By TRISHA SCHULZ

tschulz@norfolkdailynews.com

WATERBURY — As you wind down the road into town here, it looks like the typical small town. Make that tiny. Population: 89. A few houses dot both sides of the street. Then you come to the local watering hole. But go a little further and you’ve found a gem.

But, again, looks can be deceiving. There’s no hint of anything special except for the antique cars lined up outside. The nearby building doesn’t even have a sign. But one step inside Storm’n Norman’s Rock ’n’ Roll Auditorium, and prepare to be awestruck.

"They can’t believe it when they walk in our front doors," said Norm Schwartz, owner of the auditorium. "It’s like turning the clock back; it’s a trip back." Norm — along with wife Jeanette and son Kory — operates the auditorium with monthly events.

A throwback to "a simpler time," the auditorium reels with a ’50s feel from the hot pink ’57 Chevy convertible suspended above the dance floor to the Marilyn Monroe and Elvis statues near the stage.

There’s another 1950 convertible on the other side of the room — this one’s a black Ford with painted-on flames. Head to the neon sign that glows "Treats" for a tavern, Italian sausage, popcorn, pop or a cold beer. People come from miles around to take in the atmosphere and dance to 1950s-style tunes.

Schwartz said about 250 people on average attend monthly events. One couple from Phoenix even plan their trip back to Iowa based on the Storm’n Norman schedule, he said. "Usually when people have been here once, they try to work it to come back as many times as they can," he said. But Storm’n Norman’s wasn’t always quite the attraction. "The front door was all boarded up," he said. "The windows were knocked out. There was three inches of mud and water on the floor. It was a disaster."

The building was built in 1953 as an auditorium and used for basketball games and other events. But it closed in 1961 when Waterbury consolidated with Allen and Ponca. Used only sporadically over the years, the building had deteriorated.

Schwartz first bought the place in 1996 to store cars. But the next year, plans for the building changed. "My wife and I were standing right here one night and I said, ‘Now, for this next year, so I can get more vehicles to store, I’m going to tear those bleachers out,’ " Schwartz said. "She looked at me and said, ‘You know if you do that, this building will have one purpose only. Maybe we ought to do something that’s a little bit more fun.’ "

In July 1997, the first dance was held there. The rock ’n’ roll auditorium has been a labor of love and a hobby for Schwartz. "My favorite part of the whole thing is at the end of the night, looking at the smiles on the people’s faces. That it’s probably the best five hours they’ve spent," he said.

The following bands are set to perform at Storm’n Norman’s Rock ‘n Roll Auditorium in Waterbury:

Aug. 11 — The Smoke Ring and The Flairs.

Sept. 8 — The Senders

Oct. 27 — The Embers

Nov. 17 — Roadhouse

Dec. 31 — The Embers