But, the Museum of Bethel Woods, comprising those 37 acres of sacred ground that was the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, will revive the magic – and the chaos – that was Woodstock during a special exhibit between July 29 and Jan. 2.

It is a unique opportunity to see some 60 material artifacts from the "Woodstock Nation," that have never been previously displayed, in addition to a video compilation of rare footage, interviews, home videos and music from the concert.

Woodstock was a defining moment of a generation – the apogee of a youth culture – that, in part by the music – felt connected, empowered and invincible. Today, it still remains a benchmark in America’s historical timeline.

"Woodstock probably will never happen again," says Wade Lawrence, director and curator of the Museum at Bethel Woods. "It was not nirvana, it wasn’t perfection. Probably everything that could go wrong went wrong. But, to have half a million young people come together and work together as a community was an amazing accomplishment … there were no fights, not even a fist fight – and that’s been documented. It was the high mark of a youth culture, advocating freedom, anti-war, racial and sexual equality … all of these things came together to symbolize that weekend."

How the Woodstock promoters – none of them experienced, and the oldest one being 27 years old – ever pulled off the event is, itself, a miracle. The citizens of tiny Wallkill, N.Y., the original proposed concert site, totally freaked at the image of a hoard of crazed hippies descending on their town, and passed a law on July 2 effectively banning the event. Only a month before the event, dairy farmer Max Yasgur offered up his 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel. Construction of the stage, a performers’ pavilion, parking lots, concession stands and a children’s playground was barely finished before concert time. Other things, such as ticket booths and gates, never did get finished.

As the date grew closer, more problems evolved. It soon became apparent that the 50,000 crowd estimate was low; the new estimate jumped dramatically upwards to 200,000. The young promoters attempted to bring in more toilets, more water and more food. Even the food concessionaires (most of them totally inexperienced in handling such a large crowd) began bailing out. At the last minute, a ban was instituted by nearby communities prohibiting their off-duty police officers from working the Woodstock Festival.

On Wednesday, two days before the festival, about 50,000 people were camped near the stage. These early arrivals walked through the huge gaps in the fence where gates had not yet been placed. With no way to put up the gates or eject those who had not paid, the promoters declared the event a free concert.

It is estimated more than 1 million people headed to Bethel. Police turned away thousands of cars. It is estimated that 500,000 people actually made the concert (despite claims from at least 2.5 million baby boomers, still saying "I was there, man.").

And then the rain came.

But, history was created. Woodstock was not only the largest music event in modern history; it became the symbol of an era. Musicians (many of them now dead) such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, Grateful Dead, The Who and Jefferson Airplane would give the performances of their lives. Memories were made, a baby was born and an event of nearly mythical proportions was propagated.

Of course, the promoters had to deal with a reported debt of more than $1 million, 70 lawsuits; however, much of that was relieved by another cultural icon, the movie Woodstock.

Today, finding authentic Woodstock material is difficult. The reproductions are numerous; the provenance stories often convoluted and disconnected, and concert promotions was still pretty much virgin territory in the late 1960s.

Right now, "authentic" Woodstock memorabilia widely fluctuates between $600 and $2,000.

A Yasgur Farms quart milk bottle recently sold – after 23 bids – on eBay for $362; an "original throw blanket," $255; and an "unused – authenticity certified" ticket sold for $215.

This was a time before T-shirts – and other commercial items – were sold at concerts. It was a time when only a few very capable artists were producing poster artwork. Woodstock occurred during a period of time before Corporate America "really discovered" how much money could be made within the concert promotion side of the music industry.

Nevertheless, items at the Museum of Bethel are highly researched and vetted – including photographs never before publicly seen, original posters and artwork, rare T-shirts worn by the concert volunteer staff, a journal of artists and performances, and more – and back-grounded by true historical context.

"This is not going to be a hippie-dippy sex, drugs and rock and roll exhibit," the 55-year-old Lawrence says. "It’s a highly structured, multi-media look at the period of the 1960s."

Aptly enough, when visitors enter the museum, one of the first images and sound bytes is the now-famous 1961 inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy calling on Americans "to pass the torch to a new generation." From there, is a montage of Vietnam fire fights, civil rights atrocities, burning cities, and Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner.

"What we want to do at The Museum is take a look at the legacy of Woodstock and the 1960s," Lawrence says. "This was a meeting point of a lot of issues that was finally coming out into the public conscience … and there are issues we’re still dealing with today. There was an unpopular war, it was the beginning of serious discussions about ecology, we’re still fighting civil rights issues today, women’s rights were first being voiced … it’s this exhibit that gives us our chance to show how those years still resonate with us today."

Among the 60 tangible Woodstock items on display is a handmade 3 by 4ft flag made by three young women who came to the 1969 festival. "They flew this over their campsite; basically so once they got out into the crowd they could find their way back to the site."

Giving the flag "special provenance" is an accompanying film shot, panning the Woodstock crowd, bringing the campsite flag into view among the milieu.

"It’s things like these that make the exhibit more personal," Lawrence says. "It’s thrilling to see the permanent collection continue to grow and flourish."

Early reviews for the museum and its exhibition have been encouraging, according to Lawrence.

"When Brent Glass (Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of National History) came through our museum with this wife, he said: ’Now, this is the museum I would build for myself,’ according to Lawrence.

"That made us feel real good," Lawrence says. "It’s amazing how much the music, the images and the display has a real connection to people … and that’s people of all ages … it’s a period of time – a legacy – that we believe is important to preserve."

Contact: 866-781-2922

www.bethelwoodscenter.org

Eric C. Rodenberg