Hilltop Lanes in Morrison shutting down in April

MORRISON – For more than 70 years, Hilltop Lanes has been the place where bowlers set ‘em up and knocked ‘em down.

That will be ending in less than 2 months.

Mike Hamilton, owner of the business for the past 23 years, will shut down for good April 23. He is selling the property to an investment company in Chicago, the contents will be sold, and the building at 629 E. Lincolnway will be torn down.

At its peak, in the early 1990s, Hilltop had 525 league bowlers, Hamilton said.

That number has dwindled to 95 for Monday through Friday league nights.

“The numbers just keep going down every year,” Hamilton said. “[This deal] kind of happened out of nowhere. Somebody approached me about wanting the property, and I figured in a couple of years I was going to want to do this, anyway, and then there might not be a buyer. I took the opportunity. It’s a little early, but I couldn’t pass it up.”

Hilltop Lanes was built in 1950. Mike’s dad, Don Hamilton, and his brother-in-law, Art Sikkema, bought it in 1964, and Don became the sole owner in 1971. He and Mike ran it from 1973 to 1998, then Mike became the sole owner.

Old bowlers simply are not being replaced with new ones.

“You’re always trying, but you can’t get the young people to do it anymore,” Hamilton said. “Everybody is my age [64] or older. The young people are too busy with their lives and their kids, so they won’t commit to bowling a 32-week season.”

Leagues at Hilltop run from just after Labor Day until the middle of April. There is open bowling on weekends.

His regulars have been great through this whole process, and are sad they won’t have a bowling alley in Morrison to go to anymore, he said.

“They get it. Most of the league bowlers have bowled their whole lifetime here, so they get it,” Hamilton said. “They’ve seen how the numbers have gone down, and they understand. … It makes me sad Morrison won’t have a bowling alley or a golf course or a roller rink anymore. It bums me out that I’m letting the community down.”

Hamilton is planning a customer appreciation weekend April 17 and 18.

“I’d like people to stop out and share memories of the alley, have a drink and some food, and look at pictures,” he said. “We’re going to try to have all the old bartenders from over the years come out and work a half-hour, and have everybody enjoy that last weekend.”

Hamilton’s plans are to retire, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, will continue to live in Morrison, although they may find time to spend a few months in the winter in a warm spot like Florida. Both knees need to be replaced; he already has an appointment to fix his left knee in July.

Once a bowler with a 210 average, Hamilton plans to bowl twice a week, once his knees are good, at Triple Play Bowling and Banquet in Fulton, where many of his league bowlers now will play.

“I thank the community for supporting me so long,” Hamilton said. “It was a great job – the greatest job a person could have, as far as I’m concerned.

“I’ve met hundreds of people and have lifelong friendships. That’s what I’ll miss the most, is the people.”