When first asked to design The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 1987, world-renowned architect I.M. Pei didn't know where to begin. He had no idea about rock 'n' roll. To fix this, Hall of Fame board members took Pei to cities such as Memphis, New Orleans, and New York to witness the power of rock firsthand. When he came back, Pei designed the staggering glass pyramid that serves as the lakeside museum's façade, a hallmark of rock's power to lift our spirits skyward—and look cool as hell doing it.

Pei's conversion reflects the museum's ongoing mission: to "engage, teach, and inspire through the power of rock and roll" by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the ever-evolving work from rock 'n' roll artists worldwide.

• Size: All told, the museum is housed within 150,000 square feet— which is devoted to exhibit across 7 floors.
• Eye Catcher: Besides the 65,000-square-foot plaza encompassed by Pei's massive glass tent, it's hard to ignore the glittering suits or custom three-wheeled motorcycle within the Elvis Presley exhibit.
• Permanent Mainstay: No museum to rock 'n' roll would be complete without a survey of its varied influences. Hence The Roots of Rock and Roll: Blues, Gospel, Country/Folk/Bluegrass and R&B, a multi-section exhibit that highlights key artists who each uniquely contributed to the art form's evolution.
• Don't Miss: The exhibit dedicated to The Beatles, which includes nearly 70 artifacts—many of which had never been seen publicly before 2012.
• Scavenger Hunts Made Personal From Jimi Hendrix's hand-scrawled lyrics to "Purple Haze" to Bruce Springsteen's Seeger Sessions guitar, the museum has myriad delights scattered throughout its floors. And since rock means something different to everyone, there's an almost endless array of inspirations to be found.