Olando The Vault

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The Hard Rock Vault, was a 17,000-square-foot music memorabilia museum owned by Hard Rock Cafe International, and was located at 8437 International Drive at the Mercado shopping plaza in Orlando;

the same building that had previously housed the defunct Guinness World Records Experience museum.

The museum's “Total Immersion Tour” was a guided stroll though the various galleries including: “The Back Alley” (dedicated to punk rock), “The Psychedelic Meltdown” (from The Grateful Dead to Pink Floyd),

"The Dressing Room” (rock 'n roll fashions), “The Light and The Dark” (the Beatles vs the Rolling Stones), and “The King’s Chamber” (all about Elvis). The attraction also featured a listening room, poster and art display, a recreation of the original Memphis Sun Studios, and, of course, a Hard Rock gift shop.

The grand opening was held January 16, 2003. It closed in September, 2004. Apparently tourists weren't that interested in paying $14.95 to see the same kind of memorabilia they could see in a restaurant for the price of a cheeseburger. After the closing the various artifacts were distributed back to the Hard Rock chain's various restaurant collections.

Text by Robert H. Brown lostparks.com