What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been

There are few bands, if any, that match the following the Grateful Dead had. From city to city people would travel just to watch them play. But since Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995, members of the Grateful Dead went their own way.

This weekend, Chicago was awash in tie dye as people traveled to Soldier Field in order to hear the last few concerts performed by the remaining members of the Grateful Dead. Soldier Field was the location of the last concert the band played together before Garcia’s death.

To celebrate this experience, The Field Museum hosted an exhibit featuring an extensive collection of memorabilia, including newsletters, posters, tickets and a guitar that Jerry Garcia used. Also on display were hundreds of decorated envelopes people sent in for a contest to win Grateful Dead tickets.

While the exhibit runs through Sunday, July 5, if you’re unable to go, here’s a look at everything the museum had to offer. Unfortunately, the musicians seen in the video below were only performing July 4. Jazz & Colors: Wave That Flag featured various Chicago musicians playing songs from the Grateful Dead.