Go inside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's "SNL" exhibit
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"SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music" opens at the Rock Hall. Photo: Troy Smith
Live from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it's Saturday Night!
Why it matters: The Rock Hall's new exhibit, "SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music," highlights one of America's great pop culture institutions.
- It's the museum's most high-profile exhibit since 2022's Beatles showcase.
Context: "Saturday Night Live" celebrated its 50th season earlier this year with a three-hour TV special.
- The Rock Hall exhibit, which opens Friday, takes its name from a documentary about the show's great music moments directed by Questlove of The Roots.
State of play: "50 Years of Music" is located on the museum's bottom floor and mimics the façade from "SNL's" Studio 8H in New York City.
- Things begin where "SNL" does. Visitors can stand on a replica of the stage where celebrity hosts do their cold open.
Between the lines: From there, it's off to a room where iconic moments play on a screen with wall-to-wall surround sound and artifacts scattered throughout.
- There's everything from The Lonely Island's "D—k in a Box" and Will Ferrell's cowbell gear to Dana Carvey and Mike Myers' "Wayne's World" clothes and "The Blues Brothers" suits.
- There are also numerous music artifacts, including dresses worn by Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, plus the shirt Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder wore to honor the late Kurt Cobain in 1994.
💭 Troy's thought bubble: I'm not a diehard "SNL" fan, but you don't have to be to enjoy the exhibit.
- Walking in, you really feel transported into Studio 8H and there's something from every era of "SNL."
If you go: "SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music" is included with regular museum admission.
- The Rock Hall will welcome "SNL" veteran Fred Armisen for a special event celebrating the exhibit on June 14. Tickets are $40.
