Holler House | Milwaukee and the Nation’s Oldest Alleys

The oldest, sanctioned bowling alley resides here, resides in this very old, southside Milwaukee tavern. The place has deep Polish roots, heralding the once large Pole neighborhoods which were found all over the southside. You'll see signs in Polish including one on top of the men's labeled "chlop" (pronounced kwope) , meaning boy youngster. There are even Polish flags and painted ones in the tavern that do not have the crown above the eagle's head. They are very rare to find these days and actually illegal to fly or display in Poland, as that era of the flag represents the Iron Curtain years Wynn it was a communist country. The bartender owner, a super sweet lady, still sprite and joyful at 71 years old, is super welcoming. The bar has a big liquor section as well as 40 different types of beer, including, Polish ale, Zywiec. Let's not forget the many bras that are dangling from the ceiling, gifted over the years by female patrons probably getting too "drinky" at the bar. It's crown jewel, however it's the two lane, bowling alley which will relies on a hired teen, pin setter. Many a legendary professional bowler have tourneyed here including Earl Anthony. Many a famous celebrity have also come here to bowl inclyding, Larry the Cable Guy and Jack White. My buddy and I got too meet Cypress Hill when we were there. B Real and crew happen to be bowling enthusiasts.

To say that my husband and I were treated like royalty when we visited Holler House would be a complete understatement. I surprised my husband with a trip to Milwaukee for our 10 year anniversary for one reason and one reason only, to visit this gem of a place! Tom made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in the door. I loved the history, I loved the hospitality, I loved the bowling. The only part I hated was having to leave.

Had the BEST time at the Holler house last night. The owners could not have been nicer to us. We were late for our bowling reservation and they welcomed us with open arms, adjusted our time slot and told us great stories about themselves, their family and their bar/bowling alley. The bowling was a blast. After bowling we went upstairs and chatted some more with the owners and left them with hugs and a promise to return. SO FUN!!!

Bowling lanes installed in 1908 but the wood is stamped 1904 when it was purchased. It was warehoused until it could be installed. The lanes get recertified every year. A selection of local bottled beer at the cash only bar. Super friendly owner operator staff. There was a family playing and a group waiting when I visited. Normally closed on Sundays but since there is a bowling tournament on the North side they were open so some folks could play on the historic lanes.

Best bowling alley and bar in the country, hope it sticks around another century! Thanks for the great time!

You must visit HH if you have an interest in classic bowling alleys and/or old school bars.

Heard about this place online. Love unique places. This is a small lovely old polish bar with a bowling alle in the basement. But not any bowling alley , the oldest in the country. The owner was fantastic. We walked in and he said want a tour!. He knows everyone that comes in so strangers he welcomes! Love that. Was going to have one beer stayed for 3. Nice people and nice regulars.

What can I say that hasn't already been said before? This is such an iconic staple of Milwaukee that you need to come here if you're ever visiting the city. They have beer, bowling, and bras, which is a combination you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

Service and ambiance is perfect. They have bowling leagues so check ahead of time if you want to bowl. And they still use human pin setters. It's historical and a great place to relax.

In from PA & we love this joint. We bowled for an hour & enjoyed lots of beverages. So much fun!!

1/13/22 - 7:15PM Old school, single room bar with a lot of style. Cheap beer ranging from $2-$6. Full bar. Had a lesson from the owner himself on the history of the bar, great story. Pros: BOWLING ALLEY in bar Touch Tune connectivity Free popcorn Cons: CASH only NO ATM!

Place is amazing! Tom and Cathy are so much fun! We learned about shotskis! All the locals are very friendly and highly recommend for any out of town ers to check this place out! We had a blast

This is an amazing place that I would describe as a neighborhood bar but with with the oldest sanctioned bowling lanes in the country (114 years old). The owners are really nice and it is a pretty laid back place with lots of historic charm from old family photos to hundreds of bras hanging from the ceiling. Plus beer is cheap. You can even bring in your own food. The two lanes below are really fun. They have a bunch of shoes you can use. It is not sanitized like a regular bowling alley but no one really cares. They have a number of balls to use too. I did see some people bring their own and we opted to just wear the shoes we were wearing. It is really all about having fun. The coolest thing is the pin person who manually restocks the pins for you and returns the ball. We had Abigail and she was so fast. You need to reserve ahead of time.

A immaculate classic bowling ley and family small old bar. This place is amazing and seems like it is from another era and a blast to visit. A great neighborhood bar they likely has been around here for since Milwaukee was founded the owners were very friendly and you I was an outsider and came up and gave me attention every Community should have a bar such as this as there's an actual bowling alley in this bar in the downstairs which is incredible.

Take a trip back through time at this place. Holler House is full of history and character. And the owners are fantastic. If it's good enough for Jack White, it's good enough for me!

Classic south side Milwaukee tavern which happens to house America's oldest sanctioned bowling lanes. How freaking awesome is that?! I was fortunate to reserve lanes on Friday night for a birthday party. You have to call or stop in to ask about the lane reservations. We were also able to bring in food for our party. We had several crockpots and they let us plug everything without issue. Kathy, the infamous Marcy's daughter, was so sweet and helpful. She was so kind and friendly to everyone, talking and telling stories. The bowling alley is the real gem here. It's in the basement and Cathy's husband (sorry I forgot his name!) took us down to the lanes when we were ready to explained the history. He also lays out how the alley works and lets you go nuts from there. They have shoes scattered about but do not expect that they will have your size. They are also plenty of bowling balls to use. It's not anything like your traditional alley and this is part of the charm. They have human pinsetters for that true old school bowling experience. And you have to score your own games, no automatic scorers here. Don't forget to tip your pinsetters and bartenders! We had such a great experience at Holler House and it has stolen my heart. I highly recommend you come here before this place disappears. Even if you are unable to reserve the lanes for bowling stop in and grab a drink anyway. Plenty of good times to be had. Oh and if you're really up for it, leave your bra as a momento...

