Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Museum Hours and Location
The Iowa Rock'nRoll Music Association proudly presents its Museum of Iowa Rock and Roll history at Arnolds Park, Iowa on Lake Okoboji.
Permanant displays include a reproduction of the Iowa Great Lakes Recording Studio, A 60's era radio broadcast booth, vintage recording equipment plus memorabilia from many of the inductees to our Hall of Fame! Also topical changing displays of interest! Check our announcements page for updates.
3rd Saturday of the Month at the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Museum!
Visit the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Museum on the 3rd Saturday of each month for a special rock 'n roll presentation. Presentations will begin at 1 PM
November 21: The War's Impact in Iowa Rock 'n Roll
December 19: Rock 'n Roll Christmas Albums
January 16: Roof Garden Ballroom
February 20: Surf Ballroom
March 20: Young Rock 'n Rollers: Why they love Rock 'n Roll
April 17: Radio Station and DJ's Impact on Rock 'n Roll
Winter Hours (Labor Day through mid May)
Friday • Saturday Noon to 6 p.m.
Sunday Noon - 4
or by appointment
Summer Hours (May through Labor Day)
Open daily from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Admission
$1.00 per person (13 and over) children 12 and under free.
IRRMA Members free with ID card
Special Tours by Appointment - Call 712-540-7521
Address and Location
Located at 91 Lake Street, adjacent to the historic Arnolds Park Amusement Park
P. O. Box 557
Arnolds Park, IA 51331
712-332-6540
(New Photos courtesy of IRRMA Board Member Mick Buckley and Museum Advisory Committee member Barb Lancaster have a look at http://www.iowarocknroll.com/gallery-items.php?catID=21)
To discover what else Western Iowa has to offer, visit
http://traveliowa.org
Special Exhibits
Two new exhibits planned
Ballrooms will be showcased in a special exhibit to debut on Jan. 16, 2009. In addition to marking the 85th anniversary of the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park, many other ballrooms throughout Iowa will be honored in this exhibit.
January 20th is opening day for "The Day The Music Died - Revisited". In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper and pilot Roger Peterson on Feb. 3, 1959. The exhibit will remain in the museum through Sept. 11, 2009.
2003 Grand Opening
On Memorial Day Weekend 2003 The Grand Opening of the Iowa RockNRoll Music Association Museum was held.
The Museum is located adjacent to the famous Roof Garden Ballroom at Arnolds Park Iowa.
The location is fitting for such a museum as virtually thousands of teenagers and visitors visited the Iowa Great Lakes Region during the 50's, 60's and 70's and packed the historical Amusement Park at Arnolds Park and the famed Roof Garden Ballroom featuring countless national and Iowa bands/musicians.
That is still true today. In 1997, John Senn (Jay of Dee Jay & the Runaways) and music historian Tom Tourville, along with several other interested people, formed the Iowa Rock'NRoll Music Association as a Non-Profit organization in the State of Iowa.
John's dream at that time was eventually to have a museum to permanently display and preserve the rich history of Iowa music, entertainers, radio stations, ballrooms, promoters and others who contributed so much to that history.
In addition, the dream was to utilize the Association to help educate the children of today and future generations about that history.
The location provides access to over 300,000 visitors per year who come to the area.
At this time the Iowa Rock'NRoll Music Association is soliciting support for the museum in the form of sponsors, donations of money, memorabilia, memberships and labor.
Memorabilia can be placed on loan to the museum as well as permanently donated. The museum is but a start. There is much work still to do to preserve Iowa's rich music history.
If you were or are someone associated with the history of Iowa Rock and Roll; radio; the ballrooms etc. and have any historical or anecdotal information you think would be of interest to us we would like to hear from you! Simply click on the
"contact Us" button to the left!
