Bowling Returns to Roodhouse

ROODHOUSE — Bowling has returned to Roodhouse, thanks to a grandson determined to revive a family legacy and bring people back together.

Roodhouse Roundhouse has reopened at 332 South State Street, restoring bowling to the community after the building sat closed for more than a decade. The revival is the work of Matthew Martin, whose grandparents opened the original bowling alley — then known as Martin Lanes — in 1961.

Growing up, Martin spent countless hours at the alley, watching his grandparents run the business and meeting people who would later shape his connection to the community. After his grandmother closed the business in 2008, the building remained in the family but sat vacant for years.

“The building and bowling alley have been in my family for 60 years,” Martin said. “It sat empty for a long time. I renovated it after I purchased it outright and reopened it.”

Martin said reopening the alley was about more than restoring a building — it was about restoring a place where families and friends could gather. His grandmother kept the business going as long as she could, and continuing that tradition was important to him.

“My grandma ran it for as long as she could,” he said. “It’s a good feeling bringing it back to the community. It gives me good feelings seeing people do something together as a family.”

Today, Roodhouse Roundhouse offers bowling and miniature golf, with plans to add gaming machines in the future. Since reopening in November, Martin said the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve had a lot of good response since we opened,” he said. “It brings something for families to do together.”

For Martin, the project is deeply personal. He said many of his strongest memories growing up were formed inside the bowling alley, and those experiences helped draw him back to Roodhouse later in life.

“I always remembered the people I met there growing up,” Martin said. “The reason I moved to Roodhouse was because of the people I met.”

In addition to providing family entertainment, Martin said he wants Roodhouse Roundhouse to be a place that gives back. The venue has already hosted fundraisers and events for nonprofit organizations, with more planned in the future.

“We are trying to be very community-driven,” he said. “We want to give back to the community where we can.”

Live music and entertainment are also part of the Roundhouse’s future. Martin said he hopes hosting shows will help draw visitors from surrounding communities and bring new energy into Roodhouse.

Upcoming performances include Highway 67 Acoustic on February 7, Flip the Frog on February 13, and Captain Geech on February 28.

“The idea is to attract people from our surrounding communities,” Martin said. “I want to make this a space for people to come down and enjoy.”

Roodhouse Roundhouse is open from noon to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and from noon to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.