Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley

It’s a bowling alley with retro everything from the 60s. I absolutely love it. I was here with a bunch of Presidential Innovation Fellow and it’s somewhat ironic given how outdated everything is here.
Put it this way, do the DC thing and bowl here if you get the chance.
Do not forget to bring booze. Bring booze.

Definitely one of the most exclusive bowling alleys in the country. You have to have a White House staffer get you in which involves a background check done weeks in advance and two security checkpoints to get past with a screening through metal detectors. Make sure you brg an id that matches the one you gave for the background check otherwise you’ll get kicked out! But it’s free! You can even carry in food and alcohol (there is a small fridge/​kitchen area right outside of the bowling alley where you can eat). They got new shoes in the past few months and they even have kid sizes. There is no automatic scoring, so I hope you know how many points should be added when you get a strike or spare (unlike me). Otherwise it is pretty neat! Definitely have to say yes if you ever get invited!

By invite only, but it’s a great way to spend an evening. Yes it is old school like others have mentioned, but that is the best way to be. It reminded me of bowling when the machines and lanes themselves were quite outdated; because these are for sure. But there it is in 2015 and still running. Looks like the old is new new.

Gotta love old school secret bowling alleys! Did you know Nixon was a huge fan? When I went in fall, there were cheesy Obama and Nixon bowling photos on the wall and I couldn’t help but laugh/​be a little creeped out.
Anyway, you’ll only be getting in here if you know someone who works in the EEOB or White House. According to my friend at OMB who took me, she was only able to request it once a quarter, so you better go if you’re invited! And yes, you will have to go through security and get badged to get down here.
There’s a rack of shoes to choose from upon entering, and overall it’s a lot smaller and cozy than you would think (only 2 lanes). You’ll also have to manually keep your score. There were only 6 of us, but you could easily fit 15 – 20 if people weren’t intent on bowling. I personally liked the long loungey area alongside the lanes and I imagine this is prime space to watch the SOTU.
Unlike commercial bowling alleys, there aren’t any subpar hot dogs and pretzels for you to choose from, and there are barely vending machines, so you’ll have to go sans snacks while here. BYOB, and the alleged ipod hookup and flat screen TV weren’t working when we got there (last fall).
Overall, it’s a weird but very DC thing to do. Go if you get the opportunity!

If you can get an invite here this is a great place to host a party. We entered the EEOB from the entrance next to The West Wing (great photo op) and then went down to the bowling alley. There is a small anteroom with benches, a mini fridge and a wall of bowling shoes which leads to the alley. The Alley itself is two lanes and in great shape. There are benches and ball racks running the length of the lanes as well as a small flat-​panel TV (great for watching the debates) mounted on one wall. We brought in some speakers and lots of beer and pizza with no problems. The alley is in a basement and we weren’t bothered once even though we were making quite a bit of noise. Very cool experience and frankly quite a bit more fun than the commercial bowling places in DC.

Lot’s of fun and feels pretty cool to get to go. There’s a little kitchen area so definitely bring food and drinks!
Only two lanes and it was actually broken when we arrived. We managed to fix it (with a ton of effort) but I wouldn’t go wild with throwing the balls down the lanes bc it (the conveyor) seems to break easily.
Ton of bowling shoes but no one is around so no need to wear if you don’t want to.
Also an ipod hook up so definitely bring one — makes it way more fun!

Bling bling. I don’t know how you can dislike this place. As other folks have mentioned, you need an invitation from somebody who works at one of the nearby government buildings.
It’s BYOB, which is awesome, and it’s all do-​it-​yourself — find a ball, pick out your own shoes, and so on. Plus there’s the added bonus of posing in front of pictures of Obama and other presidents bowling. And you can be the cool person who checks in there on the interwebs.

It’s like Disneyland behind the scenes. Awesome, but also a little weird/​sad. Truman has tons of balls, but he’s also got two lanes and a wall of shoes. People throw parties here and there are a variety of Nixon and co. bowling pictures on the walls. Lots of fun and pretty cool, though you do have to walk though a creepy basement to get there. :)

Don’t expect to waltz right in because you’ll need an invitation, a background check, and to pass through two security checkpoints. That is, unless you’re a Salahi. The bowling alley located underneath the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is in surprisingly good condition despite its lack of use. Truman got the original bowling alley as a gift and Nixon was reputed to be a bowling enthusiast himself. Nowadays, however, it seems like the bowling alley is a novelty for White House staffers and friends. The great thing about the «White House» bowling alley is that it’s got its own selection of balls and shoes. There’s a flat screen television and its own mini-​fridge for frosty beverages. The only downside is that it’s not well ventilated and no one you can call when things break down. So, it’s pretty much a DIY bowling alley.
How do you get to bowl at the White House? Make friends with White House staffers and pester them about hosting a bowling night. Oh, and offer to bring beer and pizza. [Original Visit: August 6, 2009]