The American culture of the twentieth century is all covered in the museum and so much more. The worlds only rock & roll hall of fame is an educational walk-through of the history of music leading up to rock and roll.
Even if you are really not a big rock & roll fan you will enjoy a visit to the Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. You surely have memories of Woodstock or perhaps DJ Alan Freed hosting rock concerts and his tv show, the Supremes, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Jimmy Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles; the list goes on and on. Displays include elaborate and over the top costumes, autographed guitars and memorabilia, photographs and some interactive exhibits, even an exhibit of amateur artwork by Jimmy Hendrix. I was impressed by his efforts.
Les Paul of electric guitar fame contributed much to rock & roll. He is still playing and performing today at age 97.
The stuning picturesque museum designed by IM Pei is located on Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland. Over-sized guitars of all colors and sizes decorate the entrance to the museum and can be found all over the streets of downtown Cleveland. Great for a photo shot.
We spent about 5 hours walking around, having lunch. We definitely enjoyed our visit and would recommend the museum.
www.rockhall.com (800 764 rock)
Quick Tips:
Museum is open 7 days a week 10AM-5:30 PM, open until 9PM on Wednesday. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with longer summer hours.
Admission for adults ages 13-59 , Seniors 60+ , children 9-12 .
No photographs above the first floor of the museum. We got there when the museum opened about 10:00. By the time we left, it was quite crowded. The museum is not that big so it pays to go early in the day.
An attractive cafeteria offers fresh sandwiches and salads with family friendly prices.
There are two parking lots within a few feet of the museum. You can park all day for -.
A sight seeing boat is also docked at the rear of the museum if you have time for a 2 hour boat ride around Lake Erie.
If you have time you should explore Cleveland. There are many upscale trendy restaurants, newly renovated areas such as the Warehouse District, the Historic Gateway District and Theater District. The heart of Cleveland's business and government is located in the Civic Center District within walking distance of the museum. There is a 3 block long outdoor mall featuring beautiful pedestrian walkways.
Close by is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History and other cultural sights.
The Cleveland Metropark Zoo & Rain Forest has the largest primate collection in North America.
Right next to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is the Great Lakes Science Center; the largest interactive science museum with daily demonstrations and a six-story Omnimax Theater.
There are many multi ethinic neighborhoods to explore with old world charm, the Slavic Village, Shake Square, Little Italy, lovely gardens at the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse.
We found the locals to be very friendly.Best Way To Get Around:
From I-80/Ohio Turnpike exit at gate 173 to 1-77 North to I-90 East to Route 2 West/Exit 174B, turn right onto East 9th Street.
Our drive from NY, about 500 miles took approximately 8 hours. This is a fairly large city so you need to find parking lots for your vehicles or metered parking on the street which can be a pain if you are spending a day visiting a museum. City buses are available.
Rapid Transit runs two lite rails to the waterfront and the downtown area. Cleveland.www.travelcleveland.com
As a member of AAA, you can request free maps and tour books with customized trip tiks to your favorite destination. The tour books are a great guide to the areas you are visiting listing hotels, motels, restaurants and interesting sights in the area. Allow 10-14 days for delivery. WWW.AAA.COM