Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir Guitars Are Part of a New Grateful Dead Exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

When Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh first sang the memorable ‘Truckin’ lyric “What a long, strange trip it’s been,” the Grateful Dead had only been together for about five years. Of course, the Dead’s rich musical journey continued for another 25 years, effectively ending with Garcia’s death on Aug. 9, 1995.

This spring, Deadheads can look back on the band’s storied career in a new exhibit called ‘Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip,’ which opens to the public April 12 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

“The Grateful Dead is a band that is identified with a remarkable era in American history, and, inasmuch as they embody that era, their work is timeless,” said Jim Henke, the Rock Hall’s vice president of exhibits and curatorial affairs, in a press release.

Highlights of the exhibit, which is scheduled to run through December, include multiple Garcia and Weir guitars, as well as a custom-painted Mickey Hart drum kit, handwritten notes from Dead concert archivist Dick Latvala (the namesake of the ‘Dick’s Picks’ series) and original lyric manuscripts for ‘Truckin” and other songs.

Hart will be on hand April 11 as part of an exhibit opening event to perform Dead material and songs from his upcoming album.