Clear Lake, Iowa: Buddy Holly Crash Site
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 22728 Gull Ave., Clear Lake, IA
- Directions:
- From the Surf Ballroom in town, drive north on Buddy Holly Place. Turn right at the stoplight onto US Hwy 18. Drive a half-mile. Turn left at the stoplight onto N. 8th St. Drive north about five miles. As the road bends left, turn right onto gravel 310th St. Drive a quarter-mile, then turn left onto gravel Gull Ave. Drive a half-mile. You'll see the big eyeglasses on the left, at the intersection of 315th St. You can park on the shoulder.
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Results 1 to 5 of 31... Page of 7 [Next 5 items]
It's the spot where the beloved rocker with the geek glasses and hiccup-y voice met an early end. The site is often marked with items added by visitors.
Roadsideamerica.com Report... [01/24/2016]Visitor Tips and News About Buddy Holly Crash Site
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
The crash site is .35 miles behind a big pair of Buddy Holly glasses and is an easy walk. Kudos to the landowner for allowing public access to such a historic site. Be sure to also visit the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, where the final concert was held. Both are well worth your time.
[Bubs Hohulin, 07/05/2020]
Parking is a little confusing. I just pulled off to the side of the road and put on my hazard lights (There weren't many travelers on the road, so it was okay). The walk to the site takes about 5-10 minutes straight behind the glasses. There is a sign to not leave trash behind, so I am not sure if the owners like people leaving items.
[Bianca Giron, 11/13/2019]It is almost a mile trek through soybean fields beyond the large black glasses. Lots of gravel roads to drive on to get to where the glasses are, and that's where the path to the crash site memorial begins. Worth the effort, though.
[Martha Horn, 09/23/2019]
I used my Waze GPS system to find the Buddy Holly Crash Site. There are no directional signs to the memorial.
[Randy, 08/12/2019]Page of 7 [Next 5 items]
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The keepers of the site distinguish between trash and memorial tributes, so if you wanted to leave a small offering it would have been okay.