When the 25,000 square foot annex opens in November, it will be the first location outside the Museum’s home in Cleveland.

“New York City is well known as a vibrant place for aspiring artists and musicians, and some of the most internationally-celebrated musical performers of this Century have had their start right here on our streets,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “It's only fitting that the role New York City has played in launching the careers of so many of the world's most talented artists – like Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Paul Simon, Blondie and the Velvet Underground – on the world’s greatest stages – like the Fillmore East, the Apollo Theater, and Madison Square Garden – be recognized and honored with the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex.”

The state-of-the-art facility will focus on the defining moments in rock and roll history and will be designed to resonate with both the casual music fan and the seasoned rock enthusiast. It will feature an array of exhibitions, including a permanent “New York Rocks” gallery that will highlight key locations around New York City that have musical significance. The annex will also showcase selected relics from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s vast collection, including Bruce Springsteen’s 1957 Chevy, John Lennon’s Record Plant Piano, Elvis Presley’s motorcycle jacket, a handwritten poem by Jim Morrison and more. The annex will open in November, but advance tickets will be available through www.RockAnnex.com beginning in October.

“Establishing outposts like these is becoming a strategy of other major institutions,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Terry Stewart, citing the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Tate Modern in London and the Louvre in Paris. “These projects allow museums to extend their reach, but also provide space to travel exhibits and allow curators to display some of our priceless artifacts for the first time outside of Cleveland.”

Visitors to the annex will receive headphones connected to a state-of-the-art wireless audio system so that when they visit different exhibits, they hear relevant music specific to the gallery they are in. The galleries include:

Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to the artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a signature display of each;

Immersive Theater, an engaging and dynamic movie experience that uses immersive audio and visual technology to highlight some of the most explosive performance moments in rock history including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Who and Patti Smith;

Roots & Influences, a visual and musical exhibition on how past music legends have influenced the chart-toppers at the forefront of today’s music scene, bringing to life musical timelines of genres such as R&B, Hip Hop and Blues Rock;

Moments to Movements, which will highlight particular musical moments that created and defined powerful movements, and showcase many exciting and rare rock items, including a white Vox electric guitar from The Beatles that has never been showcased elsewhere, the necklace Jimi Hendrix wore at Monterey Pop Festival, and the handwritten lyrics to ‘U.S. Blues’ by the Grateful Dead;

New York Rocks, which will include an oversized interactive map to highlight key locations around New York City that have musical significance, including Studio 54 and The Chelsea Hotel, and will showcase items such as the notebook in which Billy Joel wrote all the lyrics for “The Stranger” album;

Cleveland Gallery, which will include special exhibits and displays that give visitors a taste of the larger experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland; and,

Special Rotating Exhibit, which will feature one select artist or band, with special attention to their time spent in New York City, rotating every six to nine months.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum was established to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs. Media and fans can learn more about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum at www.rockhall.com.

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