Orangeburg Bowling Alley Linked to 1968 Massacre Becoming Cultural Destination

The historic All Star Bowling Lanes site in South Carolina will be transformed into a multi-million dollar arts and community hub.

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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An old bowling alley in Orangeburg, South Carolina that was the site of the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, where three Black college students were killed by police, is being redeveloped into a cultural destination featuring affordable artist housing, a visual arts studio, rehearsal space, and a commemorative park.

Why it matters

The Orangeburg Massacre was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement that predated the Kent State shootings by two years. Transforming the site into a cultural hub aims to heal racial divisions in the community and honor the victims of the tragic incident.

The details

The preserved All Star Bowling Lanes will include 16 lanes, a 1960s-style lunch counter, a community room, and a new attached building with affordable housing for artists, a visual arts studio, and a rehearsal space. On February 8, 1968, South Carolina Highway Patrolmen fired shotguns into a crowd of students on the South Carolina State University campus, killing three and injuring over 30 others. The shootings came after students protested the bowling alley's refusal to desegregate, with owner Harry Floyd defying the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

  • On February 6, 1968, a woman near the bowling alley was beaten by two police officers using billy clubs.
  • On February 8, 1968, the Orangeburg Massacre occurred, where three Black college students were killed by police.
  • The project is expected to open sometime next year.

The players

All Star Bowling Lanes

The historic bowling alley in Orangeburg, South Carolina that was the site of the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre.

Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond, and Delano Middleton

The three Black college students killed by police during the Orangeburg Massacre in 1968.

Harry Floyd

The owner of the All Star Bowling Lanes who defied the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and refused to desegregate the bowling alley.

Michael Butler

The mayor of Orangeburg, South Carolina, who is the city's first Black mayor and believes the project will help heal racial divisions.

Ellen Zisholtz

The project leader who is overseeing the transformation of the All Star Bowling Lanes site.

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What they’re saying

“I'm a firm believer that you cannot move to the future until you to heal from the past.”

— Michael Butler, Mayor of Orangeburg (The State)

“The preserved All Star Bowling Lane will include 16 lanes, a 1960s-style lunch counter, a community room and a new attached building with affordable housing for artists, a visual arts studio and a rehearsal space — what project leader Ellen Zisholtz calls an 'artist village.'”

— Ellen Zisholtz, Project Leader (thestate.com)

What’s next

The National Park Service has given more than $2.7 million toward the project, and the All Star Bowling Lanes site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The project is expected to open sometime next year.

The takeaway

Transforming the site of the tragic Orangeburg Massacre into a cultural hub aimed at healing racial divisions and honoring the victims is a powerful example of how a community can reckon with its painful past and work towards a more inclusive future.