I feel the need once again to explain the relationship between the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame headquartered in New York and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. The New York board that chooses the inductees has nothing to do with the Cleveland museum. The museum has no input into the induction process. This information was told to me directly by the former chairman of the museum himself. In fact, he had some disparaging words for the NY board. So, once again, do not judge the museum by the induction process, flawed as it often appears to be.

With that out of the way, let me talk about the museum in Cleveland. They are obliged to highlight the inductees once they receive word of who is being added and they do that.

But that is a small portion of the actual museum displays. Quite simply, the amount of memorabilia, music and information the museum in Cleveland presents is simply incredible. They are not tied to merely celebrating those inducted and, instead, present a thorough and detailed history of rock 'n' roll music's evolution from its earliest roots up to current times and include the many offshoots of rock 'n' roll that evolved over the decades. As one of our tour participants astutely noted, the museum does an excellent job of casting a wide net in presenting the various strands of rock 'n' roll. 

Our tour group spent 7 hours the first day, from opening to closing, checking out all the displays and exhibits. Sure, you can dash through the place, quickly covering the 6 floors of amazing stuff to see and experience, but you'll miss the full experience. There are dozens and dozens of display cases chockful of memorabilia and information organized under a specific theme as well as numerous movies and television clips to see that illuminate the story of rock 'n' roll and its roots. Beyond those there are three feature movies to see in theatres that are extremely well-done, the first being highlights of some 38 years of induction ceremonies, with plenty of humourous moments. There is a film of performance clips and interviews from 50 years of Dick Clark's American Bandstand that is an absolute delight to watch. I came away with a whole new appreciation for Dick Clark after watching him interview a wide range of music personalities. The third is a documentary on the roots and impact of Elvis Presley.

There is an additional movie that features the entire Beatles January 1970 rooftop perfromance so close that you want to reach out and touch each Beatle.

We reserved the second day for seeing exhibits we might have missed on the first day (and in my case, there were still a couple of displays I missed checking out the day before) and time for the gigantic gift shop (you need plenty of time for all the merch they offer). 

Added to all this are the half-dozen intercative kiosks that allow you to listen to the artists who influenced the early roots of rock 'n' roll, the 500 greatest rock 'n' roll songs of all time (subjective, of course), One Hit Wonders by alphabetical order, television screens located throughout the exhibit that present information such as the country, blues and jazz music influences on rock 'n' roll and protests against rock 'n' roll music in the 1950s and 1980s (Tipper Gore and warning labels).

There are display cases highlighting artifacts from a variety of rock 'n' roll music genres such as blues, rockabilly, soul, R 'n' B, British Invasion, punk, New Wave, Metal, psychedelic, Rap, Country rock as well as display cases that feature music memorabilia from a number of key cities. And there are dozens and dozens of vintage and historically-important music instruments throughout the 6 floors. And don't forget all the cool clothes/costumes of a wide range of music stars and influential movers 'n' shakers.

And as if that wasn't enough, they also have a couple of exhibits that allow you to play along with tracks (guitars, bass, keys and drums are offered) as well as to jam. You might have caught the videos of me jamming there.

I am only scratching the surface for what you can expect to see, do and experience at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. If you are an obsessive rock 'n' roll nut like me or even have just a mild interest, you don't want to miss the Rock Hall experience. No, I'm not shilling for my trips through Heartland Travel. Go on your own. If a trip to the Rock Hall is on your bucket list, don't wait too long. You will not be disappointed, I promise you.