I got a good insight into this from the Hard Rock people last summer, when it was in the planning stage, and it sounds like a genuinely neat new attraction at The Mercado (replacing the old Guinness World Records Experience). It promises about 1-2 hours of both passive and interactive experiences with the Hard Rock memorabilia collection, and I plan to have a good look at it myself soon. Here's what I said about it in the Brit's Guide in preview this year:
Hard Rock Vault
Due to open in December 2002 is the interactive rock n roll museum from the worldwide and highly innovative restaurant chain. After the success of their Hard Rock Live venue at Universals CityWalk and the Hard Rock Hotel, this promises to be another exercise in rock chic, with 17,000sq ft of dedicated space paying homage to the past and present of rock n roll in a Hall of Fame-type setting. There will be both guided and self-guided tours through a living timeline or chronological review of music and its effect on society, era by era, from the 1950s on. The Vault will also feature some of the most prized pieces from the Hard Rock collection from all over the world (more than 100 HR Cafes in more than 40 countries), as well as material which has never been seen before. The story will be told through video, artefacts, music and instruments, while the tour guides will play a big part in bringing it all to life. There will be a listening room, with a show of its own, a snack bar and a HR merchandise shop, and the creators estimate that rock devotees will want to spend anywhere from two to four hours here. Admission will be $14.99 for adults and $9.99 for children five and over (under 5s free). For more info, look up
www.hardrock.com
