By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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BELOIT, Wis. — Geronimo Hospitality Group on Tuesday unveiled renderings of its vision to transform a vacant warehouse space on the Ironworks Campus into a new entertainment venue with duckpin bowling, miniature golf and other games.
The roughly 20,000-square-foot venue will be called Henry Dorrbaker’s after the owner of the city’s first bowling alley. It’s located in the vacant space where Spine Road meets the Rock River near the Stateline YMCA.
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Work is expected to begin this spring with completion near the end of the year.
“Guests can expect a nostalgic yet contemporary experience that celebrates the spirit of community and camaraderie,” Jeff Whiteman, chief operating officer for Geronimo Hospitality Group, said in a news release. “The venue will bring a new and exciting dimension of entertainment to the heart of the city’s downtown.”
Renderings released on Tuesday show a bustling bar scene with duckpin bowling, mini-golf, pinball, skee ball and other vintage arcade games, bag toss, outdoor fire pits and other activities.
Duckpin bowling is similar to the sport you know but with smaller pins, a lighter ball with no finger holes and a shortened alley. You also get three rolls of the ball per frame instead of two because the duckpins are shorter and lighter, making strikes more difficult.
The city’s first bowling alley was opened in 1899 in conjunction with a buffet at 426-428 State St., according to the Greater Beloit USBC Bowling Association. Dorrbaker lived at the site. Geronimo Hospitality said the project was named after Dorrbaker and inspired by the history and culture of the Ironworks Campus.
Renderings | Henry Dorrbaker’s
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas