the Museum
Exhibits & Collections
This highly interactive exhibit consists of audio/visual experiences, informative displays, and a collection of artifacts, some of which are owned by The Museum and others of which are on loan to The Museum.
Highlights of the Permanent Gallery
- Introduction Area — Quotes and performance clips from Woodstock performers and attendees as well as Sixties icons and images serve as an introduction to the themes of The Museum. Their stories are continued throughout the exhibit.
- The Sixties — The decade of the 1960s was one of optimism, idealism, cultural change, turmoil, and the coming of age of the Baby Boomers. The election of John F. Kennedy signaled the passing of the torch to a new generation, a generation that, in turn, created new styles, sounds, and attitudes, and challenged traditions.
- Timeline
- Civil Rights and the Rights Revolution
- Space race
- The Cold War Comes Home
- The Counterculture: Retreat and Renewal
- The Woodstock Festival is Born/Planning — What inspired four young men to create the largest music festival of all time, why did it take place in Bethel instead of the town it was named for, and what did it take to pull it all together?
- The Journey to Woodstock — They came from near and far, by VW Beetle, helicopter, bus and thumb, to take part in an Aquarian Festival. Re-create the journey and get on the bus for a spirited film about the road to Woodstock.
- Three Days of Peace and Music — Experience the entire festival, from the audience perspective, in a nine-minute immersive multimedia presentation, explore the festival site through a touch screen interactive, and examine artifacts such as staff T-shirts and the 1969 equivalent of instant messaging.
- The Legacies of the 1960s and Woodstock — What Do the Sixties and Woodstock Mean Today? Leave your thoughts, browse other people's, and hear from personalities of the era as well as contemporaries as they address the lasting impact of the civil rights movement, the protest movement, the movement to care for the environment and much more. Explore music that extends the legacy of Woodstock and the Sixties to today and share your suggestions for additional songs that continue the legacy to the future.
View the exhibit map.
Special Exhibits
Beginning in the Spring of 2009, The Museum at Bethel Woods will host a continuing series of touring and in-house exhibits in the Special Exhibitions Gallery, located on the lower level.