What is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland like?

Music is something I’ve always loved and these days I don’t leave the house without my AirPods in. Since the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland and I was travelling there, I just had to pop in for a stickybeak.

It’s a big deal among musicians to be inducted into here and it’s always interesting to see who makes the cut. There are a wide variety of artists who have entered the lists.

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

You can buy tickets online on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website for $35 each, but I didn’t do that. Instead, when I arrived I was directed to a self-service ticket thing, bought it there and once done I was given a wristband and told to start at the bottom and work my way up.

The basement floor is the largest (they get smaller and smaller the higher you go) and covers the history of Rock & Roll. This is where the majority of the displays and memorabilia are located.

There is a lot of stuff down here, ranging from musical instruments to stage costumes, vintage concert posters, adverts, photographs, song lyrics and more. It is filled with display cases, all arranged to create a coherent kind of story.

Naturally there is a focus on the United States, with some British artists featuring as well. It is up to date, as present day artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and the like are also represented. Funnily enough, I don’t remember seeing anything of Madonna, which is intriguing, considering her career.

And The Other Floors?

Above the basement is the floor you enter on, which has the gift shop and also a place to eat. Next floor up, I believe, has a bunch of musical instruments for people to play. Nobody was shy and people were making music all over the place.

Another floor lets you vote on who should be inducted next. You can see how many votes everyone has, which is fun. The same floor has all the inductees presented by year. Finally there’s another little floor at the top.

Now let’s talk about the prices. I thought $35 was pretty expensive initially, but once inside you can see where the money goes. Everything is very well displayed and well kept.

When it comes to the gift shop though, some of the pricing is appalling. $75 for a t-shirt is highway robbery! I was honestly shocked, so if you’re planning to make purchases, bring a wad of cash.

Overall Thoughts

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is well worth a visit, especially if you are into music history. There is a lot here from the 1950s to the 1970s in the main, which is what I noticed most. The time after that is represented as well, of course.

After the basement floor, which takes some time to get through (if you’re paying attention to things!), the rest is less interesting. That being said, I don’t play an instrument and if I did that floor would have been where I’d have hung out for a bit.

Have you been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.