Only Ohio IN

THE BUCKEYE STATE BOASTS WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

Ohio’s museums resonate far beyond the boundaries of the Buckeye State. These signature institutions are a must for group travelers, highlighting topics from rock ’n’ roll to the Underground Railroad, the history of professional football, the U.S. Air Force and firsthand accounts from military veterans.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Cleveland

Cleveland is home to the only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the world, making it a much sought-after international tourist destination. The museum’s mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock music. It does that using its exhibits and award-winning educational programs for students of all ages.

Every year the hall of fame honors a new class of inductees, including a museum exhibit telling their stories. Other exhibits touch upon how music has been an important voice in the civil rights, women’s rights and green movements.

Visitors who walk into The Garage exhibit feel as if they are at the beginning of their own musical journey, learning how to play a few chords on a guitar, a few riffs on a bass or some hip beats on a drum. The Jam Room is for more experienced musicians to show what they can do. Musical visitors can jam with the house band that plays in the exhibit daily.

The museum offers many fun experiences for group visitors, such as a self-guided scavenger hunt through the museum where they must attempt to answer 20 questions from the artifacts on display in 30 minutes. Voice Your Choice is an activity where audience members get to make their case for who should next be inducted into the hall of fame. Rock and Roll Jeopardy is a gameshow where contestants, drawn from the pool of visitors, get to show off their rock ’n’ roll knowledge.