The building contains seven levels.
On the lower level is the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the museum's main gallery.
It includes exhibits on the roots of rock and roll (gospel, blues, rhythm & blues and folk, country and bluegrass).
It also features exhibits on cities that have had a major impact on rock and roll: Memphis, Detroit, London, Liverpool, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
There are exhibits about soul music, the Fifties, Sun Records, hip hop music, Cleveland's rock and roll legacy, the music of the Midwest, rock and roll radio and dee-jays, and the many protests against rock and roll.
This gallery also has exhibits that focus on individual artists, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and others.
Finally, the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall includes a theatre that features films on various subjects such as American Bandstand.

The first floor of the museum is the entrance level.
It includes a cafe, a stage that the museum uses for various special performances and events throughout the year, and a section called "Backstage Stories."
The second floor includes several interactive kiosks that feature programs on one-hit wonders and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
This level also includes a gallery with artifact-filled exhibits about Les Paul, Alan Freed, Sam Phillips and the evolution of audio technology.

Visitors enter the Hall of Fame section of the museum on the third floor.
This section includes "The Power of Rock Experience," which includes one of Jonathan Demme's final works, a film shown in the Connor Theater.
The film includes musical highlights from some of the Hall's induction ceremonies.
Visitors exit the Hall of Fame section on the fourth floor.
That level features the Foster Theater, a state-of-the-art 3-D theater that is used for special events and programs.

Finally, the top two levels of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feature large, temporary exhibits.
Over the years, numerous exhibits have been installed on these two levels, including exhibits about Elvis Presley, hip-hop, the Supremes, the Who, U2, John Lennon, the Clash, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, Women Who Rock, and the Rolling Stones.

Cleveland area musicians/bands who have performed at the Hall of Fame include The Pretenders (with Chrissie Hynde from Akron) in 1995 at the Hall's opening (they performed "My City Was Gone"), James Gang (with Joe Walsh) in 2001, Foo Fighters (with Warren-native Dave Grohl) in 2001, Velvet Revolver (with one-time Cleveland resident Scott Weiland) in 2007, The Raspberries in 2009, Bobby Womack in 2009, and Machine Gun Kelly in 2014.
The building contains seven levels. On the lower level is the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the museum's main gallery. It includes exhibits on the roots of rock and roll (gospel, blues, rhythm & blues and folk, country and bluegrass). It also features exhibits on cities that have had a major impact on rock and roll: Memphis, Detroit, London, Liverpool, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. There are exhibits about soul music, the Fifties, Sun Records, hip hop music, Cleveland's rock and roll legacy, the music of the Midwest, rock and roll radio and dee-jays, and the many protests against rock and roll. This gallery also has exhibits that focus on individual artists, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and others. Finally, the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall includes a theatre that features films on various subjects such as American Bandstand.
The first floor of the museum is the entrance level. It includes a cafe, a stage that the museum uses for various special performances and events throughout the year, and a section called "Backstage Stories." The second floor includes several interactive kiosks that feature programs on one-hit wonders and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. This level also includes a gallery with artifact-filled exhibits about Les Paul, Alan Freed, Sam Phillips and the evolution of audio technology.
Visitors enter the Hall of Fame section of the museum on the third floor. This section includes "The Power of Rock Experience," which includes one of Jonathan Demme's final works, a film shown in the Connor Theater. The film includes musical highlights from some of the Hall's induction ceremonies. Visitors exit the Hall of Fame section on the fourth floor. That level features the Foster Theater, a state-of-the-art 3-D theater that is used for special events and programs.
Finally, the top two levels of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feature large, temporary exhibits. Over the years, numerous exhibits have been installed on these two levels, including exhibits about Elvis Presley, hip-hop, the Supremes, the Who, U2, John Lennon, the Clash, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, Women Who Rock, and the Rolling Stones.
Cleveland area musicians/bands who have performed at the Hall of Fame include The Pretenders (with Chrissie Hynde from Akron) in 1995 at the Hall's opening (they performed "My City Was Gone"), James Gang (with Joe Walsh) in 2001, Foo Fighters (with Warren-native Dave Grohl) in 2001, Velvet Revolver (with one-time Cleveland resident Scott Weiland) in 2007, The Raspberries in 2009, Bobby Womack in 2009, and Machine Gun Kelly in 2014.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame