Roseland Lanes opened in 1961 when Peter and Rosalie Scimone converted former farmland in Oakwood Village into a 16 lane bowling center. Pete had just closed his construction company and wanted a new venture for his family. A brother in law who worked in a bowling center suggested the idea, and Pete and Rosalie decided to pursue it.
“I had a brother-in-law who worked in a bowling center, and he suggested I build a center,” Scimone recalled in an interview published in International Bowling Center Magazine marking the business’ 40th anniversary. “I went to look at a couple of facilities, and my wife and I decided to go for it. At the time, both Brunswick and AMF said that a center in our location wasn’t viable, but we were determined and convinced Brunswick to supply us, and we went ahead with the center.”
Rosalie and the couple’s children, Anthony, Lauretta, Anna Marie and John, watched the original 16 wood lanes take shape that year. Each of the Scimone children grew up working at the center and learning the business.
Picture 1972:
Anthony,
Anna Marie,
Peter, Rosalie,
Lauretta and
John (center)
Decades of Growth
League bowling demand pushed the center to add 12 lanes along with a billiard room and lounge by 1968. Five years later, the billiard room was removed to make space for 10 additional lanes, bringing the total to 38.
Technology changed the center as much as its footprint did. Automatic scoring and synthetic lanes replaced paper scoring and wood lanes in 1988. A larger modernization followed in 1995, adding 12 more lanes for a total of 50. That renovation also brought a Frameworx scoring package, all new Brunswick Anvilane Synthetic lanes, an upgraded snack bar known as Pete’s Cafe & Grille, a Papa Pete’s Pizza parlor, Slaby’s Pro Shop, a game room redemption center and a Thunder Alley light and music package. Two party spaces, the Rose Room and La Casa Bella Party Center, were added as well, with the larger room able to seat up to 250 guests.
“There’s been a lot of changes over the past 40 years with automatic scoring and new synthetic lanes,” Scimone said. “The sort of people who bowl has changed, too,” with more families visiting than in years past, he explained.
Business stayed strong even as the industry shifted around it. “My daughter Anna Marie is our marketing director, and she keeps traffic up,” Scimone said. “This summer has been one of the best summers we’ve ever had largely because of her efforts.”
A Hub for the Community
Roseland Lanes grew into a gathering place well beyond league nights. Birthday parties, school outings, fundraisers, family reunions, corporate events and regional tournaments have filled the center’s calendar for decades. Fundraising events at the center have helped schools, churches and youth organizations raise more than 100,000 dollars over the years.
The center also played a direct role in building high school bowling in the region. Roseland sponsored Nordonia High School, Twinsburg High School and Solon High School as the sport worked toward becoming an Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned winter sport, which the OHSAA officially adopted in 2006. To help launch the sport, the center let students bowl for free for five years leading up to that recognition. High school bowling now includes boys and girls divisions split into Division I and Division II by school size, and it has become a popular non contact option for student athletes. Roseland currently sponsors seven schools and says limited lane availability during practices and competitions prevents it from taking on more.
John Scimone
Anna Marie Slaby
Lauretta Bradford
Anthony Scimone
Carrying the Legacy Forward
The center faced significant loss in 2020. Peter Scimone died in January at 95, and Rosalie died that October at 99. Their legacy remained the foundation of the business they built.
That same year brought updates meant to preserve the center’s character while refreshing its look. A new mural from Kaitlyn Bamler and a refreshed logo inspired by Ryan Silk were added alongside interior renovations. The pandemic period also gave the center time for equipment maintenance and building improvements, including large screen TVs throughout the concourse and upgraded lighting and ventilation.
Anna Marie Scimone Slaby and her husband, Chuck, now run Roseland Lanes. Sixty five years after it opened, the center still operates on the same principle Pete and Rosalie built it on: treating every guest so they are, in Pete’s words, “only a stranger but once.”
