Surf Ballroom
National Historic Landmark · Clear Lake, Iowa
A 2,100-capacity ballroom on the shore of Clear Lake with a 6,300-square-foot dance floor, first opened in 1933, burned down in 1947 and rebuilt across the street in 1948. On 2 February 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson played their last performances here on the Winter Dance Party tour; the plane they chartered afterwards took off at 12:55 AM and crashed within minutes. The building was made a National Historic Landmark in 2021 and is still a working music venue.
460 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake, Iowa, 50428, United States
⚠ TWO DIFFERENT VISITS. THE BALLROOM CAN USUALLY BE WALKED INTO DURING DAYTIME BUSINESS HOURS FOR FREE OR A SMALL DONATION — you can stand on the floor, see the original 1948 interior and the lobby memorabilia, and visit the gift shop. That is the visit most people want and it costs almost nothing. ⚠ RING AHEAD, because a load-in, rehearsal or private booking closes the floor at short notice. CONCERTS ARE SEPARATELY TICKETED through the venue. ⚠ THE WINTER DANCE PARTY, held every February since 1979 on the anniversary of the 1959 concert, is a multi-day event that sells out and fills every room in Clear Lake — book months ahead or avoid that week. Free parking. ⚠ THE BUDDY HOLLY CRASH SITE IS NOT AT THE BALLROOM: it is in a field several miles north, reached on foot along a fence line and marked separately.