Hospitality and entertainment veteran Tony D’Angelo explained how he’s invested plenty of resources into his latest venture, the Retro Bowl in Apple Valley.
D’Angelo told the Daily Press that in November 2023, he assumed ownership of the Oasis Lanes bowling alley and entertainment near Super Target on Highway 18.
D’Angelo’s $650,000 investment not only scored him a 16 lane bowling alley, it also made him the owner of a 60-year-old building that once served as the Roy Rogers Museum.
The museum dedicated to the once “King of the Cowboys,” drew thousands of fans from around the world, who would often arrive to find Roy Rogers and Dale Evans mingling with guests.
The building is also the oldest structure in the Apple Valley Commons shopping center, home to Old Navy, Dollar Tree, Ross Dress for Less, Del Taco, Carl’s Jr. and other businesses.
Keeping it retro
“When I saw the center for the first time, while it was old and dated, there were some cool vintage elements to it," D’Angelo said. "I decided to lean in on that and came up with the name Retro Bowl.”
The Retro Bowl includes retro-style color scheme, videos, and plenty of music, with additional retro designs and lighting planned for the bowling alley.
“I spent 11 years with Bowlero, the world's largest bowling company and I oversaw 80 locations from New York to L.A.,” D’Angelo said.
In 2022, he left the company and decided to start his own bowling brand.
D’Angelo added that after moving to California, Oasis Lanes was brought to his attention, so he decided to make his new acquisition the flagship of his new company.
“I had been looking for quite some time for the right alley for my first one and this came together pretty quickly,” he said
Renovations
Since acquiring the building, D’Angelo has completed extensiverenovations, including adding two new rooftop air conditioning units, video screens at every lane, and a state-of-the art sound system. Additionally, he added a retro color and branding side wall design scheme, all new ceiling fans, new LED lights over the lanes with black lights for neon bowling and new concourse lighting and chandeliers.
The Retro Bowl has new restrooms, seating, front desk area, flooring and retro design elements. A video game arcade with about 25 games is also in the works, he said.
A snack bar is in planning stages with the health department, as well as a full bar, which may be open before the end of the year. The bowling alley does sell bottled beer and wine, D’Angelo said.
The Apple Valley Bowl
The Retro Bowl building was constructed for the Apple Valley Bowl, which opened in February 1963 for owners John Spino and George Culley.
By June 1966, the Apple Valley Bowl was shuttered and workers began tearing out lanes while the owners of the building would not comment on the future of the building.
Residents began speculating about the building's fate, with a Daily Press editorial piece suggesting that the building be used for a teen center, complete with “co*ke and pizza bar,” pool tables, lounge and dance floor.
Roy Rogers Museum
In 1967, it was revealed that Roy Rogers had purchased the building for a new museum.
On June 17, 1967, Rogers opened the Roy Rogers Museum, partially resembling an old Western fort.
In its first year, the museum drew over 100,000 fans, who flocked to see Rogers’ beloved and mounted animal companion Trigger, the golden palomino.
Also on display were Roy’s German shepherd Bullet andDale’s horse Buttermilk.
The museum was filled with nearly 100,000 items like clothing, guns, comic books, framed newspaper articles, movie posters, boots, toys and more.In addition to Rogers’ animals, there was a mounted pronghorn antelope, a javelina, a mountain goat, elephant feet and a timber wolf.
In 1976, the actor would relocate the museum to Victorville where he opened the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum.
In 2003, five years after Rogers died and two years after Evans died, family members moved the museum to Branson, Missouri.
The museum closed in December 2009 and most of its contents were later auctioned off.
Back to bowling
In 1977, the former Apple Valley museum building was purchased, renovated and opened a year later as the Gold Strike Lanes bowling alley.
After a 25 year run, the Gold Strikes Lanes became Oasis Lanes in 2003.
The Retro Bowl is located at 20410 Outer Highway 18 in Apple Valley. For more information, call 760-247-6431 or visit RetroBowlAV.com.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
