Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Here’s a fact: When you visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you and your companions aren’t going to agree on everything. It happens all the time — you enter as friends, you leave as … friends who can’t decide if Pearl Jam is more or less worthy of inclusion than, say, Journey.

No Rock Hall visitor leaves without weighing in on who should and shouldn’t be included in the hall of fame. Elvis? The Beatles? Those are no-brainers. Madonna and Run DMC? Talk amongst yourselves.

Why Cleveland?

In 2017 alone, more than a half million visitors, each with their own favorites and memories (and opinions), visited the iconic I.M. Pei-designed Rock Hall, which opened in 1995. At first, music fans were left scratching their heads: Why Cleveland? But our city has a checklist of serious rock bona fides:

• Cleveland DJ Alan Freed is credited with coining the term “rock ‘n’ roll” on his integrated radio show in 1951.
• We are credited with holding the country’s first official rock ‘n’ roll concert, a 1952 throwdown that would ultimately be shut down for overcrowding and rioting.
• Fourteen years later, the same thing would happen at a legendary Beatles show at Cleveland’s famed Public Hall. That’s just how we roll, here.
• Our legendary radio station WMMS-FM is credited with helping to launch the careers of some of rock’s biggest names, including David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac.

What You'll See:

• Visitors can expect to see one of the most impressive collections of memorabilia ever assembled — from John Lennon’s guitar to hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay’s gold chains.
• The Rock Hall also showcases a number of temporary, traveling installations throughout the year. Recent exhibits included a history of women in rock, "Girls to the Front," and a Paul Simon retrospective.

What Else to Do?

• It’s not all history. The Rock Hall offers special concert events like the annual Catch Meaning Music Fest in May, as well as a very popular summertime outdoor concert series.
• Don’t forget the induction ceremony and concert: Every two years, the biggest stars in rock history get enshrined into the Hall of Fame on its home turf in Cleveland.

Tip: You don’t need to buy a ticket to visit the gift shop, which sells everything from guitar pick earrings to T-shirts, shot glasses and, of course, music.