Illinois Valley Super Bowl

About Us

Mary and Rudy Stubler, together with Willis and Ann Mortenson opened Royal Lanes at 131 E. Walnut Steet, Oglesby, Illinois in August, 1961. Royal Lanes was an eight lane bowling alley and lounge that employed six people. Oglesby was the hometown of the families of Mary and Rudy including Rudy's sister and co-owner Ann Mortenson. The Mortensons retired and sold their share of the business to the Stubler's in 1971.

In 1988, the Stubler family built a 16 lane bowling and entertainment center in Peru, Illinois and named it Illinois Valley Super Bowl. The Oglesby site was later sold, but never did business as a bowling alley again. Rudy continued to work daily at the Super Bowl, while Mary worked at home, both for the business and taking care of her family, which included son Donald. Shortly after the Super Bowl opened it's doors, it was known as a hot spot for live entertainment, including bands and professional comedy acts. The bowling center was the first in the area to offer bumpers for small children and lazer bowling on weekends.

In 1994, the Super Bowl upgraded to twenty-four lanes. The snack bar re-opened as Perky's Pizza in 1996 offering hand-made pizzas along with a variety of other sandwiches and snacks.

The Professional Bowlers's Association (P.B.A.) Midwest Regional Tournament made a stop at the Super Bowl for the first time in 1996 featuring approximately eighty professional bowlers. The Illinois Valley P.B.A. Classic is now the longest running tournament in the Midwest Region having returned for the fourteenth consecutive year in 2011.