April 11, 2016
Google/StreetView
The Thunderbird Lanes bowling alley will close after more than 50 years in Willow Grove, Montgomery County.
A Willow Grove bowling alley will close after more than 50 years at York and Fitzwatertown roads.
Thunderbird Lanes, a popular spot for league bowling and children's birthday parties, will shut down to the public on May 1, according to a report in the Public Spirit newspaper. Leagues will finish up on May 16.
The current owners, in their 70s and ready to retire, are selling to John Kennedy Ford, which will convert the 2.5-acre property into a state-of-the-art collision center, according to the Public Spirit report, which quoted CEO David Zeitz as saying there was no interest from prospective buyers wanting to maintain the bowling alley.
Most of the 25 full- and part-time employees will lose their jobs, including him, Zeitz told the newspaper.
It is one of the few remaining bowling alleys in the vicinity.
Read the full story at the Public Spirit.
