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BAY VIEW -- The owners of Bay View Bowl recently made a startling discovery: Their bowling alley has been around a lot longer than they realized. A big bash ushered in a huge milestone for the entire community.
Bay View Bowl
"I am very proud of this bowling center. It`s just come so far," Mike Kosinski, owner of Bay View Bowl said.
No one knew how far, until Kosinski did some digging.
"Found out that the building was constructed in 1925!" Kosinski said.
Long before the neon glow began to shine inside Bay View Bowl, there were 90 years of history.
"It was brown paneling. Everywhere you look it was brown paneling. It was run down. It needed a lot of work," Kosinski said.
"It`s really special that we still have wooden lanes," Andrea Kosinski, owner of Bay View Bowl said.
Just like the neighborhood around it, Bay View Bowl got hip.
"I had to change with the trends," Mike Kosinski said. "We went from neon signs in the bar to artwork on the walls."
Bay View Bowl
And you should't be fooled by its age. Nine decades in, there are no signs of slowing down.
To celebrate Bay View Bowl's 90th birthday, there was a big party.
"Everything 90 cents -- 90 cent sodas, 90 cent games, 90 cent shoes," Kosinski said.
Mike Kosinski, owner of Bay View Bowl
Mike Kosinski has been the owner of Bay View Bowl for the last 16 years. Lately he's been taking his eye off the ball, and thinking about his own golden years.
"I`m getting older, and it`s getting harder. My high game is a 299. I haven`t hit a 300 game yet. I`d like to train somebody else to carry on this business -- just like I was trained," Kosinski said.
But just like Bay View Bowl's lanes, there are still plenty of rounds, plenty of decades left to roll through.
"I know that we`re going to have one of our best years ever. And that makes me very happy," Kosinski said.
Bay View Bowl
A fun fact: The movie "The Surface" with Sean Astin was shot mostly in Milwaukee -- and includes a pivotal scene at Bay View Bowl!
The Surface