Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Description

Checklist

Surface of lot:  paved
Distance to venue:  across the street
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  in the plaza
Paths and walkways:  concrete and brick
Doors:  double
Number of floors:  6
Elevators:  to all floors
Steps and staircases:  staircases to all levels
Width of aisles:  wide
Places to sit:  throughout building
Location of restrooms:  near food service area
Type of restroom:  multi-stall handicapped accessible and family
Ease of entry and exit:  easy
Baby changing station:  Yes
Available food services:  cafe
Friendliness of staff:  very friendly and helpful
Notes:  *handicapped parking on street is metered

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Cleveland rocks! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum elevates that statement to the highest level. Its mission is “to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll.” (website)Located at 1100 E 9th Street in a striking, state of the art building designed by I.M. Pei and situated on the North Coast Harbor on the shore of Lake Erie the””wow”” factor is absolutely accomplished. The surroundings are amazing.

After parking in the lot across the street or in a designated, metered handicapped spot on the street or being dropped off in front, a very large plaza must be traversed to get to the front entrance. The plaza is paved and flat and has seating to enjoy the view. Double doors open onto the large main floor. From there, access to the lower level and upper levels is by staircase, escalator, or elevator.

We had wanted to visit the “world’s only museum dedicated to the celebration and preservation of rock and roll music” (website) for a long time, so we got into the car and took a road trip. We drove all day and the next day we got to the museum as soon as it opened. Before we arrived, we thought we would be there for a couple of hours. Boy, were we wrong! We stayed until closing. This venue is a must for anyone who has been raised on rock and roll.

There are six levels in this building. Some of the exhibits are temporary and some permanent. On the sixth floor was an exhibit featuring photographs taken by Herb Ritts. He was the ultimate rock and roll photographer. Something worthwhile is on every floor, including interactive kiosks that allow listening to a song or artist of choice. The Rock Hall Cafe’ is on Level 3 overlooking the level below. You can sit and relax and enjoy a drink, snack or a meal at one of the many tables and chairs. Multi-stall handicapped accessible restrooms with baby changing stations are nearby. Arrangements can be made for the use of a family restroom, if necessary. The aim of the museum is to make it accessible to everyone. The theaters have companion seating and closed captioning. The theater featuring all the inductees into the Hall of Fame from 1986 until the present is down the corridor. This production was so engaging that we sat there for an hour and  half. There are other theaters. We relived our youth in the one that showed excerpts from American Bandstand.

Plan to spend a lot of time on the lower level, because this is where the museum is located. There are costumes and artifacts from artists, past and present. Both temporary and permanent exhibits are here. A timeline of recording industry technology is also presented. Go see for yourself!

Finally, the gift shop. It is probably one of the best museum shops we have ever been in. It is huge and spacious and chock full of rock and roll memorabilia. We were glad we had a car with a big trunk to hold all of our purchases.

The clock chimed 6 and we had to leave. We were sorry that we couldn’t come back the next day to explore the waterfront and the other tourist attractions located there. Cleveland is definitely hot. When you visit, plan an extra day.

As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to check a venue’s website, www.rockhall.com, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”

Location

Nearby