ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WFRV) – There’s nothing but strikes and frights happening at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay. This fan-favorite weekend destination has accumulated its fair share of scary stories making it a perfect place to pass the time this Halloween.

As the story goes, the bowling alley is haunted by a former bowler, who went by the name of Willard. Willard is said to have died from a heart attack while he was bowling on Lane 17, and his spirit is said to never have left.

People have speculated that Willard’s spirit may be responsible for the suspicious activity that has happened on Lane 17. These suspicious activities include the lane randomly turning on, the scoring computer not working, and the ball retrieval machine not returning the bowling balls properly- and the spookiest part is these issues seem to only happen on Lane 17.

If you’re not buying this, keep reading because these haunted tales extend well beyond Lane 17. Through the years, staff members have reported things in the building moving around by themselves, embodied voices being heard, and lights turning on and off randomly.

Intrigued to know more, Local 5 connected with a current employee, who shared his own chilling experience, making these haunted stories more than just tall tales.

Brandon Kohel, a long-time weekend bartender at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, explained that one night after the bowling alley had closed, he was in the middle of cleaning up the bar when he felt as though someone had passed by him and put their hand on his back.

It felt like as if another bartender passed behind me like they would as they would put their hand on your back so you don’t back into them. The hair on my arms stood straight up, was a pretty weird feeling.”

Brandon Kohel, The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley Weekend Bartender

Kohel added that he and another manager were the only ones in the building that night and the manager was in their office counting tills when this eerie encounter happened. And unfortunately for Kohel, it wouldn’t be his last.

Kohel explained there was another night when he and a former manager were working inside the bowling alley when the former manager, who was working downstairs in the banquet room, asked Kohel who had been upstairs on the ground floor if he had turned the lights off on her. He did not.

The lights were off from the switch being flipped but no one else was in the building at the time.”

Brandon Kohel, The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley Weekend Bartender

While these and more harmless haunted stories continue to circulate in The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, people don’t seem to mind. The bowling alley continues to be a popular place for family, friends, and maybe even a ghost or two, to have a great time together.

This story is part of a Local 5 Halloween series which currently includes the following blood-curdling stories: