Clear Lake, Iowa: Buddy Holly Crash Site

Great directions! Wouldn't have found the crash site without your help.

We took a family day trip to northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. The Iowa tourist information people recommended stopping here, but didn't know the exact directions. Thanks to my good friend Google we found roadsideamerica.com. Your directions were perfect, but we came from the north and could have saved a little time by taking the County B20 exit. Never once saw any sign leading to the crash site. It's a neat little shrine commemorating everyone. A real quick and close freeway detour, worth the time for a picture and to say you have been there.

The glasses were again intact! The directions provided on the site were fantastic.

I am on tour with a band called Sugar Red Drive and the Tour Mgr Jay and I decided to take the band to see the Buddy Holly crash site on our way to Des Moines (Our first time as well). After looking up all the information we needed, we arrived at the the entrance to the trail and were astonished to see the sculpture of the Buddy Holly glasses is no longer there. We were there at 5 am in the morning and I don't think they put it away at night....Shame if someone took it, but a must see if you're in the area.

The directions provided on the website were spot on. I visited the shrine with my cousin and good friend over the 4th of July weekend. The site is fairly easy to find with large steel black rimmed glasses mounted near the road to mark the walk path. The owners of the land which the memorial resides on have created a cleared path which is marked by little ground flags. This path runs parallel to the fence line. Make sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes as the memorial is approx 1/4 mile from the road. From previous postings on this site I expected to see a memorial for the pilot of the crash Roger Petersen but did not once we go to the place. This is a small but moving shrine to four lives cut way to short.