Pittsfield’s ‘Bubble Room’, an inflatable, restaurants, entertainment and even a swimming pool | History

For more than 25 years, an entertainment center known as Imperial Lanes was located at 10 Lyman St., just off East Street in Pittsfield.

Many baby boomers remember this place for reasons other than bowling. It also housed a supper club, restaurant and a popular cocktail lounge called the Bubble Room.

The founders of Imperial Lanes were Al Bianchi and Lou Pia, each of whom had owned small, successful bowling alleys. A third partner was a young lawyer and entrepreneur named Martin Pullano Jr., who became president and spokesman for the new company. Their common goal was to merge their businesses to create a mega entertainment center in one location.

The Imperial Lanes building measured 30,000 square feet and was the largest and most modern single-story bowling operation in Massachusetts when it opened on January 1, 1962. The design included 40 bowling lanes, state-of-the-art equipment, a restaurant with 206 seats. and a cocktail bar (named the Copper Pin) as well as a snack bar, a crèche, a meeting room and lockers.

Less than a year after opening, the business proved to be such a success that the owners planned to add a supper club. The Bubble Room was the plan and in fact it would be a large inflatable bubble tent resembling a blimp.

Construction of the “tent” did not begin until June 1962, but was delayed for more than a year. In December of that year, Imperial Lanes experienced a serious fire at the Copper Pin and galley, with an estimated $500,000 in damage that required extensive repairs.

On December 14, 1963, the Bubble Room was finally completed. It was a huge multi-colored tent made of plastic-coated nylon, entirely supported by air. Separate from the bowling area, this addition was the center of numerous other entities which included the 57-seat Oriental Lounge, the 50-seat French Room, the Apache Bar, a steam room, exercise room, locker rooms and a new kitchen. The new additions along with the bowling area could accommodate up to 750 patrons at full capacity and were collectively under the name Copper Pin.

The Bubble Room was anchored on an oval slab foundation and measured 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 35 feet high on center above a parquet floor dance floor. Three air compressors kept the 1,000-pound nylon tent inflated on a metal frame included for safety. The scaffolding inside was also used to accommodate lighting, sound equipment and decorations for special events.

A raised stage could accommodate musicians and other artists. The venue itself could accommodate over 500 patrons and had two service bars, a stand-up bar and several waiting stations.

A special feature was a small free-form heated pool on the side with underwater lighting. A large stainless steel kitchen was adjacent to the room. The facility had three entrances with sets of airlock doors that helped contain inflation.

The Bubble Room has become a popular venue for business events, civic association meetings, award ceremonies, meetings, fashion shows, fundraisers, and wedding and birthday parties . During the week the restaurant was open for lunch and dinner and on Wednesday and Saturday evenings the setting offered dancing to live music.

In the spring of 1965, a Boston promoter planned to hold weekly professional boxing meets in the center of the Bubble Room with seats and tables set up for 500 patrons to dine during the fights. However, after only 200 spectators for each of the first two events, the promoter canceled further fights.

Bubble Room wrestling events were then scheduled during the summer and featured such well-known wrestlers as Magnificent George. Attendance at these programs was around 250 people, but they continued for a few months.

The local community has experienced a wide variety of musical entertainment at the Bubble Room, including a mini-Grand Ole Opry featuring Nashville artists. As the music of the Beatles and other rock groups became popular, local cover bands attracted twenty-something patrons to dance parties and popular college mixers.

The largest crowd ever seen in the Bubble Room was a fundraiser for Mayor Remo Del Gallo in December 1965, which 800 people attended. Interestingly, a few hours after this event ended, a fire broke out in a hangar housing the air blowers needed to inflate the room.

No one was injured and repairs have been made to reopen in a few weeks. However, the tent needed to be replaced, which was completed in March 1966. Additionally, at the time, a few adjacent rooms were renamed and redecorated to become the Casbah and the Jungle Room.

The Bubble Room has faced challenges during its short lifespan, including controversy over hosting high school after-prom parties in the area, which gained last-minute approvals but required parental permissions. College mixers were also under surveillance, as many students were underage to legally consume alcohol.

This problem was resolved thanks to close surveillance of the premises and the presence of police officers hired by management. And once the local liquor corporation had to rule on an archaic Massachusetts law that prohibited women from drinking alcohol unless they were seated.

But the biggest challenge for the owners came in July 1966, when a severe thunderstorm accompanied by strong winds shattered and tore the relatively new tent. The Bubble Room owners had repaired the bubble as best they could. But in the spring of 1968, they had to close the deteriorating facilities.

Martin Pullano and his associates sued the bubble manufacturer for poor design and installation. The group then decided in October to raze what remained of the structure and repurpose the existing space to accommodate numerous meetings and events with a reduced capacity of 175 people. The trial lasted nine years and a jury trial, with the decision being rendered in 1977 in favor of the tent manufacturer.

The Bubble Room operated for a little over four years, but for many of us it seemed like it had been around for much longer. I still hear many boomers on social media sharing fond memories of dancing, music, and meeting future lifelong friends at the Bubble Room. It was a special place and created many lasting memories.