The Grammy Museum Experience recently opened The Beatles exhibit and it has become one of the hottest attractions in Newark at the Prudential Center — apart from going to see the New Jersey Devils. Taking a stroll inside the exhibit, Beatles fans take a trip down memory lane, looking back at clothing worn by the band, photographs, and memorabilia from the 60s. Plus, there’s a lot to do at the exhibit with the interactive displays. Read on to learn more about The Beatles exhibit in Newark.
What’s Inside
The “Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!” exhibit was curated by the Grammy Museum and Fab Four Exhibits. The Newark location drew inspiration from the Los Angeles Grammy Museum, which previously had the same exhibit. The exhibit opened on Friday, November 18th, following the opening night reception where May Pang, a former music executive who worked for John Lennon and Yoko Ono as a personal assistant, made a special appearance.
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“We know how important The Beatles are to not only part of this country, but everywhere, and so it was a no-brainer for us. We are very excited to have the exhibit here,” Mark Conklin, Director of Artist Relations and Programming at GRAMMY Museum Experience, told Hoboken Girl.
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Grammy Museum Experience)
Mark provided HG with an exclusive look inside the exhibit. He pointed out the organization of the exhibit: “It starts with the influences case, then it moves to the origins and some of the early newspaper clippings, and so forth. And then it gets into the crazy Beatlemania side of things like this Woolworth’s case is really interesting. There are all original collectibles that young people would’ve had in the 1960s, like, original licorice that hasn’t been eaten.”
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Grammy Museum Experience)
Some of the most interesting objects in the exhibit include the suit that Ringo Starr wore in A Hard Day’s Night, George Harrison’s handwritten set list on his guitar head for the band’s last performance in San Francisco, B.B. King’s Lucille guitar, Paul McCartney’s jacket worn at Shea Stadium, and Buddy Holly’s death certificate from 1959.
To highlight The Beatles’ influence on New Jersey, there is a special Atlantic City section that provides a recap of their show at the Convention Hall on August 30, 1964. In addition, there is an entire tour map with ticket stubs depicting the price of tickets at that given time — some were only $2!
Instagrammable Moments
Mark told Hoboken Girl, “There are a lot of little details and lots of little things. If you’re a Beatles fan, you can spend two hours just looking at every little thing. There’s a little bit of something for everybody.”
Throughout the exhibit, there are various Instagrammable moments where visitors can snap photos or videos for social media. For one, there is a replica of the Ed Sullivan stage with instruments the band would’ve used to play.
There is also a replica of what a teenage fan’s bedroom might’ve looked like in the 1960s to show how times have changed. Next to that, visitors can take a drum lesson with Ringo Starr or sing along to the band’s hits in a recording booth.
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Grammy Museum Experience)
One of the biggest photo-opps takes place in front of an enlarged background of Abbey Road where visitors can reproduce the infamous album cover of the band walking across the street.
Check It Out
The Grammy Museum Experience is part of the Prudential Center and is located at 165 Mulberry Street in Newark, NJ. The hours of operation are Thursday through Sunday from 11AM to 6PM and on event days, the hours are 11 AM to 8PM. Tickets for adults cost $10 and children 2 and under are free.
“If you like music, the museum’s a great place to visit. It’s inexpensive, it’s accessible,” Mark added. “If you want to come to a concert or game here, what’s great is you can come to the museum, take the tour for 30 or 60 minutes and you can skip the line and go inside.”
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Grammy Museum Experience)
He added, “There are lots of university and school groups that come to visit. On the weekends, it’s people who want to come and enjoy a museum experience that looks and sounds great.”
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Visitors can stop at the gift shop on the way out and pick up Beatles items such as hoodies, T-shirts, DVDs, and other little odds and ends.
The exhibit goes until June 2023. Previous exhibits included Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, and Taylor Swift. For more information, visit grammymuseumexp.org.
