The Berkshires Bowling Alley that Inspired "The Big Lebowski"

It’s been 36 years since the release of The Big Lebowski, the irreverent cult comedy by Joel and Ethan Cohen starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Sam Elliott, Phillip Seymour Hofman, and Julianne Moore. The faux kidnapping comedy caper features Jeff Bridges as “The Dude,” the so-called “laziest man in Los Angeles County.” The Dude and his best friends, Donny and Walter, spend their free time competitively bowling and getting into inadvertent mishaps in a sprawling storyline that involves a case of mistaken identity (two men named Lebowski), thugs connected to a porn star producer, and a trio of violent German musicians/Nihilists, as all players seek to track down a lost ransom. 

The bowling alley scenes in The Big Lebowski were shot in the former Hollywood Star Lanes in Los Angeles that operated from 1960 to 2002, since demolished and turned into an elementary school. But in the 1970s, the Cohen brothers attended college at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in the heart of the Berkshires. Local lore says that town's institution, Cove Bowling, inspired the famous bowling alley in the film. 

In the decades since the Cohen brothers bowled at Cove Bowling, Great Barrington has transformed from a mercantile manufacturing hub into a trendy destination, which has unsurprisingly created tension between long-time residents, newcomers, and tourists. (For the record, this author’s family has lived in the Berkshires since 1986 and she currently resides just outside Great Barrington.)

If you’re looking for the old-school, hippie past of the Berkshires, one place in Great Barrington that has staunchly kept its vibe is Cove Bowling, a family-owned and operated business for over fifty years. The neon mid-century roadside sign, cracked with peeling paint, is unmistakably from another century. The interior is just as retro with linoleum tiling, acrylic furniture, and a mish-mash of faux leather and velour upholstered chairs. The walls are lined with winners of various bowling competitions and leagues. The bowling balls themselves also bring you back in time—I always go for the marbled ones. 

The technology is delightfully outdated—a keypad in neon yellow, greens, and oranges controls the screen that keeps track of the score, and more than likely, your bowling ball will get stuck and not return, which requires the staff to fetch it out. Sometimes the system bugs out and doesn’t record your play. But one does not go to Cove Bowling for some fancy bowling. You can go to Manhattan for that. This is where I bring my kids because this place reminds me of my own childhood where I spent my free time bowling, go-karting, and laser tagging with friends. I also want to show my kids that not everything in the world needs to be shiny and modern and that fun can be had without technological devices. 

At Cove Bowling, there is a concession stand for the usual bowling alley food fare, like hot dogs, burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken rings, wings, and pizzas. There’s also quesadillas, pretzels, chocolate trip brownies, and coffee cake. For the older crowd, there is also a wood-paneled bar that would have pleased The Dude with a large offering of bottled beers and a few on draft including, of course, Pabst Blue Ribbon. No White Russians on the menu though. 

Fun fact: Eagle-eye viewers of The Big Lebowski have pointed out several bowling-related anachronisms in the film, including that some of the shoes and bowling bowls were not available commercially until after 1991 when the movie was set.