The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way, influenced the music industry. The museum is part of the city's redeveloped North Coast Harbor.
Since opening in 1995, the Rock Hall has hosted more than 8.5 million visitors and had a cumulative economic impact to Cleveland estimated at more than $1.8 billion.
There are seven levels in the building. On the lower level is the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the museum's main gallery. It includes exhibits on the roots of rock and roll (gospel, blues, rhythm & blues and folk, country and bluegrass). It also features exhibits on several cities that have had a major impact on rock and roll: Memphis, Detroit, London and Liverpool, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. There are also exhibits on soul music, the Fifties, Sun Records, Atlantic Records, Cleveland's rock and roll legacy, the music of the Midwest, rock and roll radio and dee-jays, and the many protests against rock and roll. This gallery also has exhibits that focus on individual artists, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and others. Finally, the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall includes two theaters, one of which features a film about the roots of rock and roll and one that features films on various subjects.
The first floor of the museum is the entrance level. It includes a stage that the museum uses for various special performances and events throughout the year, and a section called Right Here, Right Now, which focuses on contemporary artists. The second floor includes several interactive kiosks that feature programs on one-hit wonders and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. This level also includes a gallery with artifact-driven exhibits about Les Paul, Alan Freed, Sam Phillips and the evolution of audio technology.
Visitors enter the actual Hall of Fame section of the museum on the third floor. This section includes a wall with all of the inductees' signatures, a theater that features filmed musical highlights from all of the Hall's inductees and an exhibit featuring artifacts from the latest class of inductees. Visitors exit the Hall of Fame section on the fourth floor. That level features the Foster Theater, a state-of-the-art 3-D theater. The theater is also used for special events and programs.
Finally, the top two levels of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feature large, temporary exhibits. Over the years, numerous exhibits have been installed on these two levels, including exhibits about Elvis Presley, hip-hop, the Supremes, the Who, U2, John Lennon, the Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Women Who Rock and, most recently, the Rolling Stones.
Admission Prices:
Adults: $22
Greater Cleveland Residents: $18 (440, 441, 442 or 443 zip codes with ID)
Seniors (65+)/Military: $17 (with ID)
Children ages 9-12: $13
Children ages 8 and under: FREE with purchase of adult admission
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