It's called Brooklyn Bowl, but the ball crashing into pins isn't all you will hear.

The 14-year-old entertainment destination in Williamsburg is a concert venue that hosts five to seven shows every week. It's located inside a building from the 1880s that was once an iron works foundry and horse stable.


What You Need To Know

  • Brooklyn Bowl opened in Williamsburg in July of 2009 as a bowling alley and concert venue

  • It's located inside a building from the 1880s that was once an iron works foundry and horse stable

  • The venue has 16 lanes and hosts five to seven shows every week on its stage

"The true visionaries of this place, Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan, they came in before this area was even popping, and took this building and made it into what you see now," said Anna Ayers, director of operations at Brooklyn Bowl, which has spawned locations in Nashville, Las Vegas and Philadelphia.

Ayers says the venue hosts bands and performers playing all varieties of music.

"Anything from funk to soul, to old school hip-hop, R&B. We are pretty in tune with the jam band community and also New Orleans brass bands come through a lot," said Ayers, who has been at Brooklyn Bowl for 12 of its 14 years. "There's a lot of different types of music here. Anything to get people in and get the groove on."

There are 16 lanes for bowling, a food menu from Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, and of course, the music. Ayers says many notables from the music world have graced the stage here.  

"We've had Robert Plant, Questlove, Stevie Nicks, Juvenile two weeks ago, which was an amazing show, and Bob Weir was here as well, just countless acts," Ayers said.

To plan your visit, head to Brooklyn Bowl's website