The Day the Music Died — Crash Site
· 10.4 mi
A few miles northwest of Clear Lake, Iowa, is the field where a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in the early hours of February 3, 1959, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, and pilot Roger…
Pilot Knob State Park
· 10.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine standing atop the highest point in northern Iowa, a landmark that has drawn people for centuries. Pilot Knob State Park, established in 1923, offers a glimpse into Iowa's glacial past and a chance to connect…
The Surf Ballroom
· 11.0 mi
The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, was the last venue Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson ever played: the Winter Dance Party show on February 2, 1959, hours before the plane crash that…
Surf Ballroom
· 11.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming ballroom marks the end of an era – the spot where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played their final concert. On February 1959, these rock and roll legends took the stage at the Surf…
Clear Lake: The Day the Music Died
· 11.5 mi
Clear Lake, Iowa, is where rock and roll suffered its first great loss. Tired of freezing tour buses, Holly chartered a small plane to the next stop. Minutes after takeoff in the early hours of February 3, the…
Surf Ballroom
· 11.7 mi · Historical Marker
The Clear Lake dance hall where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played their final concert on February 2, 1959.
Buddy Holly Crash Site
· 13.8 mi · Historical Marker
The site north of Clear Lake where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.
