Action Duckpin Bowl

Real honest review here. This place is nostalgic no doubt. But outside of its nostalgia don’t spend your money here. Balls r damaged lanes are sketchy at best. Price is way to high for the quality of the establishment.
Nice that if u wear gym shoes u don’t need shoes but if you need them the shoes they give u r awful.
Worst part of the entire experience was the gentleman that worked here. He was an absolute jerk. Making rude comments short with patrons and overall just mean— substituted mean for what I really wanted to call him. Keeping it PG.
clearly irritated he had to work and that others were trying to enjoy themselves. Very bad experience for our group.

I thought it was regular bowling and the name just meant a certain game style. I didn’t know it was a tiny ball that made me feel like a total amateur bowler! It was fun! I was on vacation and walked by withy friend. We decided to give it a try! You should too! It’s fun!

I bet this would be a lot of fun! We only played pool because all the bowling reservations were filled. Call and make reservations early.

This activity feels like a novelty and is fun for families and groups. Although I like how the restoration of the space and the lanes makes it feel authentic, I wish the building, including the elevators, restrooms, etc. were updated. If they renovated the restaurant space and offered an overall nicer experience I think this would quickly become a five star attraction. The location is great!

Will update soon

I have been here a few times and have always had a lot of fun. The atmosphere is cool (I’ve bowled on both of the floors, but prefer the upper «Action» level) and the hand-​sized bowling balls are so much easier to play with. The price is reasonable — you pay by hour per lane and don’t have to rent shoes. I’d suggest 4 – 5 people per lane, tops, because otherwise the space and time to bowl can get a little crowded. They have a full bar and food. I have not eaten anything there, but the drinks are very well priced. Make sure you call ahead to reserve a lane, especially if you want to go on a weekend!

Both times I’ve bowled here on the lower level, and it feels a little bit like you are hanging out in a really old basement. The elevator feels like it’s out of Tower of Terror or a haunted house — legitimately a little fear getting in there.
Duckpin is a cool as a changeup — 99% of people probably have never done it — but in action it’s a little frustrating. The lanes are bumpy, service is not real friendly, but the price is pretty good for a group. Does anyone really want to keep score with a sheet and pencil though?
I’d definitely give it a try if you’ve never been — maybe the nostalgia factor will have a better impact on other people — but I’d rather stick to regular bowling for me.

Very fun but also very expensive. It’s $ 30 hour. If you don’t finish the hour it’s still $ 30. It’s not like normal bowling. So even if you use to bowl in a league like me it will be a little challenging. It’s miniature bowling so do take your kids. And take as many people as you can so you can split the bill. But it’s awesome !

Everyone has done the usual bowling night out with friends, but let’s face it, that can get a little old. Looking to spice things back up? This is place is a fantastic way to not only completely alter your bowling game (smaller balls and smaller pins… prepare for chaos to ensue), but transport you back in time with a 1950’s atmosphere.
Located in the heart of Fountain Square, these folks operate on the basement and third floor of the old theatre building. My family and I have been using these folks as a Christmas tradition for the past three years and have always looked forward to it.
I do suggest reserving your lane ahead of time, as this is becoming quite a popular activity and can book up quickly. And be prepared to dramatically alter your bowling game! These smaller, lighter balls are much more difficult to control and often have a mind of their own traveling down warped lanes (the boards are as old as the building and make bowling an interesting guessing game). However, this only adds to the charm that accompanies such a historic activity. Keeping true to their roots, these folks have kept the décor consistent with a 1950’s bowling alley and play music from this era. You can even play your personal favorite tunes from an old juke-​box in the corner!
Hate having to wear icky bowling shoes that hundreds of others before you used? No problem! These folks allow you to keep your own shoes on, avoiding a costly shoe rental fee and potential athletes foot!
As I have mentioned, this place has been a Marshall tradition for the past three years and will most definitely continue being so. Love it!

Not sure if it’s sad that 2014 included my very first time going Duckpin Bowling as a Downtowner/​Yelper. I came with a group for a birthday, so we had 2 lanes already reserved. If you don’t want to have to wait, RSVPs for those things are the best thing ever. I believe they require a deposit beforehand. Also — when you get into the elevator, there are papers posted that tell you what level your group is on — either the very top or basement. The basement gets very warm, hopefully you’re on the top.
The concept of duckpin bowling sounds very easy — throw a small ball at pins. However this was not the case for the group and I — we sucked. Duckpin does not equal regular bowling. It’s a fun activity though and makes me feel like I’m in the 1950’s with the extreme retro décor. Definitely one of the best things to do in Indy!

Had an awesome time. However they need a good exterminator. Three cockroaches out where the lanes are; if they are there, they are everywhere. Couldn’t eat the food and makes me suspect of the restaurants on the first floor. The bugs were on the seats. Management has to know about it. Granted older buildings have these issues but bugs can be controlled.

