Travel Journal: Hall of Fame Destination Ideas

Rock and Roll at Cleveland's Hall of Fame

At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, music enthusiasts can explore the world's most comprehensive collection of rock-and-roll memorabilia and have a heck of a lot of fun while learning about rock's development through the decades and its impact on global culture and fashion.

The hall of fame part of the museum is where legendary performers, producers, songwriters, disc jockeys, and others who have contributed to making rock and roll a cultural force are honored. Madonna and John Mellencamp are among 2008's inductees, and their songs are now featured in the hall of fame's computerized "jukebox," along with those of every other Hall of Famer. You can watch films on three large screens recounting each inductee's career through music and interviews, and see displays of some of the honorees' most memorable belongings, including Madonna's infamous cone bra and Mellencamp's guitar.

Are you a Beatles fan? Then make sure you save time for the "Help! Behind the Scenes of the Beatles' Movie" exhibit, which includes clothes the Fab Four wore and the instruments they played in that 1965 movie. Learn which bands and performers are rock and roll's most influential at the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" exhibit -- and see if any are your favorites. Then head to the "Rockin' All Over the World" exhibit, which makes you feel as though you're traveling through rock history. Dance in the streets during Motown's golden age in Detroit or hop across the pond to see where the British Invasion began.

These are just a few of the more than 50 exhibits that include treasures such as John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Jim Morrison's Boy Scout uniform. (rockhall.com or 216-781-ROCK; $22 for adults, $18 for Cleveland-area residents with proper identification, $17 for seniors, $13 for children ages 9 to 12, children 8 and under admitted free)