What is it?
Maple Hall is one of the coolest, trendiest, and most fun places in Knoxville. In short, it is a bowling alley, but it is so much more than that! With its own kitchen (complete with chef, no microwaved hot dogs here), TVs all around for watching your favorite sports, and a full bar complete with underground brick aesthetic, Maple Hall should be near the top of your To-Do list for hanging out downtown.
But wait, there’s more! They also have The Maple Room, an upstairs bar space and patio, advertising giant board games, trivia nights, special events and live music.
Where is it?
Maple Hall is right on the main strip of S. Gay Street, in between Babalu and Status Dough, one block over from Market Square.
The Space: Upon entering, you’ll descend the stairs to find the 11 lane bowling alley, table area, and bar.
The building is quite historic, and I love the look of the walls in this century-old structure. Originally rebuilt at the end of the 19th century by J.C. Penney after a fire that destroyed the old building (for a little Knoxville history, search “million dollar fire”), this place wasn’t restored until 2013 after decades of some tough times. Take a peek at the “J.C.” in the middle right of the picture above, a sign paying homage to the building’s history.
The aesthetic is definitely upscale casual, late-night, almost speakeasy-like. Soft, Edison-bulb lighting around the bar makes patrons feel at home while keeping focus on the well-lit bowling lanes. The underground feel and old brick arches really make you rethink the cheesy, bright neon bowling alleys of your childhood (not that we don’t love those too, who are we kidding?).
Parking
Behind Maple Hall lie 2 garages: State Street Garage and Promenade Garage. However, it is really only a few minutes walk from Market Square Garage and Locust Street Garage as well. Take advantage of that free parking after 6pm!
Hours:
Maple Hall is open 4p-10p Monday through Wednesday, 4p-11p Thursday, 4p-1a Friday, 11a-1a Saturday, 11a-10p Sunday. Note that the bowling alley becomes 21 and over after 9pm (unless the underaged person is accompanied by a parent) and the Maple Room is always 21+.
These are the currently advertised hours; hours are fluctuating for many businesses as we try to get back to “normal” from COVID. In the past, they have been open as late at 1:30a and even had late night hours on weeknights. Keep up with them on Instagram @maplehallknox or on their website, maplehallknox.com.
Pricing:
Sunday through Thursday, and Saturdays from 11a-4p, bowling is $25 per lane per hour. Notice you pay for the lane, not each person or each game. Each lane can score 6 people at a time. Friday and Saturday nights are $35 per lane per hour. Shoe rental is $3.50 and yes, you must wear bowling shoes (but you can bring your own and your own ball if you want to).
Worth Knowing Before You Go:
This place is FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. You won’t be able to make casual reservations unless you are booking an event (see below). What does that mean for you? If you want to get right into a lane, arrive early or off-peak hours. On weekend nights, it is not uncommon to have at least a 2 hour wait. But hey, if you’re down to get some of their food and have some drinks while you wait for your lane, this is a great place to ‘make an evening out of it’.
Booking an Event:
There is a whole spectrum of pricing for their event booking, so I’ll give you the highest and lowest. The cheapest would be a group of 6 to 25 people renting their 2 lane private space (which means up to 12 people could be scored at one time). Sunday through Thursday, 2 hours will run you $250, going up to $300 on Friday and Saturday. Most expensive: You can rent the whole place! That will allow you a party of 70-150 people, 66 bowlers scored at a time. That will cost $3500 for 2 hours Friday through Sunday.
You can rent the 2 lane, 4 lane, or 5 lane room, or combine them for a 9 lane room or the whole place. The way I see the math shaking out is this: if you book 2 hours of any of those options, and you meet the minimum party size, it’s about $50 per person. This could be a great space for a corporate event or post-graduation or wedding shenanigans!
They have catering options and some other ‘fine print’ as well – be sure to check with Maple Hall for the latest updates (don’t just take my word for it).
Food and Drink:
From the kitchen: If you’re just looking to snack, they have everything from BBQ charcuterie to cinnamon pork rinds – a wide selection of “small plates”. Hungry for a bit more? Sure, they have salad, but you should really be looking into one of their burgers or chicken sandwiches, of which they have many options. They even have BBQ sausage. Our suggestion? If I were you, I’d try the bacon jam burger or the Middle Tennessee stack.
At the bar: What don’t they have? You’ll find a wide selection of whiskey, gin, and vodka drinks, you name it. As the weather heats up, let me mention their Frose, which is exactly the frozen wine drink you’re picturing. They also advertise a small selection of their alcohol free drinks for those young ones or designated drivers. Translation? You can basically get a killer cold brew drink here (for our coffee loving friends).
Special Events
Maple Hall and the Maple Room have events regularly – live music, trivia nights hosted by Knox Trivia Guys (@knoxtriviaguys), and even painting classes. Check out the calendar widget on their website or their Instagram to stay up to date.
Coffee, Beer, and Things Near Here
To grab your morning cup o’ joe, try out Vienna Coffee at the Regas Building.
Sampling more brews? Try Geezers Brewery to the north.
Down for more games to play? Head across the street to Suttree’s High Gravity Tavern.
Questions, Comments, or Concerns?
Email us at help@brewsandtodos.com