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Interstate Lanes

Filed in Sports by on July 6, 2010 • views: 15142

Today there is a Borders and a Bed, Bath, & Beyond there, but just a few years back that location at Interstate Shopping Center housed a movie theater and bowling at the Brunswick Interstate Lanes.

“Interstate Bowling Lanes. Inc partially opened a 40-lane bowling center in Ramsey. N. J. during October 1958.” (Source: SEC Digest, October 29th, 1958).

Interstate Bowling


As it states on the postcard, enjoy the ultimate in air conditioning bowling design on 40 lanes with automatic ball returns and Tel-E-Score.

Card back.


This wasn’t the town’s first bowling alley, from at least the 1920’s a bowling alley operated on Main Street in what has been more recently a carpet and rug store. The Ramsey Golf & Country Club also had a bowling alley, since converted into what is now the Pro Shop.

This postcard was published by Tichnor Bros Inc..

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About the Author ()

Daniel Kennedy is a local history buff and a board member of the Ramsey Historical Association.

Comments (13)

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  1. Suzanne says:

    Loved it and miss it.

  2. Peggy (Roviello) Hall says:

    I grew up in Ramsey (graduated RHS 1972)and was on a Saturday morning league at the bowling alley as a teenager – loved it!

  3. Paul Culin says:

    This pic brings back wonderful memories of my youth. We would bowl in the Saturday morning league then go next door to the theater for the afternoon matinee. Sometimes we would walk over to the Woolworth’s lunch counter or cross Rt 17 to look around the Hiway Hobby House.

  4. Susan (Williams) Small says:

    spent lots of time at the bowling allies. They also had a pool hall next door, where we wwere not supposed to go

  5. Lamar Streetman says:

    I have two ash trays taht came from Interstate Lanes. My neighbor, Mildred Westmoreland was an avid bowler. She bowled from the 1950’s until probably the early 80’s and bowled in different regions of the country. She passed away 4 years ago and her husband passed away this past June. While cleaning out the house I ran across the ash trays and “Googled” Interstate Lanes. If I am correct the original site is now gone. I am not sure how old the trays are but they are black and imprinted on them is the following: INTERSTATE LANES, Route 17 Ramsey, NJ DAvis 7-1500. I couldn’t enlarge the post card above but the best I can tell they look like the ones on the tables. If anyone is interested leave a post and I will get back with you, or you can leave me your contact info. Lamar Streetman Smyrna, Georgia

  6. Joseph Culin says:

    I also bowled (with my brother) on Sat morning. I also worked there for a couple of years as “prom boy”! I miss the pool hall also; was a lot of fun. Where else could you get the kids off the streets and into the allys?

  7. Patti says:

    Sure do mlss the bowling lanes and especially the movie theater. I even miss the appliance store that replaced the theater. We did not have to go to Paramus to buy a microwave and dishwasher. I did it at Interstate.

  8. Pete Caruso says:

    Bob Book and I went here to bowl when only half the lanes were open. $.35 per game. We bowled 3 games and gave the guy $1.05. He goes “No, $ .35 a piece.” But that’s all we had…I quess we still owe him a buck five.

  9. Booger says:

    my hang out for over ten years

  10. Fred Florio says:

    I was in Ramsey a couple of weeks ago and was sorry to see Interstate Lanes was gone. It was quite the place in the late 1950’s and beyond. Hall of Fame bowler Don Carter once visited. I agree with Pete Caruso above, a Buck-five got you a 3 game set.

  11. Jim says:

    Remember Will and Janet, husband & wife managers? And bartender Slim! What a great guy.

  12. Jim says:

    No wait a minute, Janet was the blonde, came around the same time as Regina. I can’t remember Will’s wife’s name now. She was hot though, I remember that 🙂

  13. Bob Perkins says:

    Interesting memories, I remember the construction of the Mall, I used the field there to fly model airplanes in the 50’s. I worked for Acme Market next to the Bowling alley as a teen, and later in the produce department as asst. manager. I often bowled in the mixed leagues and of course took our coffee breaks from the store at the snack counter in the alley for years.