ORANGEBURG, S.C. — For the first time in 15 years, the All-Star Bowling Lanes in Orangeburg will open its doors for the Celebration Bowl Parade.
The parade happens this Sunday, a celebration for the SC State football players bowl win.
“Right now it retains the integrity that it had with no major physical changes. When the people come to go to the bowling alley, they’ll feel like they’re standing in the bowling alley of 1968," said Center for Creative Partnerships president Ellen Zisholtz.
Orangeburg residents will be given the chance to visit a piece of history.
The site played a pivotal role in the Orangeburg Massacre of 1968. Historians said the massacre stemmed from a protest over the segregation of a local bowling alley.
The students were beaten by officers and were forced to go back to the campus of South Carolina State University, which is where the massacre took place.
“What we’re doing is we’re taking something that was a horrific experience and we’re turning it into a community asset," said Zisholtz.
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She says Sunday's event will be a chance for visitors to get one last peek of the site in its original condition before it's given new life.
The Center for Creative Partnerships was given a $500,000 grant to restore the space.
“When we finish the restoration, the building will again be open for the community to come together and bowl," she said.
The community can visit the bowling alley from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. It is located at 1543 Russell Street in downtown Orangeburg.
