Dates change — always confirm
Tournament dates, entry windows, and fees change every year. This is an evergreen guide to what these events are and how to approach them — for current dates and registration, always check the official organizer's site (linked in each section). Treat anything here as orientation, not a live schedule.
What it is
The National Bowling Stadium is a 78-lane facility in downtown Reno, Nevada, opened in 1995 and famous as the 'Taj Mahal of Tenpins.' It was purpose-built for tournament bowling, with a distinctive geodesic dome on its facade designed to resemble a giant bowling ball. There's genuinely nothing else like it — it's a stadium dedicated entirely to the sport.
Why bowlers make the pilgrimage
For a tournament bowler, bowling at the NBS is a bucket-list experience — the lanes, the scale, and the sense of bowling where the sport's biggest championships are decided. It regularly hosts the largest tournaments in bowling, including major amateur championships and professional events, which means you can compete on the same lanes the pros and national champions use.
What it hosts
The stadium is best known as a home of the sport's premier events — the USBC Open Championships return there periodically, the PBA has brought its World Series of Bowling there, and it hosts international championships and destination tournaments like the Jubilee. Because it cycles through marquee events, there's often a reason to plan a visit. Check the official venue and organizer sites for the current calendar.
Planning a trip around it
Reno makes the NBS an easy destination weekend: it's a walkable downtown with plenty of lodging near the stadium, and the city is geared toward visiting bowlers during big events. Whether you're competing or spectating, build in time to enjoy Reno and the nearby Lake Tahoe area. Our plan a bowling trip guide covers the logistics.
Can casual visitors bowl there?
The stadium is primarily a tournament and event venue rather than a walk-in open-play center, and its availability for casual bowling depends on the event calendar and any public-access spaces it offers. If bowling there is your goal, the surest route is to enter a tournament held there — see how to enter a tournament. Always confirm current public access and event schedules with the venue directly before planning.