The Duluth Armory, also known as the Duluth National Guard Armory was built in 1915 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On January 31, 1959, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens  performed at the armory after playing at the Laramar Ballroom in Fort Dodge, IA the day before. They all perished in a plane crash days later on February 3, 1959 after their show at the Surf Ballroom.

Bob Dylan was at the show and he named it as an inspiration at the 1998 Grammy Awards when he received Album of the Year for “Time Out of Mind“.

Dylan said:
I just want to say that when I was 16 or 17 years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him… and he looked at me. And I just have some kind of feeling that he was – I don’t know how or why – but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way.

Other notable Concerts Held At Duluth Armory

5/4/1963 – The Beach Boys
1/31/1959 – Dion & The Belmonts
4/27/1957 – Johnny Cash

Duluth Armory
1301 London Rd
Duluth MN 55805

Duluth Armory