Oakwood Lanes — Local services in Washington Township

We hosted our son’s 4th birthday party at Oakwood Lanes this past weekend and we were blown away with their services! We were amazed at how well they managed and organized a party of 12 toddlers ranging between 2-4 years old. Planning was completely effortless. They also entered all the children’s names for us into the game computer and setup dinosaur rolling ramps and bumpers for even smoother party efficiency. The kids had a blast and were totally entertained the duration of the party. We rented the private party room which I felt like was a must for a party of this age and size, which they had almost all decorated by the time we arrived to set up for the party. We brought our own goodie bags, cake, and some personalized decorations (by choice, because they do offer decorations of their own) and they handled the rest! They even included a free bowling voucher for each child’s goodie bag, and also gifted our son a light up birthday shirt sticker bowling pin and had all our party guests sign it as a keepsake. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. Our only suggestion is to give ALYSSA a raise, because she was the most attentive and caring concierge for the party. She checked on us every 5 minutes or less to see if we needed anything. Would highly recommend Oakwood to anyone looking for a classic and fun birthday party with guaranteed core...

I personally feel that ownership needs to change how they run this place on the weekends. Saturdays, all day long it's glow bowling and kid's parties. Glow bowling should be reserved for after 8-9PM like many bowling alleys do. Kids are running amok inside when they should be staying in their area. The music needs to be toned down. Little kids don't care about that kind of atmosphere. Sunday afternoons should be a time for open bowling mainly for adults who want to bowl for fun and for league bowlers who may want to practice without the noise of children and loud music. If you're going to allow birthday parties on Sundays, then they should be held early and done by no later than 1-2PM. The seating needs to be updated. The carpeting must be 30+ years old or more at this point. The ceiling has leaked when there's heavy rain. They need a full service pro shop so bowlers don't have to go out of town to get all their equipment. Turn the meeting room / party room into a full service pro shop. Stop allowing people to smoke out in front of the main doors. Nobody wants to walk through a cloud of smoke on their way in. And tell league bowlers to stop smoking pot outside the side door during league which wafts inside for everyone else to have to smell. Standards need...

I was really looking forward to bringing my kids to Oakwood Lanes for the Kids Bowl Free program, but our first visit was a frustrating and discouraging experience.

When we arrived around 1:30 PM, there were several families ahead of us and only one person working the register. Each check-in took about 10–15 minutes, and there was no organized line, which led to people cutting ahead. As the only adult with my children, I had to briefly step away to take my son to the bathroom. We were gone less than five minutes, but by the time we returned, the line had stretched all the way back to the bathrooms and we lost our spot entirely.

What concerned me most was the number of unsupervised children running around while their parents waited in line. It felt chaotic and unsafe, especially with so little staff presence or structure.

We left without bowling, completely disappointed. This program has great potential, but I hope Oakwood Lanes will consider adding more staff, organizing the check-in process, and improving safety measures for families...