Anywhere in the place puts you close to the stage. Absolutely a must when in this part of the US. Besides being a great place to see a band, there's so much nostalgia connected to it and it's all right there on display.
This is a must see!! We stopped at the ballroom first and what a pleasure it was. When you walk in it's like stepping back into history. Everything has been restored beautifully. For a small donation (suggested $5) you can walk around and explore all the historical things that happened here. Go on the stage that so many artists and legends have performed on. Dance on the original maple floor, sit in one of the original booths, and soak up the nostalgia that this place has to offer. This was a great addition to our road trip.
Thank you to the Snyder family for protecting such an historic gem and returning it to its glory. Walking through the photo galleries filled with pictures of past performers is outstanding as is the quality of music being booked currently truly wonderful!
We visited the museum (which is free) and we kind of tagged in with a group tour that were watching a movie in the ballroom about the Winter Carnival and the entertainers. It was extremely interesting. The displays were very nice and I think I looked at each photograph and artifact on display. The concert venue looks to be extremely intimate and would like to return at some point to experience that. Well worth the time it takes to go through the museum.
The Surf Ballroom is one of the last ballrooms in the area. They host a summer Big Band series, bringing in the big bands playing the music from the old days. So much fun to dance to In The Mood and many other favorites of the era. Great wood floor to dance on. Also is the last place Buddy Holly played so much memorabilia from rockers and musicians across the spectrum. Worth the stop if you are in town.
Nice small atmosphere venue with decent acoustics. There's some booths around the edges for an extra fee but I've found you probably won't be sitting much. The floor is open with no seating and almost everybody is out on the floor. No matter where your at, you are close to the stage/band. It's a part of history so it's a can't miss if your in the area.
Great Place to see a show. Check the website for available tables but if there are no good ones don't pay to reserve one as there is always somewhere to sit.
If you're in Clear Lake, and you have a love of music, you MUST see the Surf! It's been beautifylly restored, and you can really feel what it was like to have been there when Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens performed in 1959. Be sure to see the Surfside 6 Cafe, too - lots of musical artifacts, including Don McLean's handwritten lyrics to "American Pie."
My wife and are from that "era" of music. We first visited the Surf in 2008 and stopped again earlier this month. It's always interesting and informative and takes one back in time to when that music was popular. Oh for those "good old days" and music.
Saw the Beach Boys this past Sunday at the Surf Ballroom. Show was excellent and the venue is a must do for music lovers and history buffs. It feels like you stepped back in time the moment you walk through the front doors. Very Cool!