A new Beatles exhibit at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum includes some items never before displayed, including the black wool coat John Lennon wore in “Help!” and Paul McCartney’s handwritten arrangement for the song “Birthday.”
If you can’t make it to Cleveland this summer, you may still be able to get a Fab Four fix.
A few Beatles-related items are among the 40 iconic pieces of music memorabilia Hard Rock International has put on display in a big rig truck that has been transformed into a traveling museum to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary.
The truck left New York City in mid-May and will stop throughout the summer at 33 Hard Rock locations across the country, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. It will reach its final destination, Hollywood, Fla., on August 15 and will remain there until the 17th.
Items on display include Jimi Hendrix's Flying V guitar, Freddie Mercury's spandex stage outfit, Michael Jackson's "Beat It" jacket, Justin Bieber’s skateboard, Marvin Gaye’s address book and Kurt Cobain’s handwritten lyrics. The wedding dress Madonna wore on the cover of her “Like a Virgin” album is also on display as is Ray Charles’ braille copy of “Playboy.”
Admission to the mobile museum is free. More information and a schedule of stops are available here.
If the tour doesn’t show up near you, you can see more than 1,600 pieces of rock memorabilia from Hard Rock’s collection online.
Other stories you might like:
- Redesigned Rock Hall opens exhibit on the Beatles
- Summer of fantasy and sci-fi at U.S. museums
- Live in a museum for a month
Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.


Oh boy! I can't wait to see Justin Bieber's skateboard! He's such a rock legend. The hall is a crock!
Legends like Kiss have still not gained induction into the rock hall while artists like the Beastie Boys are being considered. I've got to agree with Stacy on this one.