Boston kids are out of school from Thu, Dec 24 through Fri, Jan 1, and go back on Tue, Jan 5, according to the Boston Public Schools 2026-27 calendar. That's a long week to fill, and candlepin bowling is one of the best ways to do it.
Candlepin is a New England game. The balls fit in your hand, the pins are tall and thin, and you get 3 balls a frame instead of 2. It started in Worcester in 1884, according to Sacco's, and plenty of the alleys that keep it going have been around for generations.
Here are 4 candlepin alleys around Boston and one tenpin spot for kids who want to try the big balls. Only Olindy's has posted school vacation hours so far, so check the others before you go on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year's Day.
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South Boston Candlepin
543 E Broadway, South Boston
South Boston Candlepin, known as Southie Bowl, has been open for over 60 years at 543 E. Broadway, between G and H streets. The alley says it has been family run for over 20 years, with leagues 5 nights a week. Its posted hours run from noon to 8 PM on Sundays and noon to midnight on Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, put $1 into the Orange Pin Jackpot. If the orange pin comes up as the head pin and you throw a strike, you win the pot. Pick up a spare on your second ball instead and you win Southie Candlepin merch, a T-shirt or a hat. It also books kids' birthday parties, if the break includes one.
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Sacco’s Bowl Haven
45 Day Street, Somerville
Ralph Sacco opened Sacco's Bowl Haven in 1939, and it's now run with American Flatbread at 45 Day St. in Davis Square. There are 10 candlepin lanes at $39 a lane per hour, with $4 shoe rental, up to 6 people a lane and a 2-hour limit, per its reservations page. Book ahead, or grab one of the walk-in-only lanes it holds every day. It opens at 10 AM on Saturdays and Sundays and noon on weekdays, and the kitchen serves flatbread pizza until 10 PM every night.
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Boston Bowl
820 Morrissey Boulevard, Dorchester
Boston Bowl at 820 Morrissey Blvd. has both candlepin and tenpin, so the family can split up. It opens at 9 AM every day and stays open until midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 2 AM Thursday through Saturday. Over holidays and school vacation weeks, it charges its Prime Time rate of $10.50 a game per person, per its bowling page. Shoes are $5.99 for adults and $3.99 for kids 12 and under. For a grown-up night, its 21+ Xperience lanes and lounge have their own bar.
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Olindy’s Quincy Avenue Lanes
170 Quincy Avenue, Quincy
Olindy's opened in 1937 as an 8-lane house in Quincy Center and is still all about candlepin, now at 170 Quincy Ave. It posts special school vacation hours for December. Over the break, it opens at noon every day and stays open until 9:30 PM on Mondays and Saturdays, and it closes at 5:30 PM Tuesday through Thursday, 6 PM on Friday and 5 PM on Sunday. A string is $6.75 per person, and kids pay $5.75 on weekdays until 5 PM, per its regular price list. It also has pool, darts and video games.
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Lucky Strike Fenway
145 Ipswich Street, Fenway
For tenpin, Lucky Strike Fenway at 145 Ipswich St. has 16 lanes, an arcade, billiards and air hockey. Every Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM, including holidays, the all-you-can-bowl deal with shoes is $22.99 per person. That covers Sat, Dec 26 and Sun, Dec 27 during the break. It's walk-in only and depends on lane availability. Go early with kids, because it's 21+ after 7 PM.
Before you go
For more to do with the kids during the break, see our Christmas movies on the big screen.