Bethel Woods

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The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a state-of-the-art performing arts center located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York. The hope of its founders is to provide artists with the opportunity to play and perform on one of music’s most legendary grounds while providing a catalyst for strong economic growth for the Sullivan County, New York area and a must-see premier cultural destination for music lovers and concert goers.

1 History
2 Museum at Bethel Woods
3 Venue Schedule
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Beginning in 1996, cable television pioneer and philanthropist Alan Gerry purchased the original festival field and 1,700 surrounding acres, with eventual plans for an arts center. Bethel Woods is a multi-venue performing arts complex that can accommodate 15,000 fans at the main outdoor concert pavilion.

Bethel Woods features a 7,500 square foot stage, a 4,500 covered seat pavilion and a sloping lawn accommodating up to 10,500 people. The outdoor terrace stage has space for 1,000, and the Woodstock Site Festival Field can accommodate events up to 30,000 capacities.

The inaugural season of 2006 included 9 show days, while in 2007 that number was increased to 16.

[edit] Museum at Bethel Woods

Main article: Museum at Bethel Woods

Scheduled to open in 2008 is a museum and event gallery dedicated to the legacy of the 1969 Woodstock Festival and the decade it concluded. The $100 million project, launched by the Gerry Foundation in 2004, has employed over 650 New York State laborers and artisans in every trade and skill, many from the local area. The museums is designed to preserve the historic site on which the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place.

The interactive exhibits consist of audio/visual experiences, informative displays, and a collection of artifacts, and the permanent exhibits include: The Sixties, The Woodstock Festival, The Journey to Woodstock, Three Days of Peace and Music—Film, Legacies of the 1960s and Woodstock.