Northwest Dance & Music Venues
Target Ballroom
15733 Ambaum Blvd. S.W.
Burien, Washington

 A consensus of contributors remember this building as The Target Ballroom

Some Contributors recall this building as being the Target

These two buildings are virtually next door to each other.  Our Web Slave doesn't remember which was which because it was always dark when he showed up for gigs there, and it was always dark when he left.  The Target was so named because of its former use as an indoor archery range.

Fortunately, this building still stands.   It is a shame that many of the old 50's and 60's dance halls from the Pacific Northwest no longer exist.

We are in the process of compiling a list of the bands that performed at The Target Ballroom during any time period.  If you had a band that played here, have a flyer or advertisement for gigs at The Target, or remember seeing a particular band perform at this establishment, please let us know and we will add their name to the list of bands that performed here.  Send any information to our Web Slave... 

I was at the Sonny and Cher concert at the Target Ballroom.  I was shocked by Cher's language telling us to get away from the stage or they weren't going to sing while Sonny smiled that winning smile.   The band, The Dynamics, didn't know the music, but the long ride from Centralia was worth it.

Randy Johnson, 18 January 2003

Editor's note:  Perhaps Cher didn't know or understand the unique Pacific Northwest live music audience culture at that time.  The well behaved kids, and particularly the local musicians and musician wannabe's would get right in front of the stage and watch much as can be seen in the photos below of an early Paul Revere and the Raiders performance.  Much of that unique young adult dance club culture has been expressed in other pages on this site and with great clarity and detail in Pat O'Day's recent book, "It Was All Just Rock 'n' Roll"

PNWBands Webmaster, January 2003

Dawna Lewis, Merrie Mitchell, and, John Hamilton Enjoying the Raiders.
Paul Revere and The Raiders at The Target Ballroom, October 1964

---

I am on the left in the green... my name then was Dawna Lewis, the other gal was my friend Merrie Mitchell, and the guy, John Hamilton.  What fun those times were...

I met my first husband at the Spanish Castle.  We dated going to the dances... broke up at the dances... got back together at the dances...  Those dances were a nice social life for teenagers... good exercise, too.

Whenever I got into trouble I got restricted from going to the dances.. I hated that, so the dances even kept me out of trouble.

Thank you so much for keeping those memories of a much simpler time alive.

Dawna Lewis, February 2003

I grew up in Burien- 1955 thru 1970. I remember well going to the Target many times to see these bands. One I DO remember seeing there but don't see in the list was "The Seeds"  (Pushin Too Hard). I don't remeber the band that opened for them, but I remember the Turtles show and wonder if they billed together.  For a young rock & roll musician who played places like The Cove in Normandy Park and the old Burien Tavern (underage no less) The Target was such a great place to go see the local and national bands I looked up to. Thanks for this fun site!

Bruce Hunt, Highline high '70 grad, November 2003

As a resident of Burien, I often visited the Target Ballroom for Friday night dances.

The picture of the Highline Bowl is not the building for the Target Ballroom. The Target Ballroom, which was originally called Archery Lanes, was located to the right of Highline Bowl from the camera perspective. The picture of the Highline School District Office Building is also NOT the original building of the Target Ballroom. When the Highline School District moved their offices to that area of Burien, a new building was built specifically for the School district offices. The Target Ballroom building no longer exists.

Paul Galvan, January 2005

I entered the Highline School District office and there is still the step down to where the archery lanes were.  The secretary that I spoke with was very taken back by the history of the place.  If they tore down the old Target building, they used the same foundation and floor to build the new one.  I believe it is the same building with much remodeling.

Bill Crammatte, March 2005

The second photo is of the "Target Ballroom".  The building in the first photo didn't exist during the reign of the "Target".  Prior to becoming the "Ballroom" from Highline students occasionally went to the archery range as part of classes.

Carolyn Eichler, May 2005

I grew up on SW 154th Street (1955 to 1972) and could see the lights of the Target Ballroom at night while lying in bed.  I was a little too young to go there, but I would imagine all the fun those lucky high school kids were having on Friday nights, while I was stuck at home in my bunk bed watching The Avengers on our black and white portable TV.  I remember hearing the ads for upcoming shows on KJR (KJR Seattle channel ninety-five!) The Target was adjacent to the bowling alley and faced the same direction as the bowling alley.  I think it was to the left, but I'm not sure.  It was not the school district building - I couldn't see that from our house.

Diane Washburn

It's true.  The "Target Ballroom" was known originally as the Burien Archery Lanes.  Mr's. Bill Dziuk and Clark Conrad started Burien Archery Lanes and when the Seattle area got into a small recession and the archery business slowed they started adult dances on Friday and Saturday evenings.  Soon it was apparent that teen dances would be better attended and with an agent and advertising and some good bands the "Target Ballroom" began to flourish.  The second picture is Hi-line Lanes and is still in business as a bowling alley.  The first picture is the building directly to the north of Hi-line lanes which is the former location of the Target Ballroom and was rebuilt back in the 60's as the Highline School District Administration Offices.  a portion of the Target was retained but is unrecognizable now.

Bill Dziuk was my father-in-law and I worked for him the entire time that the Target was in business.  Mr's. Dziuk and Conrad have since passed away.  Their wives are still living.

George Billings, September 2006

I am the grand daughter of the man that owned and ran the Archery Lanes and later turned it into the Target Ballroom, Bill Dziuk.  My mom (Bill's daughter) and dad taught archery at the Archery Lanes and then later worked at the Target Ballroom.  I spent a lot of time at the Archery Lanes and was only allowed to visit the Target Ballroom a couple of times as I was only 5-6 years old at the time.

