In Cleveland, OH: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame/Museum in Cleveland, OH.

The weekend of May 17-19, Tony and I took a long-awaited trip to Cleveland, Ohio, to visit my cousin and her boyfriend in the suburbs. We had hoped to go in the winter but never made it; probably a good thing, considering all of that lake-effect snow! The six-hour drive from Lancaster to Cleveland was well worth it as soon as we got our first tantalizing glimpse of blue from downtonwn; it was the first time I had ever seen one of the Great Lakes! And perched on the side of Lake Erie, like an angular glass lighthouse, is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, our first stop on the too-short trip.

The building is spectacular to look at it; a glass pyramid comprises the atrium of the museum, which is criss-crossed with escalators to guide visitors up four stories to the peak. The round, tower-like feature on the museum's left side is the Hall of Fame itself, a round room that takes its visitors up and around as they pass by the names inscribed under glass on the left wall. By the time you reach the top, you file past artifacts dedicated by recent inductees (the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys this year, to name a couple), before guiding you back into the main body of the museum. The building is completely full of light in its center, but shields the precious artifacts within using darkened exhibits sectioned off from the main area.


Tony is a musician by passion and trade, so a visit to this landmark of music was a must. What he liked best about the museum was that it covered all of the musical genres that contributed to the creation of rock and roll, including the blues, gospel, and early soul music. The main exhibit here takes you on a journey through all of these times by using interactive audio/video booths as well as artifacts such as--a highlight for Tony--blues guitarist Lead Belly's instruments. We also saw such items as: John Lennon's piano, organ, and handwritten lyrics; Diana Ross' sequin-spangled stagewear; Elvis Presley's high school football helmet; David Bowie's stage costumes, including his Ziggy Stardust getup; Buddy Holly's suit and guitar; Micheal Jackson's tap shoes and golden glove; The Rolling Stones' guitars; Jimi Hendrix's cape, shirts, and childhood drawings; Stevie Knicks of Fleetwood Mac's stagewear; Led Zeppelin's first recording contract; and more! The gallery is a vast wonderland of musical stuff, and it took us nearly two hours to work our way, slack-jawed, past its many wonders.

As we emerged, blinking, into the sun-bright atrium from the darkened exhibit, I was struck again by the beauty of the building. Even the cafe area offered wonderful views of the lake; as we ate, Tony and I observed several groups of people go out onto a balcony to take pictures of the lake or have their pictures taken in front of it, then hurry back inside out of the chilly wind.

After lunch we traveled up another set of escalators into smaller exhibits that focused on things such as music technology, music on television, the recording process, etc. After these smaller displays we entered the actual hall of fame display, walking slowly around in circles as we read all of the names. Then it was nearly closing time! 

The gift shop is vast and impressively stocked with many collections of merchandise, as well as a full music store owned by FYE. I contented myself with a magnet for my collection and a pin for my dad, while Tony took home some guitar picks for his students.

Tony in front of Johnny and June Carter Cash's tour bus!

The museum had one more surprise for us even as we were leaving: parked outside was an insignificant-looking bus that we had failed to notice on our way in. Closer inspection revealed it to be the former tour bus of none other than Johnny Cash! it was in his possession for more than twenty years, and he sold it just a short time after his beloved wife, June Carter Cash, died in 2003. If we had stopped at the bus on our way inside we would have been allowed to go inside it! Sadly, as the museum was getting ready to close for the evening, the bus was locked up, and we could only admire it from the outside. Amy later informed us that the vehicle on display changes regularly, so we're glad that we were there on Johnny Cash day!

Tony and I both hope to take our respective Dads to the museum someday; I would certainly go back. In short, the place is a must for any music fan, even if you're not the hardest of rockers.