Bethel New York: Is It Worth Visiting The Real Woodstock?

Bethel New York is about an hour and a half from New York City, and it’s the real location of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Wait what? The Woodstock festival wasn’t actually in Woodstock New York? I hope you didn’t already book a vacation in Woodstock in hopes of seeing the historical site of the festival.

The festival was about 60 miles away from Woodstock… in Bethel.

Today, you can visit the original site of the 1969 Festival, and learn about it in the Museum at Bethel Woods.

But is there anything else in Bethel? And is the museum even worth visiting? I’ll go over what the museum is like and if Bethel is a worthwhile detour for you to make.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Welcome To Bethel New York

Most people have heard of and even seen pictures of Bethel, without realizing it!

The small town of Bethel hosted one of the largest and most influential festivals of all time – Woodstock!

When I originally booked a random cabin in Bethel, I was completely unaware that it was within minutes of the original site of the festival. I was then very happy when I would actually have something to do during my weekend in Bethel.

Bethel is about an hour and a half away from New York City. I won’t lie, aside from the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, there isn’t too much to do there. But, that being said, there’s quite a lot at the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts – including the Museum at Bethel Woods (a.k.a the Woodstock Museum Bethel NY).

The Bethel Woods Center For The Arts

The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is the MAIN attraction in Bethel. It’s home to the Museum at Bethel Woods (a.k.a the Woodstock museum Bethel NY), the historic site of Woodstock, and hosts a variety of events and festivals throughout the year!

P.S. Check here to see what’s happening when you visit.

At the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, you never really have to leave. You can spend an entire day here at the museum and exploring the grounds. They even have a café with a beautiful outdoor terrace for you to enjoy if the weather is nice.

The Museum At Bethel Woods (A.K.A. The Woodstock Museum)

The Museum At Bethel Woods is the official Woodstock Festival Museum. This museum is all about setting the scene of the 60s and displaying everything there is to know about the festival.

P.S. If you book your tickets online you get a discount on the price.

Visit The Historic Site Of Woodstock (& The Woodstock Monument)

You can see the historical site of the Woodstock festival from two locations. If you have tickets to the museum, you can walk out at the top of the hill.

You’ll be looking down to see where the stage would have been. It’s worth going to see if you’ve already paid for the museum, but I actually like the free view better. From the museum lookout, you’ll also get a fantastic view of Upstate New York though!

You can see the historic site and monument for free! From the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, drive (or walk down) to the base of the hill where there’s a small parking lot. This is where you’ll find the Woodstock Monument and you’ll have a better view of where the stage was. Did I mention this part is completely free!?

Bindy Bazaar Trails

At the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, you also get access to the Bindy Bazaar trails.

During the original festival, The Bindy Bazaar was a marketplace and tail system that connected two Woodstock fields. Along the trail is became a place to buy and trade handmade goods, and to escape the rain in the forest.

Today, as part of the restoration project, you can walk the same trail that was there in 1969. While you walk the trail, you can also enjoy the art exhibit Crocheted Connections.

Festivals & Events

Even though this used to be just a farm in Upstate New York, today they actually have the infrastructure to host concerts and events.

They’ll host holiday themed markets during the day and themed family activities at night. Plus, don’t forget about the concerts they have throughout the year!

See what’s happening during your visit.

But Is The Museum At Bethel Woods Worth It?

I’ve heard of Woodstock, but I would in no way say that I’m a Woodstock fanatic. From someone who has grown up hearing about this festival, it was very interesting to delve deeper into the history and logistics. I never really understood the weight that his festival carried and why it was so famous.

That being said, the museum is definitely a bit much to handle. When you first walk in, I had sensory overload and didn’t really know where to go and what to read.

It’s a lot of colours – a lot of noises – a lot of text – and a lot of artifacts from the time. All around – it’s a lot, especially when you first walk in.

How Long Is The Museum

This all depends on you. When we asked an employee how long it is she said people typically spend about 2-2.5 hours. Google backs this up and says the same thing.

