Your Guide to Visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland

“I know it’s only rock n roll, but I like it!”

Actually, we think you might love it – the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland. We’ve visited a couple times during visits to Northern Ohio. If you’re a music lover, then you need to add this to your list of must-see places. 

Speaking of must-see things, there is a long list of them, both inside and outside of the Rock Hall. The museum is hard to miss, a seven story pyramid that is a focal point of the downtown area in Cleveland, and just a short walk from the shore of Lake Erie.

Our list of favorite exhibits and memorabilia is lengthy. From the King of Rock and Roll to the Queen of Soul, you’ll find something to excite your interests while visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You’ll even find a Prince to enjoy too.

Visitor’s guide for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland

There are several permanent exhibits on display, telling the story of rock music’s origin and history. Since opening in 1992, the Rock Hall has also had frequent traveling exhibits too, keeping the content fresh and updated. And of course each year, you get a new crop of inductees which bring new stories and content to share.

From the early days of rock and roll, Elvis Presley is iconic and one of our favorites. The King of Rock n Roll obviously features prominently at the museum as they paint the picture of the early days of rock and roll. Along with other musical pioneers, Elvis paved the way for pop and rock music as we know it today.

Special Exhibits

On one of our visits, they had a large exhibit highlighting the famous rooftop concert by the Beatles. Footage playing throughout the exhibit of the concert created an immersive experience, allowing you a chance to feel like you were there for the historic event. As you would expect, they had plenty of historic artifacts from that day too, including guitars used by the Beatles during the Let It Be sessions, and the drum kit used by Ringo Starr at the actual rooftop concert.

The list of performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is long. It would be hard to do in-depth exhibits on all of them, but they try. There is plenty of memorabilia to see, tons of musical gear, apparel and more. 

A visit to the Rock Hall is also a place to discover and appreciate good music. Seeing the guitar of a famous singer or songwriter is amazing. But one of the things that makes the hall of fame special is that you also get a chance learn more about the meaning of music, and details on how it was created. Then you are often encouraged to put on the headphones and listen to the music which creates an ever deeper connection to the exhibits. 

Each inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a unique story to tell. The artists and the music featured go way beyond just pop and rock music. For instance, in recent years the hall has welcomed in Dolly Parton and Jimmy Buffett as members. Rock music by its nature is blend of many genres, from rhythm and blues, to country, gospel, and folk.

Must see things at the Rock Hall

What might be a must see for us, wouldn’t be for you. There is a little something for everybody on display. Iconic photos, rare interviews, priceless guitars and other music gear are at every turn in the museum.

Understanding the creative process used by artists is fascinating, so seeing handwritten lyrics of iconic songs was special. You could see the process of getting the phrasing right, the perfect word at the perfect time playing out on a piece of paper. Seeing the handwritten lyrics by John Lennon to his classic song In My Life was a definite highlight. 

The exhibit showed the lyrics by Lennon and McCartney, and told the origin story of that amazing song. Lennon had been challenged by a journalist in 1964 to expand his songwriting skills to be more introspective. In My Life was the result, considered to be his first real piece of literary work and one of the best songs in the Beatles catalog. 

On the second floor, you have a chance to get your hands on gear and have a musical experience. The Garage lets you grab a guitar and play it loud. While the guitars were out of tune, it was still a fun experience and a good photo opportunity to pretend you‘re a rock and roll star.

Why is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland?

The Rock Hall opened in September 1995. Cleveland always seemed like an odd choice for the location, but it makes complete sense if you know the history. It all started with a guy on the radio.

Local DJ Alan Freed is credited with coining the term “rock ‘n’ roll” which he started using on his radio show in 1951 in Cleveland. About a year later, Cleveland hosted what is considered the country’s first official rock and roll concert. You’ve maybe heard stories of that concert, which had to be shut down because of overcrowding and rioting.

The hall of fame is open year round, only closed on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. Our recommendation is that if you’re going to visit Cleveland, avoid the winter. The cold wind off Lake Erie can be bone-chilling, and it can bring a lot of snow too. 

This is a cashless facility, so if you are planning a visit make sure you have a credit card handy. Their website recommends purchasing your tickets in advance. That might be good advice on peak times, but we’ve purchased our tickets on the day of arrival. In fact on our first visit, we found a coupon once we got to Cleveland that gave us discounted admission, so be on the outlook for that too. 

You can purchase one day tickets, currently going for about $35. If you’re in the area you can purchase an annual membership which provides some other discounts along with admission. They do offer a number of special events, including live music throughout the year. Check their calendar online before you make your final plans.

The overall experience is very positive, with only a couple of exceptions. Our preference would have been to see plaques for each of the artists inducted instead of the autographs on display. The gift shop has a cool factor of 10, but there is a price for that coolness. Museum gift shops are not a place you typically find bargains, and we weren’t looking for a blue-light special. But the prices here seemed a little higher than the typical tourist gift shop, so be prepared. 

Is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame worth visiting?

If you are a music fan, especially rock and pop music then yes plan on spending an afternoon wandering the multi-floor museum. You do not need to be a huge fan to have an enjoyable experience visiting the Rock Hall, as the curators make it a point to have content that appeals to a wide audience. 

The Rock Hall in Cleveland is located downtown, steps from Lake Erie. It is a great addition to visits to town for sporting events or work. We have several other Ohio destinations that we’ve reviewed, so check out our reviews.