry. Both kids asked to come back before leaving!

Karrie Ratcliff

Lots of just plain fun for all!

John Lund

Love duckpin, but not as much here. While good for a friendly game the lanes have not aged well.

Jessica Moehlmann

So much fun

Eric Bartz

Very fun old school bowling alley. Way more difficult than you'd think!

Kyra Nichole Sizemore

We had an amazing experince tonight. It was alot of fun. And great for the kids and us.

Sara Haynie

Nice place! Very expensive and has no air conditioning. Elevator didn't work so had to climb 4 flights of stairs

Ryan Atkinson

We were in town for Christmas with family and had a blast here.

Alpha Joes

This place is a throwback to your grandparents/great grandparents era. The music is authentic as well. I am ruined of regular bowling after coming here.

Thrifty Unicorns

Me and my boyfriend we're passing through, we came across it by chance, we went in 15 mins before closing time thinking maybe we would get lucky and be able to play a game and we did! the older man who was working there (Tom? ) was so nice! He let us bowl a game, and after we talked with him about the history of the place and about duck pin bowling over some beers! We defiantly are going to come visit again and spend way more time there! Thanks a lot! this place is definitely worth going to! The inside takes you back in time to the 1950s! We loved our experience!

Cherie Darkblue

Cute place!!