By the locals, it’s pronounced “Tooksbury,’’ but few visitors get it right, said Donny MacLaren Jr. A lifelong resident, he and his father opened Wamesit Lanes, a bowling alley and “family entertainment center,’’ in their hometown in November 2015.

“Nobody can ever say ‘Wamesit,’ either, so we’re used to it,’’ joked the younger MacLaren, who is 31.

Proudly calling himself a “townie,’’ MacLaren is now a homeowner and a first-time father. He said his family was eager to bring a new attraction to Tewksbury, which was once home to an array of old-fashioned amusements: mini golf, a drive-in movie theater, and a go-kart track, among them. “All those things went away and were never replaced,’’ he said.

Wamesit management is also looking into opening an “escape room,’’ the popular adventure game in which participants are required to solve puzzles to find their way out. That, too, would be located in Tewksbury, MacLaren said. “Why leave town if you can do something right in it?’’

As a new father, he’s also starting to think about the school system. They opened the new $68 million Tewksbury Memorial High School in 2012, he said, and now he’d like to see upgrades at the town’s elementary schools.

Speaking of youngsters, Wamesit Lanes has instituted a training program for aspiring bowlers. It’s a little-known fact that many universities offer athletic scholarships for competitive bowlers, MacLaren said.

“It’d be a great day if we were ever able to send some kid to college,’’ he said.

James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.