On the surface, the sport of bowling—sending a heavy ball speeding toward rows of wooden pins—has remained more or less constant through the years. The same cannot be said of the culture surrounding the sport. Bowling’s reputation, and its status in the pantheon of American sports, has endured its share of ups and downs.

From hand-oiled lanes to multi-million-dollared pros, from celebrity matches to bowling kitsch, track America’s favorite sport and its changing roles and status from the 1940s to today.