- National Bowling Stadium
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Coordinates: 39°31′46.33″N 119°48′43.4″W / 39.5295361°N 119.812056°W
National Bowling Stadium Taj Mahal of Tenpins[1]
Pin Palace[2]
Location Reno, Nevada Broke ground 1992 Opened 1995 Renovated 2007 Construction cost $47.5 million Architect Peter B. Wilday Capacity 1,100 spectators Field dimensions 78 lanes
38,000 square feetThe National Bowling Stadium is a 363,000-square-foot (33,700 m2) ten-pin bowling stadium in Reno, Nevada. The stadium is recognizable for an 80 feet (24 m) aluminum geodesic dome in its facade, built to resemble a large bowling ball.
Nicknamed the "Taj Mahal of tenpins", the 80-lane stadium opened in 1995, cost $47.5 million, and took three years to build. It is often the filming location for bowling scenes in films.
Contents
Construction and financing
The stadium was constructed as part of a renovation effort of downtown Reno, which also saw the construction of the Silver Legacy Resort Casino,[3] The concept for construction of the stadium was in part to capture tourism dollars being sent to Las Vegas, and as part of an agreement with the American Bowling Congress that upon construction of a first-class permanent facility, they would ensure their return to Reno every third year. The project was funded by a room tax lobbied by the city of Reno to the Nevada Legislature based on commitments from the American Bowling Congress and the Women's International Bowling Congress.[1]
The original construction of the stadium had 80 lanes, but since an architectural error resulted in the stadium not having a center aisle for bowlers to march out for the team event, the center lanes had to be converted to an aisle. Despite the conversion to a 78-lane facility, the main pro shop/gift shop is still called "Lane 81".[2]
Features
The stadium can be covered to be converted to convention space. It utilizes fully automatic scoring on what (upon construction) was the world's longest rigid, backlit video screen, with oversight from a computerized command center on the stadium's fifth level. When it opened in 1995, it was just in time to welcome 100,000 members of the American Bowling Congress for their 100th anniversary meeting.[3] In 2009 the National Bowling Stadium broke the record for most United States Bowling Congress championships hosted, surpassing the tie between Buffalo and Toledo.[2]
Film history
The National Bowling Stadium has been the filming location for several feature films. In addition to being the location of the grand finale between Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson in the 1996 bowling film Kingpin,[4] Michael J. Fox and Kirk Douglas bowled on lane 81 in Greedy.[2]
References
- ^ a b Barol, Bill (September 18, 1995). "Lanes Paved With Gold". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983424-1,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ^ a b c d Crowley, Jeff (April 15, 2007). "'Taj Mahal of Tenpins' is a must-see for bowlers". Evansville Courier Press. http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/apr/15/taj-mahal-of-tenpins-is-a-must-see-for-bowlers/. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ^ a b Land, Barbara; Myrick Land (1995). A Short History of Reno. University of Nevada Press. pp. 123–24. ISBN 9780874172621. http://books.google.com/?id=Qnd10DuA37MC.
- ^ Gelbert, Doug (2002). Film and Television Locations: A State-by-State Guidebook to Moviemaking Sites, Excluding Los Angeles. McFarland. p. 192. ISBN 9780786412938.
Categories:- Buildings and structures completed in 1995
- Buildings and structures in Reno, Nevada
- Bowling
- Visitor attractions in Washoe County, Nevada
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