I only have a couple of pictures and Sonny and Cher's autograph from the Target.  My sister has all of my late grandfather's slides and I will forward this to her.  She will get a kick out of it and will possibly be able to get some more photos to you.  My grandmother is still alive and spunky and would have more info as well.

My husband happened onto this sight from tracking down a person named Marty Gemmer.  It is a small world.

Deborah White, September 2006

My name is Brian, and I worked the coat check room at the Target.  I remember Highline lanes as being the building. I went back a few years ago, and I remembered where the bands dressing room was, as well as the coat check room.  I remember Ron Gardner and Denny Weaver of the Wailers inviting me back to the dressing room.

I also e-mailed Pat O'Day and asked him what he thought, and he said I was right because he should know, 'cause he threw the dances there! He said it was the BOWLING ALLY!!!

I do remember seeing Dick and Dee Dee. I also remember dancing with Barb Billings, George's wife when I worked the coat check room. The first time I saw George, I thought he shoulda been on 77 Sunset Strip!  I also remember seeing Merrilee Rush when she was with child, wearing an empire dress. That was the only time I ever saw her w/o bellbottoms.  I remember Jim Valley singing "Stand By Me" before he left the Goodtimes.  One or two of the other band members put a cape around him, ala James Brown. The first band I saw there was the Wailers, and they were indeed larger than life.  I expected to see Robin Roberts, but he had left not long before that gig. When I saw that someone named Ron Gardner had taken his place, I thought he might have been the third Everly Brother. I sure wasn't disappointed, however.

Brian Semple, August 2007

I saw Sonny and Cher at the Target.  Thanks for the website.  It brings back many many great dance memories.

Howard Schmeizer, January 2008

The Target was located in the second photo -- currently a bowling alley, but there was an interim period in which it was an archery alley. The archery targets were set up in the original bowling lanes and the targets could be moved back and forth by the users. I can only assume that the dance floor was installed over the bowling lanes.

Richard Wagner, February 2008

During the summer of 1966 I lived in a house behind the Target.  The archery range was cool because it was similar to a bowling alley.  To retrieve your arrows you pushed a button and the backstop came forward and stopped where you were shooting from.  You hung a new target and sent it back down your lane to its original position 50 feet away.  No one was ever allowed to go down range as there was no need to with the movable backstops.

The minimum age to get in to the ballroom was 18.  I got in briefly one night in the Spring of 1966 and watched Merrilee and the Turnabouts.  But I was soon bounced out by a security guard.  And yes you could hear the music on Friday nights from our backyard.  It was one of the hottest place to go to if you believed all of Pat O'Day's ads he did on KJR radio.  Those ads were something to remember also.

Patrick Cullumber, October 2008

I was raised in Burien and was raised on Archery.  My whole family spent many hours shooting at the lanes.  We also belonged to Cascade Archery Club and traveled the State in competition.

I found this site as I was trying to find out what year it was an archery lanes as the Seattle Times did a sports, front page article on archery with a photo of my dad, mom, sister and myself (Allan, Eleanor, and Nancy).  I want to find that article.  My dad and I did exhibition archery shows at schools and boy scout meetings.

I am Linda Elijah.  I was too young to get in the Target but I did sneak in but since I was well known by everyone I got caught and had to leave. I spent many evenings outside listening to the great music.

Thank you

Linda Elijah, July 2010

The Target Ballroom, AKA the Burien Archery Lanes, was next to the bowling alley looking from the main road the bowling alley was on the left and the archery lanes were on the right.  I always worked in the coat room.  The ballroom began as a way to supplement the income of the lanes because the archery activities did not allways cover operating costs. There was also an adults night where a few of us put on a demonstration piece trying to pique interest in archery.

William Ball, September 2010

Regarding the location of the Target William Ball is 100% correct.   It was to the right of the bowling alley and never was in the alley.   Also the Target was an all age venue.

You did not need to be 18 yrs old and I should know as I'm in the first picture shown.  My name is John Hamilton and at the time of that photo I was 15.  I went there  nearly every weekend and met my wife Toni Wangen at the Target.  We have been married ever since.

We loved the Target and wished they had Venues like it for kids today.  It was all Dancing, hot cars and fun at the local drive-ins Lou's, Whizburger (still miss) and McDonalds.

John Hamilton, March 2012

The Target was the separate building just to the north of the bowling alley.  Archery during the day and dancing at night.  It was bought and turned into offices for the Highline school district in the mid 70's.  When it reopened it was called the IRC (instructional resource center) for Highline.  You still step down to the dance floor level when you enter the building as they did not bring the floor level up to match the rest of the floor when remodeled for the district.

Chuck Cruise, July 2012

Paul Revere & The Raiders, October 1964

If you have corrections, a neat photo or more information, please send it to:


Last Update:  7 April 2019

Credits:  S. Carlson, Stan Foreman, Don Gardner, Bill Crammatte, Brian Semple, Richard Green (Info/Photos), John Rice, George Bryant, Steve Hudziak, Pat O'Day, Jim Sola, Kevin Mason, Phil Lampman, Mike Soltero, Randy Johnson, Dawna Lewis, Bruce Hunt, Peter Simpson, Paul Galvan, Dale Cooley, Carolyn Eichler, John Gordon, George BIllings, Bill Dean, Patrick Cullumber, John Hamilton, Howard Schmeizer, Linda Elijah, Richard Wagner, William Ball, Ron Villa, Chuck Cruise, Richard Brooks, Mardig Sheridan