Hard Rock Cafe Bar

Review

We've all taken field trips to museums as kids and, sure, seeing the size of a T-Rex was impressive, but you found out that museum tours can get kind of depressing. A million bones and a lot of personal belongings of people who have long since died don't exactly scream happy.

There has to be some way to spice these things up a bit. Maybe throw in a live concert or bar, since we're now grown ups, and how about a cool place to eat while surrounded by the memorabilia from your favorite rock band or singer? Now that sounds like a place we could spend a few hours without feeling like we just stepped out of a wake.

The Hard Rock Café has been paying homage to music since it opened its doors in 1971 and since that time it has expanded worldwide including the Hard Rock Hotel located off the Strip. But the iconic brand was missing a presence on the Strip until 2009 when it opened a cafe near the Showcase Mall.

The Strip location has given music fans another stopping point as they walk past the giant guitar that overlooks Las Vegas Boulevard. As they step inside they find items like a neon sign Aerosmith used on tour and a gold-plated microphone that Frank Sinatra used.

And while Hard Rock may be known for the more than 70,000 memorabilia items it has worldwide, the Strip location has given fans a venue for concerts, a nightclub complete with DJ-spun music and a patio that overlooks the nearby Monte Carlo and New York-New York.

Additionally, you can get married or hold your reception in a room deemed "The Chapel," that features memorabilia from famous couples. With a bit of irony involved, one of the mementos comes from the infamous pairing of Ike and Tina Turner.  

While you're on a trip down music memory lane and you don't see what you're looking for, stop by one of the interactive touch screens. On the 72-square- foot screens you can see that Beatles metal lunch box you wanted as a kid and a Guns 'N Roses drum set among other things. But unlike those boring field trips, this is one museum you don't want to leave.

-- Review by Justin Lawson