In northern Cleveland, at the edge of scenic Lake Erie, you’ll find arguably Cleveland’s most famous attraction: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since 1995, this marvelous glass pyramid has attracted millions of music fans from around the world. It is devoted to the collection of the greatest musicians representing the world of rock and pop. Everything from old guitars, to stage props, concert tickets, autographs, and lithographs are hung in these hallowed halls.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame organization was founded in 1983. It needed a home to house its massive collection of great artists and their memorabilia. Several cities lobbied to be the site of the museum. Memphis was a viable candidate, with its legacy tied to the blues, Elvis’ recording career, and being the home of Sun Records. Detroit also had potential with the headquarters of Motown Records and its garage rock sound. Cleveland, however, had a famous spokesperson lobbying for them: Alan Freed. A native of Cleveland, Freed was one of the most iconic disc jockeys of the 1960’s. Although most might know him from the infamous payola scandal of the 60’s, in which disc jockeys were paid sums of money to get someones music played, he is often regarded as the man who coined the term “rock and roll’ as the new genre of music in the late 1950’s. And thanks to a massive $65 million in public funds, the hall of fame was awarded to Cleveland.
The city commissioned renowned architect I.M. Pei to design the shape of Cleveland’s newest attraction. Incidentally enough, the glass pyramid shape bore a resemblance to the famous Louvre museum in Paris, which was also an I.M. Pei design.
Inside, you’ll find exhibits that pay tribute to the most iconic rock stars. Every year, the hall of fame inducts new members that have made big impacts and contributions to the music industry.