This place is classic South Side Milwaukee. The oldest bowling alley in the US. Wood bar with tin ceiling. In the back is a complete kitchen, and probably a full apartment owned by the owners - who still live upstairs. I'd not been here since 1981, so when I have someone who is a new audience, time to go back! Popped in here last night, and it hadn't changed. Lotta Polish stuff (we are on 21st and Lincoln, don'cha know) and memorabilia on the walls. No tap beer, Schliz comes in bottles! Women's bras hang from the ceiling - what? I think that fad has passed . . . but apparently not here on Milwaukee's wacky South side!

Holler House house has, for the last several years, been on our list of must-see Milwaukee bars. Home of the oldest sanctioned bowling alley in the country, Holler House sits unassumingly on the corner of 21st and Lincoln. The bar is really quite neat on the inside. The retention of many of the original 1908 details, like the carved wood bar and tin ceiling, lend to the genuine charm of the place. If you're really lucky, as we were on our visit, one of the impossibly friendly regulars will offer you some of the delicious house-made popcorn and a tour, where you'll see the super cool bowling alley and learn a few awesome tidbits like how the 92 year old daughter-in-law of the original owner still lives upstairs and occasionally still works behind the bar. Classic South side Milwaukee? This is the real deal.

Holler House could be a great time. It could be charming. It could have great vintage appeal. Sadly, it's not living up to its potential whatsoever. My friends and I went for a birthday party and made bowling reservations for 7:00. The owner didn't call her human pinsetters until we arrived, so we didn't actually bowl until 8:00. Meh, okay fine, we sat and drank a few beers. No big deal. When the pinsetters did arrive (in pajama pants -- awkward?), it was clear they were drunk and none too pleased about being called into work. That too, we tried to forgive and laugh off. But throughout our game, they drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, which is not only illegal, but also completely rude since they were in the presence of two pregnant women and a three-year old child, and one pinsetter actually took his shirt off. Classy. Downstairs, the setup has the potential for a charming, vintage night of bowling, but not until they get someone in there to clean it up. Tattered and torn bowling shoes were scattered on the floor along with playing cards. There were only three chairs for the non-bowlers to sit in while it wasn't their turn. Both bathrooms need to be completely gutted to be even remotely sanitary. And it would be nice if they kept their storage closets closed, so customers didn't have to see such a disarray of bowling balls and Miller Lite boxes. Oh yeah, their bowling balls were greasy too. Ick. Despite the mess, we made our own fun, and would've even come back had it not been for the fiasco that ensued before we left. Bowling costs $4 per person, per game. When I handed the owner a $5 bill, she gave me a cold stare, rolled her eyes and said "That's it? Most people give the pinsetters AT LEAST a $3 tip." The rest of our group experienced the same thing as they went to pay. I think we wound up paying over $50 for what should've been a $36 round of bowling. If you want to charge $7 for bowling, then charge $7 for bowling. A $1 tip on a $4 game is a 25% tip, which, in my book, is quite generous for a drunk, shirtless, chain-smoking man who appears to have no education or skills. Holler House, I hope you get your act together because you have the potential to be a gold mine. Have some business sense. Clean up your act, clean up your bar, and please, clean up your manners.

Nicest people ever, who are totally dedicated to carrying on the legacy of the place. Had a great time there in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

Worth going just for what it was and still is. Have to call to make sure they have pinsetters available and no league bowling. Kind of a shabby place but it is one of a kind. This place should be a mke landmark but only is for those that know it's there. I tried buying the place a few years back but the owner a woman in 80s said not even for a million dollars. Might go back and see if that has changed

While Ubering. I dropped my clients of at the holler house and having heard about this place I took 15 minutes off and went inside to see what was up; and it was glorious. The tavern is simple and located in a Polish flat on 21st and Lincoln. Inside it is decked out with polish flags just like you would expect but the real jewel is downstairs where the oldest bowling alley in North America is. I loved the fact that owner gave me a tour even though I was not a paying customer. I will start suggesting this place to all my customers.

Best bar the ever happened. Bar none, not even close. How I've been a southside polack my whole life without having had a beer in this last polack refuge on on the southside is just beyond me. Point blank, Holler House is a dive. They have no tap beer, the place is old and kind of smells like your Grandpa's back porch and there are womens garments hanging from the ceiling. I don't care. Marcy is the best. She knows everyone who ever lived in the neighborhood and many of those interred across the street. Better yet, she has nothing but good things to say about them. She reminds me of my great grandma. For the first time EVER, I worried about how a bartender would fare for the rest of the night when I left. She is that sweet. She let us sign the wall in the bowling alley while sipping a Zywiec. We sat and swore at the TV together as the Brewers tried to blow another lead. Seriously, she's on my christmas card list now. Seriously, stop in and see her.

If you want to have fun bowling in Milwaukee, this is where to go. Marcy the owner is a real character, in the best way possible. Make sure you phone ahead, since they use human pinsetters (!) you're going to want to make sure someone's on duty.