This place was interesting and I’ve never been to a bowling alley quite like this. We came in as a group and had six of the eight lanes reserved for a couple of hours. The only way to get to the Action Duckpin Bowl was by the elevator to the 4^th floor since the stairs wasn’t open to the public. There was another bowling alley (Atomic Bowl Duckpin) in the basement. The Action Duckpin Bowl was a vintage 1930s bowling alley which was pretty cool to see in person. The pins and bowling ball were tiny so it took some time to get used to. There was no electronic displays or anything so we kept score by paper and pencil.
I will mention this since my coworker told me to, but I don’t know the whole story or experienced it firsthand. Apparently, my coworker wanted some water and ended up buying a bottle of water. When asked for some more water then the guy behind the counter said they could go to the bathroom to get it from tap. That doesn’t reflect the rating I gave this place though. The guy behind the counter didn’t seem like he wanted to be there.
Overall, this place was not bad and and if you’ve never seen duckpin bowling, then check it out if you’re in the area.

We came here on a Saturday night. Made a reservation and it was pretty easy. When we arrived the man behind the counter was extremely rude and wouldn’t even talk. I asked for a soda and he just got it for me with no words spoken. Didn’t even tell me the total price. Then when the lane broke down I asked him to fix it and he actually shook his finger at me (not saying a word) and gave me a dirty look. Seriously?!? Someone in management needs to make a serious attitude adjustment on him! We will not be back!

This place is old. The newest thing in there is the guy behind the counter and he seemed like he was in his 50’s. I have no problem with vintage, but there are some things at a bowling alley that I would like replaced more often than… never. The first is the lanes themselves. The lane we were on (7) had two bumps severe enough that the ball got some air every time it rolled over them. I don’t know what the other lanes looked like but I imagine similarities. The second thing is the plumbing. I don’t know a lot about plumbing, but I know when it looks precarious.
If you look past those potential problems and your friends/​family are cool you’ll have a good time whipping some softball sized bowling balls down the lane.
P.S.
I know no one goes bowling to eat, but I really liked the nachos.

Seriously! What a fun place!
Mrs. F and I celebrated our anniversary here in the middle of the day on a Thursday… and the place was as you can imagine deserted! It was wonderful it was literally just the two of us and we had so much fun!
High recommend!

I love duckpin bowling — and not only do I love this unique type of bowling, I love the 1930s lanes and décor in the upstairs lanes in the Fountain Square building! Atomic Bowl in the basement is also cool, and a great second choice for me if I can’t get a lane upstairs, but it’s not as historic and is missing the gorgeous view from the fourth floor to downtown.
Be prepared to keep score by hand here, as I mentioned this is all 1930s equipment, so the automation is at a minimum. This is more difficult than regular bowling — be prepared to get a much lower score than you normally would, even though you get three balls per frame. You can get snacks and drinks from the lanemaster (that’s a name I made up just now for the one person who is behind the counter/​bar running everything) for reasonable prices. This is a killer place for a party or event as there is tons of room is the café area, or a great place to bring a date. We brought my parents for my mom’s birthday and they loved it. $ 30/​hr for the lane rental.

Retro! The bowling was fun but spend a bit of time checking out the authentic retro fixtures in the buildings. Enjoyed an evening here for a birthday party and the staff were very friendly and it was a nice place for an intimate family bday party. Reasonably priced and worth at least a one time visit to try a bit of nostalgic fun.

Great group activity in my favorite neighborhood!
At $ 30/​hour, it’s not something I’d go to with just the husband, but it’s more fun (and cheaper) with a group anyway.
Cocktails and local beer can add to the existing challenge of duckpin bowling! Shoe rental is included in the price.
Two different area options for bowling — Action Duckpin in the basement (which is 50’s themed, and was added later) and Atomic on the fourth floor (which is from the 20’s and original).

I went bowling at Action Duckpin Bowl the week of Thanksgiving with my fiancé’s family. Not being a Midwesterner, I had never heard of duckpin bowling until my soon-​to-​be mother-​in-​law suggested it & I’m SO glad she did. Before I get started about our experience, let me say that I really loved Fountain Square and will INSIST that we go back there the next time we’re visiting family in Indy. It is so cool that the facility has been a continuously operating bowling alley since 1928.
That being said, we had a great time. Even though I am convinced the pin collection system is rigged & you never get credit for all of the pins you knock down… I haven’t had that much fun losing in a long time! Duckpin bowling is MUCH harder than regular bowling, but I think the novelty of it adds to the experience. The upper level is much nicer than the bottom level (where we bowled), but the bumps in the lanes and rickety equipment all adds to the experience/​ambiance of bowling in a historic bowling alley.
We will definitely be returning both to Fountain Square and Action Duckpin Bowl, it was a great time for the entire family & a fun way to spend a cold Midwestern night.
The only thing that would make the facility better is to serve beer by the pitcher… & maybe have bumpers for those of us that can’t keep our balls out of the gutter :)

I love Duck Pin bowling. We usually go with around 5 – 6 people and at $ 30 a lane/​per hour and free shoe rental, it’s a steal. I usually go with a bunch of friends, drink too many local beers (a big plus!), and watch my game get sloppier as the time wears on. Recently, though, we took my three younger sisters. They are all under the age of 15 and they LOVED it. My dad even had a great time. It just goes to show that this place is a great place to go for any age. We were only a few cute neck scarfs from some 1950s style family bonding.
I would recommend calling ahead for reservations. It can randomly be really busy and it pays to plan ahead a little.