When I was in 9th grade, I went on a road trip that changed my life. I boarded a bus with a group of teens that I had never met before, and we traveled across the country. The purpose of this trip was to see things that we had never seen before, and to learn more about a variety of subjects through their respective hall of fames. On this trip I visited the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Although I was a huge fan of football and baseball, I was not a huge fan of Rock music. To my surprise, looking back, my favorite and most memorable part of the trip was walking through and exploring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not only did I learn a ton, but through the interactive exhibits and music making work shop I gained a ton of new respect for a music genre that I was not all that interested in.
Looking back that trip gave me many memories, new friends, and hundreds of pictures and also an appreciation for something new. It is something that I look back on very fondly, and that I want others to experience too. Because of this, I have decided to run a similar trip, with a couple of added twists, for teens around the Chicagoland area. Whether you have interest in each stop of the trip, or just one or two, you might find that by being around a great group of people, and traveling to some amazing and beautiful places can become a trip that you will cherish for many years to come!
The main stops on the trip include:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Size: 6 Floors and over 50 exhibits!
Newest Inductees:
ELO, Joan Baez, Journey, Nile Rodgers, Pearl Jam, YES, Tupac Shakur
Some Highlights Include:
Each floor takes on a different Era of music, from the Oldies and the British Invasion, to Classic Rock, to the Rise of Rap, and the Right Here Right Now (Modern Bands), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has something for everything! Each exhibit has interactive aspects, video and visual aspects, and of course a ton of Musical aspects.
The Baseball Hall of Fame!
Location: Cooperstown, New York.
Size: Three floors and nearly 20 exhibits
Newest Inductees:
Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Ivan Rodriguez, John Schuerholz, and Bud Selig
Some Highlights Include:
Diamond Dreams (An exhibit dedicated to the Women of Baseball)
Autumn Glory (A look at every world series in History, including an entire Cubs 2016 World Series display!)
The Base Exhibit (An entirely interactive exhibit)
The Hall of Fame (Complete with bronze plaques for each MLB Hall of Fame Player.)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame!
Location: Canton, Ohio
Size: 82,300 Sq Feet, and Newly Renovated
Newest Inductees:
Morten Andersen; Terrell Davis; Kenny Easley; Jerry Jones; Jason Taylor; LaDainian Tomlinson; Kurt Warner.
Some Highlights Include:
Interactive Area (Includes a Teletrivia game, Call-the-Play-Theater, an all-new Madden EA Sports video game display and other exhibits such as a display devoted to officiating.)
Hall of Fame Gallery (which houses the bronze bust of each enshrine)
Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery (Recaps every Super Bowl played to date. home to the Super Bowl Theater, an incredible presentation of a NFL Films production.)
Niagra Falls, Maid of the Mist!
Location: Buffalo, New York
Some Highlights Include:
“Journey into the heart of one of North America’s most powerful waterfalls. Hear the thundering roar of 600,000 gallons of water falling right before your eyes. Feel the Mighty rush of the mist on your face aboard the Maid of the Mist.”