We try to make sure our kids knew there’s more to music than the latest artists they listen to or watch on YouTube, so my husband and I expose them to various musical genres in our cars and while at home. While cleaning the house, we’ve been know to subject them to artists including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Motown hits, or even the Ramones. They may not enjoy every single song, especially 80’s hair bands, but they’ve learned to appreciate a variety of styles and artists. They can hear and understand how the bands they love, like Panic at the Disco, have been influenced by other artists like Freddy Mercury of Queen.
On a recent holiday, my girls and I took advantage of the day off school for a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Since it had been several years since I had visited, and due to the frequently changing exhibits, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Even my daughter, who had visited the Rock Hall on a recent school field trip, was surprised to find that much had changed since her visit as well. We had a limited amount of time to explore, so we decided to start at the top and work our way down.
Not surprisingly, each level we visited brought the music industry to life in some way, from the exhibit on Rock and TV, which highlighted the early shows like American Bandstand, Soul Train, and Sonny and Cher to MTV and Saturday Night Live.
In addition to these unique items, the Rock Hall’s exhibits feature film, video, and plenty of music. We enjoyed the kiosks that featured ‘one-hit-wonders’, and the exhibit of rock photography by Jeff Rusnak, as well as finding our favorite artists in the collection of signatures in the Hall of Fame collection, which showcases each class of inductees, by year since 1986. There were even interactive kiosks where visitors could enter their nominations for future inductees.
At the lowest level (Level 0), in the Legends of Rock exhibit, we agreed with the sentiment we read on the Rock Hall’s website, “visiting the rock & roll hall of fame is like taking a peek into your favorite musician’s closet.” This level featured stage costumes, stage props, album covers and other miscellaneous and interesting artifacts from tons of musicians you know and love. This display, which runs an impressive mile-long, covers artists from each era, from Diana Ross and the Supremes to the Beatles, the Doors to Springsteen, Guns N Roses and Michael Jackson and countless others.
Whatever genre you enjoy, there’s something for everyone. And while this exhibit opened more than 15 years ago, the ever-changing nature of the museum is most apparent here, where artists often lend items and artifacts for temporary display, giving fans the chance to geek out on well-known artifacts from their favorite icons, as well as lesser-known items, like John Lennon’s elementary school report card, Jim Morrison’s cub scout uniform, James Brown’s jumpsuit, Jimi Hendrix’s childhood drawings, Michael Jackson’s sequined glove, and Slash’s pinball machine…even the first draft of Bruce Springsteen’s hit “Born to Run”.
Dedicated fans could spend their entire visit here looking at the permanent collection, which also contains thousands of one-of-a-kind items–ranging from musical instruments and song lyrics to quirky stage props and colorful costumes. In addition, the museum borrows cool memorabilia and artifacts from artists and collectors for temporary exhibits, so displays evolve over time.
Plus, the place has cars hanging from the ceiling — three East German Trabant automobiles, stage props from U2’s “Zoo TV” tour. You’ll find that everything at the Rock Hall has musical significance, so if music has any significance in your life, you owe it to yourself and your family to visit the Rock Hall.
General admission rates are a little pricey, at $26 for adults and $16 for kids up to age 12, but Rock Hall members receive free admission to the Rock Hall and invitations to special events throughout the year. For information or details on the latest exhibits, visit www.rockhall.com or visit the Rock Hall on social media.
