North Avenue Market - Duckpin Bowling Alley

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About:

North Avenue Market was constructed in 1928 as Baltimore City’s first privately-owned market house. Its remarkable Spanish Revival architecture was (and remains) stylistically distinct from its surroundings and Baltimore City as a whole. When it opened, the market contained twelve retail stores, a twenty-two-lane bowling alley, and over 200 grocery vendors. Its facilities were state-of-the-art for the time. It opened its doors in 1928 to a crowd of over 50,000 visitors.

The market’s commercial viability was impacted by demographic changes following WWII, including the exodus of Baltimore residents to the suburbs. In 1968, a fire substantially damaged the interior of the building. Shortly after, the northern portion of the building was razed to accommodate the construction of an apartment complex. Since the early 1970s, portions of the building have been occupied by a variety of tenants including a socialist bookstore/café, live music venue, arcade bar, and theater.

Come check out a duckpin bowling alley that has been closed since 1990 and virtually untouched since!