For the next four months, El Paso will be home to the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and the event will touch many aspects of life in Sun City as tournament bowlers and staff immerse themselves in the local community.
Even the children of El Paso will get the chance to learn the ins and outs of the sport of bowling when they visit the El Paso Exploreum Children’s Museum, which will feature a detailed Science of Bowling exhibit during the 128-day run of the USBC Open Championships.
The El Paso Exploreum is a hands-on living laboratory that includes multiple interactive exhibits in four theme areas – construction, aviation, role-play and high-tech.
Even though it generally is geared toward children, there’s no doubt bowlers and bowling fans of all ages will be able to learn something about how scientific bowling really is, from what’s inside a bowling pin or ball to how lane oil is applied.
“We opened this exhibit during the USBC Open Championships to encourage El Pasoans to embrace bowling, not only as a one-time economic lift for the community, but as a lifetime sport that has significant roots in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math,” said El Paso Exploreum Children’s Museum co-founder Laurie Paternoster.
“It is our hope that through this exhibit, children can experience the fun of floating a bowling ball, understand how physics can help you deliver a perfect hook, realize how the oil on a bowling lane affects techniques and much more.”
With the support of USBC’s Gold industry partners – Columbia 300, Hammer, Kegel and Storm Products – along with a grant from the International Bowling Campus Youth department’s Bowler’s Ed In-School Bowling program, museum visitors will get to see and touch a variety of bowling balls, cores, pins, lane machine parts and more.
The exhibit also will include an official In-School Bowling carpet lane to introduce the next generation of USBC members to one of the best parts of the sport, knocking down the pins.
The El Paso Exploreum is located just across the street from the newly transformed El Paso Convention Center, where 62 lanes and the world’s largest mobile scoreboard are the centerpieces of the biggest stage in bowling.
“We are excited about the opportunity to introduce the children of El Paso to the sport that brought us here, and this project is a great example of USBC’s efforts focused on a future for the sport, with youth being a key piece,” said Greg Moore, USBC Senior Director of Tournament Programming.
“Bowling is as scientific as it is fun, and the exhibit will allow visitors to learn about physics and competition at the same time. We definitely appreciate the interest and support from the museum and its staff.”
Most of the Science of Bowling exhibit will be free to the public, but museum visitors can enjoy everything else the facility has to offer for just $8 for adults. Open Championships bowlers can save $5 by presenting the coupon available in this year’s coupon book, which will be given to team captains at check-in.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The 2015 Open Championships will run daily from March 7 until July 12 as more than 7,000 five-player teams make their way down the tournament’s famed Center Aisle to compete for more nearly $5 million in prize money.
The tournament venue also is open and free for the public to stop by and check out bowlers from all 50 states and several foreign countries. The facility includes seating for hundreds of bowling fans, daily food and drink specials and a variety of pro shop and souvenir options. Competition will begin daily at 9 a.m. and typically conclude around 12:30 a.m.
For more information on the Open Championships, click here.
