CLEVELAND -- When it comes to attracting tourists, this city knows
how to rock 'n' roll. Led by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum, Cleveland musical attractions promise to keep the city's
visitor numbers climbing .
One of the new exhibits drawing guests to the Hall of Fame is
the Elvis exhibit, which opened Aug. 8 and runs through next
summer. The exhibit features more than 100 artifacts, many never
displayed publicly before, from Graceland's archives and from Sun
Records founder Sam Phillips. It is the largest collection of Elvis
Presley artifacts ever to appear outside of Memphis. It includes
items belonging to Elvis such as clothes he wore on the Ed Sullivan
Show in 1956, a shirt he wore in the movie "Jailhouse Rock," his
Gibson J-200 guitar and the suit he wore when he met with President
Nixon.
To coincide with the exhibit, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum also is planning a series of special programs, including a
film festival, a trivia contest, concerts and a lecture series.
Another attraction boosting Cleveland's image as a rock and roll
town is the new Hard Rock Cafe Cleveland. It opened July 2 at Tower
City Center downtown. The two-story, 200-seat restaurant features a
collection of rock 'n' roll memorabilia from Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame inductees such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and the Rolling
Stones. Across the street is a revolving, illuminated, 45-foot-high
red Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. It is the only Hard Rock
Cafe in Ohio.