Advertisement for a dance in the '60s at the Diamond Ballroom.
Elizabeth Baxter here, friendly neighborhood Assistant Curator of Exhibits, bringing you all that’s awesome in the world of Oklahoma rock venues. In the Samuel Roberts Noble Gallery upstairs in the Oklahoma History Center we’ll have an area highlighting some of Oklahoma’s most well-known music venues, from the small to the stadium-sized. I thought I’d give you a small preview and let you see a little bit of what I’ve learned about one of the Oklahoma City area’s oldest rock and roll venues, the Diamond Ballroom.
The stage at the Diamond Ballroom.
The Diamond Ballroom opened in the ‘60s, boasting the “Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest.” Although well known for country dances, the Diamond also brought in the likes of Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The walls by the stage are filled with photos of past performers, showing the amazing history of the place. Today the Diamond Ballroom is a great place to see just about anything, from Tesla to Shiny Toy Guns and All-American Rejects.
One of the walls of photos at the Diamond.
The folks over at the Diamond donated one of the original light-up signs from the front of the DJ booth that reads “Diamond Ballroom Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest.” It will be featured in the Oklahoma Venues area of the exhibit. Come and see it, along with other pieces of Oklahoma’s rock history, when Another Hot Oklahoma Night opens on May 2, 2009. C’mon, you know you want to see it…
There it is, folks, the "Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest."
