The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It is part of Cleveland’s newly developed North Coast Harbor. Its mission is to bring the entire history and meaning of rock and roll music to visitors, fans and scholars from around the world.

It is about well-known and influential artists, manufacturers, engineers, producers and their influence on the music industry. Interactive exhibits, rock and roll music, videos, costumes, art artifacts and other exhibits introduce visitors to the world of rock and roll.

Every year since 1986, new members have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On 55,000 square meters of exhibition space, the exhibits present specific eras, styles and milestones of rock and roll. In addition to the exhibition areas, the Rock of Fame Museum has an administration office, the Museum Store and a café.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum in Cleveland

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created on April 20, 1983 by Ahmet Ertegun, who also founded the Atlantic Records Foundation. For the Museums Foundation, Ahmet Ertegun assembled a team consisting of attorney Suzan Evans, Rolling Stone magazine editor and publisher Jann Wenner S., attorney Allen Grubman, and record executives such as Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods.

According to act-test-centers, the City of Cleveland offered the Foundation a location in their downtown area right on Lake Erie for the Rock Hall Museum. They justified why the museum should come to Cleveland by saying that the term “rock ‘n’ roll” had come from Cleveland since 1951 thanks to disc jockey Alan Freed.

Other cities such as Memphis (home of Sun Studios and Stax Records), Detroit (home of Motown Records), Cincinnati (home of King Records), New York City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco and Chicago were also chosen for the location of the new Rock and Roll Museum audited. A signature campaign and a USA Today poll showed that the people of the United States wanted the museum in Cleveland. In March 1986, the decision was made to move the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland.

On September 2, 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opened its doors to visitors for the first time. After opening in a big event with a concert and lots of rock n roll music . The All-Star Concert featured: Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mellencamp, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen, Booker T. & the MG and others.

Rock and Roll Museum architecture & location

The Rock and Roll Museum building was designed by architect Ieoh Ming Pei. It should reflect the energy of rock ‘n’ roll. This was implemented with a tower from which a glass pyramid protrudes. The tower was originally intended to be 200 ft (61 m) tall, but was only allowed to be built at 162 ft (49 m) to avoid disrupting Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport.

The Cleveland Museum was built in downtown Cleveland on Lake Erie, east of Cleveland Browns Stadium and Great Lakes Science Center on an area of ​​14,000 m². Groundbreaking took place on June 7, 1993.

Overall, the construction cost 84 million US dollars. Upon completion, the building received two awards. Once in 1997 as the American Institute of Architects / American Institute of Steel Construction in the Award for Innovative Design and Excellence in Architecture Using Structural Steel and in 1998 as the New York Association of Consulting Engineers in the Engineering Excellence Award.

Ieoh Ming Pei also designed the National Gallery of Art’s East Building in Washington DC, the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in Athens and the Louvre Extension in Paris.

Exhibits at the Rock of Fame Museum in Cleveland

With more than 55,000 square meters of exhibition space, there are seven levels in the Rock of Fame Museum. The lowest level is the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the museum’s main gallery.
It includes exhibits from the early days of rock and roll (gospel, blues, rhythm & blues and folk, country and bluegrass). Information films are offered, one film informs the visitor about the roots of rock and roll, other films offer various topics on rock and roll.

Exhibitions on the cities that have had a major influence on rock and roll, such as Memphis, Detroit, London, Liverpool, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle can be visited.

Other exhibits include Soul Music, the 1950’s, Sun Records, Atlantic Records, Cleveland Rock and Roll, Midwestern Music, Rock Music Radio and the Rock and Roll Protests. Exhibits from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and others can be seen with a visit to the Rock of Fame Museum in Cleveland.

There are always different temporary exhibits on the top levels of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

In addition, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum produces numerous public programs, including concerts, interviews, lectures, film screenings, and other events.

Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Originally, there were four categories for induction into the Museum Hall of Fame: “performers” and “non-performers” – people whose credit lies behind or off the stage, such as songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record company representatives and journalists, early influences from the pre-rock era, and lifetime achievement. In 2000, the “sidemen” category was also introduced.
The admission to the museum can take place at the earliest 25 years after the release of an artist’s first record or CD. New members are honored annually at an event in New York City or every three years at the Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Library

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Library contains a collection of materials related to the history of rock and roll. Books, magazines, and commercial audio and video recordings, as well as hundreds of archival collections such as personal papers, business records, photos, and posters can be viewed here.

Tickets and opening hours of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Ohio

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays even until 9 p.m. The Rock of Fame Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission to Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is $22 for adults. Seniors (65+) & the military are $17 and children ages 9-12 are $13. Younger children are free.

Information on how to get to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland can be found here.

Address of attraction Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum
1100 E 9th St
Cleveland, OH 44114
United States
www.rockhall.com