Surf Ballroom

Large black glasses marking the Buddy Holly Crash Site near Clear Lake, Iowa

Visit the Buddy Holly Crash Site near Clear Lake, Iowa

On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly and his band played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa as part of their Winter Dance Party tour across the Midwest. Frustrated with uncomfortable travel conditions on the tour bus, Holly chartered a small plane to the band’s next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota.

All Rights Reserved Megan Bannister

Seeking Out the Surf Ballroom & Museum

Growing up, we spent most summers on the banks of Lake Michigan, sun kissed and sand covered as we wandered our small summer town. Stepping out of the car in Clear Lake, Iowa, I was immediately transported back to those sprawling summer days, and a visit to the Surf Ballroom and Museum seemed like the ultimate necessity.