Tucson, Arizona: Tucson Bowl: Cavemen and Rip van Winkle Bowling Art

They're not Leprechauns; they're the gnomes/ghosts of Hendrik (Henry) Hudson and his crew from the story of Rip van Winkle by Washington Irving. Like Fred Flintstone and his fellow Bedrock cavemen, Hendrik and his crew were avid bowlers, and the sound of their balls striking the pins is the source of thunderstorms in New York's Hudson Valley (and, uh, apparently Tucson?). An attraction that's part literature, cartoon history, gnomes, American history, bowling, and mid-century style.

This is one of the older bowling alleys in Tucson. On the side of the building it has tile art work showing the humorous history of bowling. The art work was done locally by Kay Mallek Studios in 1961. The whole building is a piece of Americana, with big concrete bowling pins and balls decorating the exterior.

Their address is not on a major street, however they are behind the Ace Hardware on 22nd, so it's an easy place to miss. A nostalgic exterior with a very modern interior. What was once the local bowling alley is now part of a larger company -- Vantage Bowling Centers.