Glory days: Springsteen exhibit to open in Freehold

Dawn Furnas//March 9, 2022//

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If you’ve seen Bruce Springsteen trending on Twitter as of late, rest assured, the Boss is alive and well.

The spike is mostly due to the March 8 announcement that The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University has collaborated with the Borough of Freehold to create an exhibition space downtown to celebrate the life of the Jersey-born rock star.

The Freehold Fire Department building at 49 W. Main St. will be renovated for the new space, and the fire department will be relocated as part of the Freehold Center Core Redevelopment Plan.

The archives said the exhibition, slated to open mid-2024, will feature artifacts, photos, concert footage, interactive displays and more.

“On behalf of the entire council, I can say we are so excited to see this collaboration with the Springsteen Archives move forward,” Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane said in a statement. “This will be the centerpiece of our redevelopment project and will be a fabulous addition to historic downtown Freehold.”

The Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold launched the “Springsteen: His Hometown” exhibition, presented in cooperation with The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, which is now open through fall 2020. Pictured from left, Karin Buscio, Asbury Park legend Carl “Tinker” West, Linda Bricker of the Monmouth County Historical Association, Bob Santelli of the Grammy Museum and Melissa Ziobro of Monmouth University. - MICHAEL KRAVETSKY FOR MCHA — The Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold launched the “Springsteen: His Hometown” exhibition, presented in cooperation with The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, which was open through fall 2020. Pictured from left, Karin Buscio, Carl “Tinker” West, Linda Bricker of the Monmouth County Historical Association, Bob Santelli of the Grammy Museum and Melissa Ziobro of Monmouth University. – MICHAEL KRAVETSKY FOR MCHA

Patrick Leahy, Monmouth University president and chairman of the archives board of directors, added, “[t]he 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 premiere cultural and educational institutions dedicated to preserving the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and celebrating the long, rich story of American music.”

Archives Director Eileen Chapman said the exhibition will be an educational resource for teachers as well as a tourism attraction for Freehold.

Springsteen was born in Long Branch and grew up in Freehold, according to Biography.com, and began his career playing in Jersey bars. According to the site, he won 20 Grammys and has sold more than 65 million albums in the U.S. alone.