Woodstock Museum Is a Must-See

It's hard to believe that with Bethel New York being only an hour and 20-minute drive from Binghamton, that I have never made a trip (no pun intended, you know, brown acid,) down there before this weekend.

Chris and I, along with our friends Dave and Jo Ellen Lozzi, decided to take a drive to check out the Woodstock Museum on Saturday. Dave and Jo have been there a couple of times for concerts, but the closest I got to Max Yasgur's Farm prior to Saturday, was when I went to the casino in Monticello.

Just walking up to the museum I was getting chills thinking about what took place at that site 49 1/2 years ago. 500,000 rock fans from all over the United States ascended on the tiny town of Bethel New York for three days of peace, love, and music. (keep scrolling for more)

As you walk through the museum it tells you the story of the 60s and everything that was happening at the time. Not just the music but all the news stories that were taking place throughout the United States and the world.

There are some cool artifacts in the Museum too, two of my favorites were the bus and the Volkswagen bug. (see pictures below) Another highlight at the museum is the big video room complete with bean bags that is set up like a stage.

You get to see live clips from the festival itself and you learn about how the neighbors around Yasgur's Farm helped to feed the nearly half million people that showed up.

The crowd was more than 10 times larger than what the promoters were expecting and they weren't prepared to handle that many people.

There's also a full theater inside the museum that plays clips of some of the bands' performances that week in August of 1969.

There is so much to see that we did not get to see everything. We spent a good two and a half hours inside the museum and did even make it to the lower level except to use the restrooms. Part of the reason we didn't see it all was because we wanted to go outside and have our pictures taken by the monument overlooking the stage area and the hill before it got dark.

I got chills standing there thinking about all the legendary artist that performed there and imagining that massive crowd packed onto the hillside.

The four of us decided that we will go down again in the summer so we can walk around the grounds and gardens outside the museum.

I can't wait to see what Bethel Woods has in store for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock this August.

If you are a fan of classic rock, history, or just want to do something cool, do yourself a favor and check out the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods for the Performing Arts Center. I wish I did it sooner.

Check out the picture.