Last of the Great Pool Halls?

Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Silver Member
Salem, Oregon has a pool hall downtown with 24 Brunswick Anniversaries and Centennials. It's been open since 1963 and the original owner still opens the place 7 days a week. He owns the property free and clear and says no one could afford to pay rent and operate it as a pool hall. What will become of it and all these beautiful tables? It's anyone's guess.
 

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Nothing stays the same forever, the key ingredient of change is time, of which we have no control over it.
 
denwhit said:
Salem, Oregon has a pool hall downtown with 24 Brunswick Anniversaries and Centennials. It's been open since 1963 and the original owner still opens the place 7 days a week. He owns the property free and clear and says no one could afford to pay rent and operate it as a pool hall. What will become of it and all these beautiful tables? It's anyone's guess.
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1963'? Yesterday has become today, who knows what tomorrow brings.
 
Club Billiards in Wichita KS est. 1946 is still going strong and is in the process of expanding. Nice place with weekly leagues and tournaments - nice people too.
 
denwhit said:
Salem, Oregon has a pool hall downtown with 24 Brunswick Anniversaries and Centennials. It's been open since 1963 and the original owner still opens the place 7 days a week. He owns the property free and clear and says no one could afford to pay rent and operate it as a pool hall. What will become of it and all these beautiful tables? It's anyone's guess.
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It would be a pleasure to miss everything I shoot at and lose all my cash in that place.
 
There is a pool hall named Booches in Columbia Mo where I live which has been in operation since the 1800's. Booch is long gone but the pool hall is still there and packed with people mostly just there to eat the food. I've been in there when I was the only person at a pool table and there was standing room only in the food area. For the first 100 years or so it was strictly a pool hall and then they started serving food. Now this ancient pool hall is the place to be. When George Burns won the Oscar after not making a move in 40 years he said if you live long enough you become new again.

I would say if the owner or future owner figures out the right business model it can stay around.
 
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pt109 said:
It would be a pleasure to miss everything I shoot at and lose all my cash in that place.
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Surprised the photo didn't catch Cindy & I banging balls on the back table. Most Thursday afternoons, there is a golf game happening on the snooker table. Love the cue ball! No bar, music is usually the hall stereo tuned to a classic rock station at low volume. Not there today because of a medical appointment. :(
 
Probably about 1961, I walked from the train station in Minneapolis to the Greyhound bus station and passed by a giant pool hall. I went in and asked to play snooker as that is all I knew from Clovis, NM. The local pool hall had 5 snooker tables and one pool table way back in the back. That's all we played in that area of NM and Texas. Anyway, he gave me a tray of snooker balls and showed me the way to the table. There in all it's glory was the first 6' X 12' table I'd ever seen. There was one pool table with bleachers all around. Wonder if that pool hall is still there?
 
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One of the favorite places I've ever been to is "luckys" in eugene oregon. Not a ton of tables, but one big golf table hidden where all the cigars and moustaches can be seen under the lights, the rest are around 5 centennials I believe?

Either way, it had been there since the 20's. Never changed a bit. Classic antique bar, pbr by the bottle, all the black and white pics of the legends lining the top of the walls. There was a guy that would show up and spin vinyl every thurs.. god I miss that place, wonder if it's still around.

The hall in the pictures looks straight up spectacular, I'll be sure to visit if I get a chance to be in the area.
 
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Dexter36 said:
One of the favorite places I've ever been to is "luckys" in eugene oregon. Not a ton of tables, but one big golf table hidden where all the cigars and moustaches can be seen under the lights, the rest are around 5 centennials I believe?

Either way, it had been there since the 20's. Never changed a bit. Classic antique bar, pbr by the bottle, all the black and white pics of the legends lining the top of the walls. There was a guy that would show up and spin vinyl every thurs.. god I miss that place, wonder if it's still around.

The hall in the pictures looks straight up spectacular, I'll be sure to visit if I get a chance to be in the area.
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GONE! I think Lucky's is open but the tables are gone. Maybe a few 7' in there now for all I know. I lived in Eugene from 2006-2014 and went down there once about 2010 and the 9' tables were there then but gone now.
 
alstl said:
There is a pool hall named Booches in Columbia Mo where I live which has been in operation since the 1800's. Booch is long gone but the pool hall is still there and packed with people mostly just there to eat the food. I've been in there when I was the only person at a pool table and there was standing room only in the food area. For the first 100 years or so it was strictly a pool hall and then they started serving food. Now this ancient pool hall is the place to be. When George Burns won the Oscar after not making a move in 40 years he said if you live long enough you become new again.

I would say if the owner or future owner figures out the right business model it can stay around.
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Booches is a wonderful poolroom, full of the original Brunswick Arcades and Kling tables they bought new. Also, original cue racks, ball racks, large Brunswick back bar, etc. a real time warp

They were written about in USA Today by a fellow that traveled the country for a couple of years in search of the best burgers. They made the top list! :thumbup::thumbup:

Will Prout
 
ibuycues said:
Booches is a wonderful poolroom, full of the original Brunswick Arcades and Kling tables they bought new. Also, original cue racks, ball racks, large Brunswick back bar, etc. a real time warp

They were written about in USA Today by a fellow that traveled the country for a couple of years in search of the best burgers. They made the top list! :thumbup::thumbup:

Will Prout
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Wow! That is on my list of places to visit. How far from St. Louis? I'll be going there to visit my son in early August. Road Trip!
 
Nice room! Some of the tables need some re-rubber work IMO, but its always cool to play on the old Brunswicks. :grin:

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Chuck Fields said:
Nice room! Some of the tables need some re-rubber work IMO, but its always cool to play on the old Brunswicks. :grin:

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Believe me, they all need work. Most have their original cushions and covered in Championship cloth. Jim has figured out that "they will still come" regardless of table conditions. I understand Sam's in Portland is about the same with GCs and in terrible condition. If I owned the place, I'd have RKC redo every table and have the best pool tables in the US and have some major tournaments, (and go broke probably) but, it's not (up to me).
 
denwhit said:
GONE! I think Lucky's is open but the tables are gone. Maybe a few 7' in there now for all I know. I lived in Eugene from 2006-2014 and went down there once about 2010 and the 9' tables were there then but gone now.
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Not very Lucky:grin:
 
alstl said:
There is a pool hall named Booches in Columbia Mo where I live which has been in operation since the 1800's. Booch is long gone but the pool hall is still there and packed with people mostly just there to eat the food. I've been in there when I was the only person at a pool table and there was standing room only in the food area. For the first 100 years or so it was strictly a pool hall and then they started serving food. Now this ancient pool hall is the place to be. When George Burns won the Oscar after not making a move in 40 years he said if you live long enough you become new again.

I would say if the owner or future owner figures out the right business model it can stay around.
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Any pics from AZB'ers?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Booches....since 1884...now in it's third location.

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Anybody who has read Moon's Blue Highways....apparently, Booches is in the sequel...
...gonna have to buy that also.
 
I think I will move to Salem , Oregon... it's a nice place... & that's a great place.
 
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