Bruce Springsteen museum and exhibition space coming to firehouse in Freehold
His hometown is now going to have his museum and exhibition space.
The Freehold firehouse, 49 W. Main St., will house the new Bruce Springsteen spot, according to the resolution before the borough council on Monday, March 7. The space will be renovated to present Springsteen artifacts, photographs, multimedia displays of voice, film, concert footage, interviews and interactive displays.
The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University and Freehold are collaborating on the museum. The Fire Department building, which is no longer “adequate for the borough’s fire safety needs,” according to the resolution, will be relocated as part of the Freehold Center Core Redevelopment Plan.
“On behalf of the entire council, I can say we are so excited to see this collaboration with the Springsteen Archives move forward,” said Freehold Mayor Kevin Kane in a statement. “This will be the centerpiece of our redevelopment project and will be a fabulous addition to historic downtown Freehold.”
The anticipated opening date is mid-2024.
“Together, the Springsteen exhibition in Freehold and the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music on the campus of Monmouth University will ensure that the musical legacy of Springsteen and his important role in American music history remain in New Jersey for generations to come,” said Springsteen Archives director Eileen Chapman in a statement. “The Springsteen exhibition in Freehold will allow us to provide not only exciting exhibits that tell the story of Springsteen’s early years, but also dynamic educational and public programs with strong ties to the community and area schools. This exhibition will be an educational resource for teachers, with pre-tour activities for school groups."
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The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University became the official archival repository for Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals and artifacts in 2017.
The Archives curated the "Bruce Springsteen Live!" exhibit, on display through March 20 at the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center in Newark. The exhibit heads to the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next.
The Archives also partnered with the Monmouth County Historical Association for the “Springsteen: His Hometown” exhibit in Freehold. “Hometown” opened in the fall of 2019 and coincided with Springsteen's 70th birthday — and the centennial of Freehold Borough.
“The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music is pleased to welcome our new Freehold partners as we develop on the campus on Monmouth University one of the country’s premier cultural and educational institutions dedicated to preserving the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and celebrating the long, rich story of American music,” said Patrick Leahy, Monmouth University President and Chairman of the Archives Board of Directors, in a statement.
Fans come from around the world to Freehold to see the sites Springsteen sings about in his songs, and the houses he grew up in.
Story continues after gallery
“The central idea behind the Freehold project is to tell the story of Bruce Springsteen as a writer, as a storyteller, as a chronicler of America, and how his story and the story of his hometown intertwine to tell the larger story of his country,” said Freehold historian Kevin Coyne, who will co-curate the museum with the Springsteen Archives.
Springsteen’s youth in Freehold, and sites in the borough, were a major storyline in "Springsteen on Broadway.” The Boss performed the “My Hometown” segment of the music play on the 2018 broadcast of the Tony Awards.
He’s often seen in town these days.
“Maybe all the writing about the past and things have brought me back a little bit, and plus maybe we’ve just been home more,” Springsteen told the USA TODAY NETWORK NNew Jersey in 2019. “I get there pretty regularly you know, whether it’s Federici’s or Jersey Freeze, driving through or stopping and seeing a friend. I still come through pretty regularly.”
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen museum coming to Freehold NJ firehouse
