Memory Lanes, a 16-lane bowling center at 613 East Broadway Blvd., opened in Sedalia on Monday, Nov. 9. The Sedalia Democrat reported the opening and said the center was donated to the community by Sue Heckart in memory of her parents, Bill and Stella Heckart. The city’s 2025 announcement identified Heckart’s gift as $6 million and said Sedalia Parks & Recreation would manage the facility, according to the City of Sedalia.
The bowling center has party rooms, a full-service kitchen, string pinsetters and video walls overlooking the lanes, the Sedalia Democrat reported. The facility also has an esports arena. Sedalia Parks & Recreation says open-play sessions are regularly available on weekends and some weekdays; its website directs visitors to the arena calendar for schedules, leagues, rentals and events.
Kevin Farner was hired as bowling superintendent and general manager, according to the Sedalia Democrat. The newspaper reported that before coming to Sedalia, he and his wife owned and operated a bowling center near Buffalo, New York, for 23 years, and that he had managed centers at Little Rock Air Force Base and an Ohio college.
Memory Lanes is part of a larger recreation-campus plan for the former MKT Rail Yards property. The Sedalia Democrat reported that the bowling center is the first stage of development toward a future eighth city park and aquatic facility. KMMO reported in 2025 that the aquatic-center construction timeline had been delayed: the department first said work would not begin for at least three years, and a later report put the delay at three to five years. KMMO also reported an $8.2 million price for the bowling project and said Heckart’s donation would cover it; that figure differs from the city’s reported $6 million gift.
