De Kalb, Texas -
Rick Nelson Death Plane Tail
In the late 1950s, rocker Ricky was more popular than Elvis. See the tail from the plane that killed him. The museum also has an exhibit about Nelson and the crash.
- Address:
- NE Front St., De Kalb, TX
- Directions:
- East side of town, on the northeast corner of NE Front St./US Hwy 82 and NE Houston St., just east of the Family Dollar store. The tail sits on the ground along the inside of the east fence that surrounds the small chamber of commerce building.
- Hours:
- Tail visible all times; Museum open Th-Sa 1-4 pm or by appt. (Call to verify)
- Phone:
- 903-667-3706
Visitor Tips and News About Rick Nelson Death Plane Tail
Rick Nelson Death Plane Tail reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
Rick Nelson Death Plane Tail Blink and you'll miss De Kalb's museum, the Williams House. I was looking for it and still managed to drive by twice. Unfortunately the museum was already closed by the time I arrived, and even though there's a note on the door cheerfully welcoming visitors to call and someone will come over to open the museum during off hours, I couldn't stand the thought of tearing someone away from dinner just so I could see whatever Dan Blocker exhibit they might have.
Turns out it didn't matter much anyway because what I was most interested in seeing is available for viewing 24/7. Beside the museum on the edge of the property is a fenced off piece of an airplane. There's no sign explaining the significance of the plane, but it is reportedly the tail section of the plane that [singer/actor] Rick Nelson was in when it crashed just outside of De Kalb in 1985. [Rhonda Reddick, 06/19/2008]
[RA: Should be the tail section of a DC-3 from a crash in a De Kalb pasture on Dec. 31, 1985. Seven died in the crash. Note: We suspected this might be a "symbolic" death plane tail, not from the actual plane. Tipster Kenny Mitchell writes: "The section of the plane at the Williams House is most definitely from the plane that Nelson crashed in and was given to the museum by the Nelson family. There is also a very nice exhibit inside the museum pertaining to Nelson and the crash, including news coverage from the night he died."]Nearby Offbeat Places
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- In the region: Statue of Pyro the Dragon, Paris, TX - 54 mi.
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