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The Thames Club · New London

Duckpin
Bowling

Two lanes below the silhouette wall. A game smaller than ten-pin, harder than it looks, and native to New England. The Electric Boat men built these lanes. They still run.

The Lanes

Built by
submarine men.

The duckpin lanes in the basement of the Thames Club were built and installed by Electric Boat workers — the same craftsmen who built submarines in the yard across the river. The woodwork is their work. The lanes have run continuously since.

Duckpin bowling uses a smaller ball — no finger holes — and shorter, squatter pins. Three rolls per frame instead of two. A perfect game has never been bowled in the recorded history of the sport. It is a genuinely difficult game, played well only through repetition and patience.

Duckpin bowling lanes at The Thames Club
League Life

The league is
the social season.

The 2026–27 duckpin season opens Wednesday, October 14. Men's league games are scheduled on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with doubles on Thursdays. The league banquet at season's end is one of the Club's most attended events of the year.

League Schedule

Men: Tuesday and Wednesday
Doubles: Thursday
Lower level · October 2026–May 2027

How to Join

League participation requires Club membership. Members interested in joining the league should contact the league manager directly. Teams form at the start of each season.

Season Banquet

End-of-season awards dinner for all league participants. One of the Club's most spirited evenings — trophies, toasts, and the final standings.

2
Active Lanes
3
League Nights/Week
0
Perfect Games Ever
Bowled in Duckpin
1869
Club Founded
Duckpin bowling pins and lane at The Thames Club
History

A living artifact
of the region.

Duckpin bowling is a New England and Mid-Atlantic tradition. It was popular through the mid-twentieth century and is now rare — most alleys closed as the larger ten-pin game came to dominate. The Thames Club lanes are among the few still operating in Connecticut.

The pin-setting machine — a mechanical marvel from another era — still runs. Members who know how it works are treated with appropriate respect.

Join the Club Visit
Dining & Bowling · October 2026–May 2027

The bar is open.
It's a bowling night.

Join us downstairs during the Thames Club duckpin season. The bar is open on Tuesday and Wednesday men's league nights. Thursday doubles nights bring the bar and dinner together.

Tuesday & WednesdayMen's bowling · bar open
ThursdayDoubles bowling · bar and dinner

The season opens Wednesday, October 14, with two men’s matches. There is no bowling on November 19 for the Club event. Check the calendar for the scheduled dates and holidays.

Prosecco bottles on the Thames Club duckpin lanes with a bowling ball in the foreground