Pickwick Bowl
The Pickwick Bowl, a 24 lane bowling alley in Burbank, opened in 1961. It is just part of the recreation enterprise that, since the 1940s, has included the bowling alley, a bar/lounge/restaurant, an ice rink, a public swimming pool, mobile home park, drive-in movie theater, conference center, banquet facilities and landscaped gardens on the 8 1/2 acre property in the Rancho District. The current owners, Carole and Ed Stavert, purchased the facility in 1953. It was reported in late 2021 that an Orange County-based developer had acquired the Pickwick Bowl and Gardens for redevelopment with multifamily townhome housing. A redevelopment effort in 2017 failed, but a new state law, SB 35, may allow this one to succeed.
Update: The facility closed its doors on August 15, 2023. It has since been demolished.
Burbank, Los Angeles County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt