Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Cleveland, Ohio

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened on September 2, 1995, in a striking I.M. Pei-designed building on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland was chosen as the Hall's home after a vigorous lobbying campaign — the city's claim rested largely on disc jockey Alan Freed, who popularised the term "rock and roll" on his WJW radio show in the early 1950s and staged the Moondog Coronation Ball at Cleveland Arena in 1952, widely considered the first rock and roll concert. The Hall inducts new members annually across performer, non-performer, and early influence categories.

The museum's permanent collection spans the full breadth of rock and roll history, from Robert Johnson's recordings through hip hop and punk. Exhibits include handwritten lyrics by John Lennon and Chuck Berry, stage costumes, instruments, and multimedia installations. The induction ceremony — held alternately in Cleveland and New York — is one of the music industry's most significant annual events, though debates about who belongs in the Hall (and who has been overlooked) are a perennial feature of rock criticism.

The building sits on North Coast Harbor alongside the Great Lakes Science Center. Designed by I.M. Pei and Partners, its geometric glass-and-steel form is intended to evoke the energy of rock and roll. The museum draws over 500,000 visitors annually and is Cleveland's most prominent cultural institution.