As can be expected with anything over the age of 50, Lakes Bowl has had an impressive history since it first opened its doors in 1959.

So much history, in fact, that owner Rocky Gulliver devotes a portion near the northwest corner of the bowling alley to displaying for visitors. Old photos, newspaper clippings, old balls and pins, and even 3D models of the venerable Sister Lakes destination tell the more than half-century story of Lakes Bowl, from the number of high-profile bands who played on its stage to the hundreds upon hundreds of men and women who hit the pins there.

Sitting at a table a few feet removed from the dimly lit display, Gulliver contemplated what fate awaited the items lining its shelves a few months from now.

“We have a lot of memorabilia here,” he said. “I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do with it all. These pictures, my kids will keep them.”

The Sister Lakes institution will soon be writing the final chapter of its history, as Gulliver plans to close Lakes Bowl’s doors later this spring. The longtime resident of the Dowagiac area recently sold the building, located across from Round Lake on County Road 690, to a private investment group based out of Chicago. The pending deal is expected to close sometime in May, with the fate of the building still up in the air, said Tim Mitchell, the real estate agent brokering the sale.

The Sister Lakes bowling alley has been a part of Gulliver’s life since his high school years, he said. Born in Benton Harbor, Gulliver and his parents moved to the area in 1957, when he was in eighth grade. A few years later, his father, Roy, purchased the former Little Giant Roller Rink building, transforming it into an eight-lane bowling alley.

“Bowling was just coming in strong around that time,” Gulliver said. “We were in an ideal spot within the tri-county area.”

Expanding to 16 lanes just a year later, Lakes Bowl became a popular destination for local bowlers, whether they a few kids looking to kill some time after school or adults in a bowling league. At one point, several teams comprised of volunteers from local fire departments like Sister Lakes or Keeler frequented the alley, Gulliver said.

“They had a lot of fun here over the years,” he said. “We had to establish a rule here that if a team had to leave to respond to a fire they didn’t have to forfeit the game.”

In an era of synthetic lanes and automatic scoring displays, stepping inside the Lakes Bowl alley is like taking a trip back in time. The alley’s oldest lanes still have the same original wood flooring that was installed back in 1959, and the original above-ground ball returns, manufactured by Brunswick, are still chugging along nicely, Gulliver said.

“Those machines were built to last,” he said.

Lakes Bowl also holds the distinction of being the location with the highest scoring series in southwest Michigan, when David Matheny rolled a 867 back on April 5, 2005.

Gulliver took over full ownership of the alley from his parents back in 1989, and in recent years has been running it alongside one other employee, Tim Mella, with help from his daughter and sister. He has been attempting to sell the business for the last several years, he said.

Though his retirement is on the horizon, Gulliver said between visiting older relatives and helping taking care of grandkids, he has plenty on his plate to keep him busy after the business closes.

“You think I’m going to sit around and do nothing all day,” he said. “No, that’s for the birds.”