Rock and Roll Hall of Fame expansion

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Thirty years after crews broke ground for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the museum will move dirt for an expansion that will nearly double the size of the Rock Hall.

CEO Greg Harris described some of the enhancements coming, including, the addition of a performance space that can hold 1,400 people.

Harris says the expansion will allow the museum to host large-scale traveling exhibits.

“(Those exhibits will be) specially curated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and essentially increase our exhibition space by 40% here at the museum,” said Harris.

Two years ago the museum chose the architecture firm Practice for Architecture and Urbanism.

PAU’s design integrates a new triangular building into the iconic I.M. Pei pyramid. 

Harris explained, “There will be a park next to the Rock Hall. It only has a very slight incline for accessibility for all to get to the lake. You can walk into this beautiful new expansion from the road. There’s no ticket required. You can experience this all year long.”

The original groundbreaking was in June of 1993.  The $92 million museum opened on September 2, 1995.

The Rock Hall raised $135 million toward the capital campaign for the expansion. 

The museum’s expansion groundbreaking ceremony is at 1:30 on Thursday, October 5.

On hand as they move the first shovels of dirt will be 1992 Inductee, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave. Sam was at the original groundbreaking ceremony for the Rock Hall; 1995 Inductee Martha Reeves of Martha & the Vandellas; 1998 Inductee, Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, and 2021 Inductee, Charlotte Caffey, of The Go-Go’s. 

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