Cleveland

Cleveland Rocks, Jocks and Bach

By: Debbie Stock

“We’re huge rock fans,” said Shelby, a teenager from Hamilton, Indiana, who stood with her girlfriend and folks on the plaza of the unique $92 million Rock and Roll complex. “Our family couldn’t think of a better place to spend vacation than right here!” she beamed with excitement. The best-attended hall of fame museum in the U.S. (6,000,000 visitors to date) is nothing to sneeze at. Perplexing in its design that includes a pyramid, tower and geometric protrusions, renown Chinese architect I.M. Pei, broke the mold when creating a building photographed more than any other subject in Cleveland. It opened in 1995 and has become the must-see attraction for rock fans, researchers, students and vacationers, of course. With seven stories and scores of exhibits, including the Rock & Roll Hall Fame, it houses the largest collection of rock music memorabilia, documents and artifacts on the planet. You can easily spend hours or days looking at permanent and rotating exhibits that include famous guitars, autographs, albums, and the Hall of Fame, which takes up an entire floor.

Launched around the time that the first episode of the Drew Carey Show helped put Cleveland on the map, home-grown Carey and his hit TV series forever tied the city to rock music. At the beginning of each episode, a dance skit and catchy tune by rocker Ian Hunter repeated a mantra 42 times—Cleveland rocks. The half-hour TV comedy which ran from 1995 to 2004 still appears in syndication, and keeps that chant on the lips of visitors—Cleveland rocks!

Though the city’s rock & roll roots stem from the first ever rock concert held there in 1952, much older rocks are worth exploring during a journey that will knock your socks off! When visiting this Rock & Roll capital, there are many hotels to select, but you can't go wrong with the popular Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade. Located in an historic building, the charms of this property are large, amenities top notch and the location allows guests to walk to most attractions.

Cleveland’s rocks you walk on may have come from Cleveland Quarries, one of the world’s largest, oldest sandstone deposits. Berea stone is produced, then sold in a huge outdoor complex, complete with oversized scales that weigh the gems you load into your vehicle to take with you. This souvenir is best for vacationers in vans, RV’s and trucks. Read more about the Cleveland rocks.

Hotels in Cleveland, OH