Needham Bowlaway — Attraction in Needham

We've just celebrated a kid's birthday here. There were several things that made Bowlaway stand out for me compared to other birthday venues. They let us choose the music, which my kid took very seriously and worked on the playlist for several days. It was a hit, he felt like a real DJ, when a couple of little guests came to tell us that "this is my favorite song!" They have plenty of coat hooks including some at the comfortable height for kids to use themselves. They provide a pretty tasty ice-cream cake as part of the package, together with candles, spoons, plates, a lighter and a huge knife. About the knife: I left it in the cake box, and one of the attendants, who saw it, put it away to keep kids safe! Everyone really enjoyed the party. Party package can also include pizza, but since we met soon after lunch,...

Candle pin bowling is great to prevent wrist pain. Balls are much smaller and lighter.

There is free parking behind the building, which is def plus compared to going to Boston.

The lanes and the digital system are great as well. Each player gets three rolls and then you need to manually confirm the points/pins smashed.

There is no reservation here, however you can call ahead and tell what time you will be there, so that you are at top of the wait queue - we had no wait on a Saturday afternoon, we reached at 250 pm.

Staff is friendly and approachable.

Only negative - if you are more than 4 ppl - it can feel crowded. There are only 3 seats per lane. The adjacent lane is close enough that you may elbow each other.

I will return. We had...

This place is a whole vibe. Eight lanes, fascinating high-tech setup for bowling in a basement (touchpad + automated pin diagrams). Our group had never been candlepin bowling before and we enjoyed the h*ck out of it for the last hour of the night. Prices as of today were $30 per lane-hour (they can do partial hours) and $3 for shoes. Looks like they'll do parties too for ~$300.

Don't call ahead, don't make a big fuss -- it's lowkey and a fun little haunt. Also, yes, it's in the basement, door is on the far left of the building that Google Maps flags, signage is over the door and the stairs lead straight down (with a fun sign to reassure you that you're headed in the right direction). Can't wait to bring out-of-town...