"Can you help me occupy my brain?"

Black Sabbath is only one of thousands of Rock and Roll artists celebrated in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  Six levels of an ultramodern building on the waterfront adjacent to the Great Lakes Science Museum and down the street from the Cleveland Browns football stadium.

Just inside the entrance a glance around gives you some idea of what to expect.

Then it's down to the Lower Level to start the self-guided tour. On this level, we're introduced to the Roots of Rock: Blues, Gospel, R&B, Country, Bluegrass and Folk. Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, and Jelly Roll Morton all helped define and influence Rock and Roll.

Many instruments owned and played by the legendary artists are on display.

And

As the time line progressed, the more well-known artists had their own individual exhibits.  Like this one:

And Roy Orbison's favorite guitar:

The Beatles have a prominent display,

Jimi Hendrix has the a large display:

         

                                                                           

At every turn, the Hall of Fame is equipped with soundproof kiosks where visitors can participate in interactive listening exhibits. The sound quality of these stations is incredible!  

Moving to the second level,  Les Paul, Alan Freed and Sam Phillips are showcased in the Architects of Rock and Roll exhibit.

Les Paul is called the Wizard of Waukesha due to the combination of his birth in Wisconsin and his unique ability to create beautiful sound with a couple of 2x4's, a door hinge, some strings and a spring. Called The Plank, it was one of his first forays into the solid body world of guitar building.

On Level 3 of the Hall of Fame, the center point is the Induction Ceremony Highlights film. A presentation that combines film footage, music, and interviews to tell the stories of the inductees.  This was the highlight of the entire tour for Donna and I as we sat in a comfortable theatre setting watching and listening to a three screen presentation of every inductee up to the present. The sound system was, of course, superb, and we were practically dancing in the aisle listening to songs from our, ahem, past!  

Chuck Berry and Rick Nelson also have extensive exhibits on this floor honoring their unique contributions to the genre.

Levels 4, 5, and 6 contain Pink Floyd: The Wall exhibits, and Theaters showing special films that show the cultural impact of the iconic festivals of the past as well as the events of the current day - from Newport, Woodstock and Wattstax to Coachella and Glastonbury.

The touring bus used by Johnny Cash is on display outside the Hall of Fame.

Something I didn't know:  Johnny Cash sold the bus two months after June Carter Cash died because he couldn't bear to be reminded of her. Two months after that sale, Johnny himself passed away.

Our exit from Cleveland south on 9th street reminded us that we were in a very large, congested city!