Cleveland: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (September 2013)

My spouse and I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early September 2013. The cost of admission for adults is $22. The museum opens daily at 10:00 am, and closes at 5:30 pm (except for Wednesdays, when it stays open late until 9:00 pm). The museum is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The museum is wheelchair accessible, with elevators on all levels. (There are also many escalators.) The museum has restrooms located on several floors, as well as an ATM machine and a coat check. You can grab a drink or a bite in the café on the third floor, which also has an outdoor terrace with tables and chairs. The gift shop is on the street level and features lots of clothing, posters, books, and music (CDs and vinyl, including 45s).

We spent about 3 hours at the museum, although you could easily spend twice that amount of time. The museum spans seven floors. You need to wear a wristband during your visit. The museum takes your photograph when you purchase your tickets, which you can view and purchase upon leaving the museum. There are several different shots available - your photo superimposed on the cover of Rolling Stone, your photo on some concert tickets, and so on. The museum posts the Rolling Stone version to the website SharpShooter so that you can share it with others (the photo is accessible and shareable whether you purchase a hard copy or not) and order copies.

Currently, the changing exhibit features the Rolling Stones, and their 50 Years of Satisfaction, on floors 4 through 6. Level 1, which is actually below ground, is a treasure trove of music memorabilia - clothing, music, concert posters, and so on; it felt like being in the world's largest Hard Rock Café. Be sure to enjoy the movie on level 1 at the Mystery Train Theater - you shouldn't have to wait more than 12 minutes for the next viewing to start (because the film is 12 minutes long). We had thought that we could walk around a bit to waste some time before the film began, but it was difficult to navigate our way back to the theatre quickly. Level 3 focused on the Hall of Fame inductees, with a film showing past induction ceremony highlights and signatures of all the inductees. Outside, you can walk through Johnny and June Cash’s tour bus. Only four guests are permitted at one time, and the space is still tight.

Our visit to the museum was acceptable, although it contained mostly memorabilia. We had hoped to learn more about the history of rock and roll, but that was not the case. Still, most guests seemed to be having a great time and enjoying themselves - even making a sort of pilgrimage - so perhaps others did not share our view. We are glad to have seen it, but we would not return in the future.