Ducks on the Ave, Hartford

When Ducks on the Ave opened its doors in 1939, duckpin bowling was just as popular as 10-pin bowling is today. With similar rules, shorter pins, and smaller balls, the game pulled men and women to bowling alleys for regular league nights, where they could socialize and aim to best their rival team.

Though duckpin alleys are now fewer and farther between, and leagues have fallen to the wayside, Ducks on the Ave keeps both traditions alive. It maintains 12 blonde-hued lanes, where players send shot-put-size duckpin balls speeding toward 10 adorably squat pins. Now geared more toward entertaining families, it also features a concession area serving beer and pizza, space for live music, and black lights that make nighttime games glow.