A family tradition from the beginning. Learn more about this venerable Hayward landmark.

About

Holiday Bowl in Hayward, California first opened its doors on September 26, 1958. At the time, it was the largest bowling center in Northern California, featuring 40 AMF-equipped bowling lanes, a full-service restaurant, and an expansive cocktail lounge, in addition to a childcare center, pro shop, beauty salon, barbershop, commercial kitchen, banquet spaces, and administrative offices.

The Holiday House, a large, open banquet room connecting to the east side of the existing facility, opened in 1965. With a capacity of 1,100 people, it added to the versatility of this massive recreation center. Over the years, the Holiday House hosted such events as Ronald Reagan’s gubernatorial nomination dinner in 1965, the 25-year reunion for WWII hero General James Doolittle and his "Raiders" in 1967, a testimonial dinner for heavyweight champion of the world George Foreman in 1973, in addition to thousands of private weddings, dances, business meetings, and annual New Year’s Eve parties.

Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Holiday Bowl boasted a huge 500-car capacity parking lot surrounding the building on the 5.25-acre property, an underground covered parking lot, and a 70-foot-tall neon sign—the tallest in Hayward for the entire time it stood.

From start to finish, for 47 years, Holiday Bowl was operated by its original owners, Ralph and Ed Sommer, and then later by Ralph's son, Jim Sommer.  

Holiday Bowl was among the biggest and most well-known bowling centers in California, employing up to 60 people at any one time and serving thousands of customers each year. It was truly a Hayward landmark, an icon that will live on in the hearts and memories of many.