We spent under an hour.

It’s not a very big museum but there is a lot of information and a lot of things to look at and watch. We were really just interested in the festival and certain aspects of it so we kind of skimmed the beginning and the end.

In my opinion, the videos on the small screens are the most informative. You get all the information from these that you would want and you don’t have to stand for 5 minutes reading something. But that’s just me!

Advice: Avoid Popular Visiting Hours

We visited the Museum at Bethel Woods in the fall on a Saturday afternoon and I couldn’t imagine it with any more people. It’s not a large space, and they have a lot of films to watch and excerpts to read that are quite lengthy.

Both of those things mean that people don’t move very quickly! You’ll most likely be waiting behind people to be able to read or watch or see the artifact. Or you’ll opt to cut your losses and try to skip ahead.

If you are interested in visiting the museum, I would try to time it for when it’s not busy. Google will be your best friend here. They will actually tell you the least and busiest times of the day. It seems that going early in the morning might be your best bet! But you’ll have to check closer to when you’re visiting for the most accurate estimates.

Ticket Options

A general adult ticket to the Museum at Bethel Woods is $20 (see updated prices here). This gets you access to the permanent Woodstock Museum, the temporary exhibit, and the grounds.

If you aren’t interested in the museum, you an also opt for an augmented reality tour of the historic sites. You can also add it to your ticket price – see your options here. This is an audio-visual guide to the fields with video and audio footage from the 1969 Festival.

If you time your visit to be on the weekend, you can also add a guided Docent tour to your visit – see times here.

What Else Can You Do In Bethel (Or Nearby!?)

I won’t lie, other than the museum, there isn’t much else to do in Bethel.

You can go to the Bethel Market Café for breakfast or lunch (or both). And head to the Catskills Distillery at night. That’s everything that’s in the town!

But, Bethel is surrounded by a few other small towns and things to do in Upstate New York that are worth exploring…

The Delaware River

Less than a 15 minute drive away from Bethel is the Delaware River. If you’re interested in water sports, you can kayak or canoe along the river, or maybe go fishing here.

But there are also a few hikes that give you incredible views! Like the Tusten Mountain Trail is a popular hike and it starts with a beautiful stone bridge. The entire hike is a bit long though, about an hour and a half to three hours.

Visit Narrowsburg

If you’re bored of the Bethal Market Café for meals, head to Narrowsburg for lunch. It’s a small town (but still bigger than Bethel) with some local stores to shop at.

You have to eat at one of the restaurants with a view of the Delaware River once you’re here. Like The Laundrette for pizza and an unbeatable terrace to enjoy. If you’re looking for a quicker meal, or just a coffee, head to the Tusten Cup (they also make some really delicious sandwiches).

P.S. From Narrowsburg you could also cross the bridge to Pennsylvania if you wanted to cross it off your list!

So Is It Worth Visiting Bethel Woods New York?

Absolutely! I had a great time visiting Bethel New York. I wouldn’t spend a week here, but one or two days is perfect to get a taste of the area.

It’s very interesting to learn about the real location of the Woodstock Festival!

Need A Place To Stay In Bethel New York?

There aren’t too many places to stay in Bethel itself. Like I said, it’s a very small town in Upstate New York – which is all the more reason why having the Woodstock Festival there was insane!

Anyway, let’s get back on track on where to stay in Bethel New York.

The most popular types of stays in or near Bethel are cabins (for obvious reasons – there aren’t really any large hotels here).

We stayed in a VRBO in the nearby town of Cochecton. It was beyond perfect – clean, cozy, and only a 5 minute drive to the Museum at Bethel Woods. My favourite part about staying here was the sun room for game nights, and the giant backyard for our friends dog to run around in. See the property on VRBO here.

If you’re interested in staying on the waterfront, check out the Luxe Lakefront Family Cottage on Booking.com. It has everything you need for the ultimate weekend getaway – foosball and ping pong table, lake views, and even room for 16 people to sleep! See it on Booking.com here!

For more accommodation options in New York State, click here.

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API