Bethel Woods Center for the Arts to unveil "Rock Heroes" exhibit

August of 2009 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, one of the seminal moments of the 1960s. Leading the nation in commemorating this cultural milestone will be Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (www.BethelWoodsCenter.org ), situated at the site of the historic festival in Bethel, NY and home to The Museum at Bethel Woods, which celebrates Woodstock and the 1960s.

The Museum will kick off the anniversary season with a brand-new special exhibit courtesy of Hard Rock International. Beginning March 28, Museum visitors can experience Rock Heroes: Selections from the Hard Rock International Memorabilia Collection, which features authentic pieces of Woodstock memorabilia from Hard Rock’s unparalleled collection. This one-of-a-kind traveling exhibit will debut at The Museum at Bethel Woods.

Highlights from Hard Rock’s Woodstock collection include:

· Pete Townshend Guitar – The Gibson SG Special is the guitar that Pete Townshend played and smashed at Woodstock in 1969.

· Jimi Hendrix Vest – A red velvet vest with a gold embroidered trim worn by Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s.

· Neil Young Guitar – The vintage cherry burst custom Les Paul guitar was owned and signed by Neil Young.

· Joe Cocker Jacket – The blue blazer that was worn and signed by Joe Cocker.

· Sha Na Na Silver Jacket – The silver lame zip-up jacket was worn by Sha Na Na during many stage performances.

· Sly & The Family Stone Shirt – The black and copper shirt was worn on stage by Sly Stone during many stage performances.

Music fans, history buffs, families, baby boomers, schools, regional residents and travelers can enjoy the Rock Heroes exhibit from March 28 – May 30, 2009. The exhibit will be located in the Museum’s Special Exhibition Gallery.

Since it was established in 1971, Hard Rock has been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities around the world. In that spirit, Hard Rock has created the “Woodstock Festival 40th Anniversary Limited-edition Pin” to benefit The Museum at Bethel Woods. Fifteen percent of all retail sales of the pin will go to benefit The Museum at Bethel Woods. The commemorative pin will be available at www.ShopBethelWoods.com or www.hardrock.com, and the Bethel Woods Museum Shop and Hard Rock Cafe New York’s Rock Shop.

In addition to the Rock Heroes exhibit, The Museum has also commissioned the well-known Orange County Choppers to build a commemorative Woodstock-themed motorcycle. The bike will be featured on the upcoming season of TLC’s “American Chopper” this April. The bike will also be featured in The Museum’s Special Exhibition Gallery, but will remain on display throughout 2009.

Complete information about the 40th anniversary programming and special promotions will be announced later this spring and available online at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

The Museum at Bethel Woods officially reopens to the public for its second season on March 19, 2009.

Museum Hours of Operation:
Ticket Prices: Adults-$13; Seniors 65 and up-$11; Youth (ages 8-11)-$9; Child (ages 3-7)-$4; Children 2 and under – free admission with an adult.

2009 Spring Hours
Thursday, March 19 thru Friday May 22, 2009
Open Thursday - Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00pm

2009 Summer HoursSaturday, May 23 thru Monday, September 7, 2009Open seven days a week, 10:00am to 7:00pm

2009 Fall Hours
Thursday, September 10 thru Sunday, January 3, 2010
Open Thursday - Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm

Special Holiday Hours
Columbus Day, Monday, October 12, 2009, 10:00am - 5:00pm and Monday, December 28 thru Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 10:00am - 5:00pm.

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Museums tickets will be sold each day until one and one-half hours before closing time on regular open days and until one hour before concert start time on typical concert days. Please call ahead to verify museum hours on concert days.

The Museum is open year-round for school groups, group tours and special private events with advance reservations. Admission to all exhibits is included in the regular admission price. Tickets may be purchased at the Bethel Woods box office, at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org or by phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Museum admission may also be added on to your purchase of any Bethel Woods concert ticket.

About The Museum at Bethel Woods:
The Museum is a not-for-profit which is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Sullivan County and the surrounding region by promoting economic development and interest in the region through arts, education and culture. For more information on The Museum at Bethel Woods, or Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org. Follow The Museum at Bethel Woods on Facebook and Twitter.

The Museum at Bethel Woods is an integral part of the larger Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a $100 million outdoor performing arts center and complex. Set within 2,000 bucolic acres in Sullivan County, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a world-class cultural destination, dedicated to bringing diverse, high quality performing arts and educational programs to the region. It features a Pavilion Stage with 4,500 seats under cover and another 10,500 on a natural sloping lawn; the Terrace Stage, a 1,000 seat Roman-style amphitheater; and a 300 seat Events Gallery, which present a diverse selection of popular artists, orchestral performances, community events, and music, and arts education opportunities, and The Museum Shop that features a great selection of Sixties and Woodstock-inspired gift items; The Shop is open during museum hours, and online shopping is available all year at ShopBethelWoods.com.

About Hard Rock International:
With 123 high-energy Hard Rock Cafes and nine Hotels/Casinos in 49 countries, Hard Rock International is one of the world’s most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya and Bali. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Macau and Penang, both scheduled to open in 2009; Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama, scheduled to open in 2010; Dubai, scheduled to open in 2011; and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012. Hard Rock International, Inc. is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

About Orange County Choppers:
Orange County Choppers started as a sideline to the family's steel manufacturing business, which was founded in the 1970s. In the late 1990s, Paul Teutul Sr. began building custom motorcycles as a hobby and in 1999, he and his son, Paul Jr. founded Orange County Choppers. Their first bike, ‘True Blue,’ debuted at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest. Now headquartered in Newburgh, NY, Orange County Choppers is regarded as one of the world’s premier builders of custom motorcycles and recently launched a production line of bikes. The OCC brand has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world and has also produced a wide array of merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, diecasts, assorted novelty items, guitar accessories and more. The OCC shop is featured on American Chopper, a reality television series that chronicles the lives of the OCC crew as they battle impossible deadlines to create outrageous custom chopper creations. The show, which has contributed to the company's quick rise to fame, debuted in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel and in 2007, Discovery Channel's sister station, TLC, took over the broadcasting and now airs on Thursday nights at 9pm EST / 8pm CST. For more information, visit www.orangecountychoppers.com and www.occmotorcycles.com.