Born to Run at 50 – Exhibition in Passaic County
Showing from February 26 - July 5, 2026
Passaic County and Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music Present Born to Run at 50 Exhibit; Runs February 26 – July 5, 2026 at the Passaic County Arts Center
HAWTHORNE, N.J. (Feb. 11, 2026) — The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners, in collaboration with the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University, announces Born to Run at 50, a landmark exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s transformative 1975 album Born to Run. The exhibit will be on view from February 26 through July 5, 2026, at the Passaic County Arts Center.
“Passaic County holds a unique place in Bruce Springsteen’s story,” said Commissioner Director Sandi Lazzara. “This exhibition honors not only a landmark album, but the live performances and local venues that helped shape Springsteen’s legacy.”
Released in August 1975, Born to Run marked a turning point for New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen and for American rock music. After two critically praised but commercially modest albums, Springsteen poured everything into a record that fused street-level storytelling with cinematic ambition. The result was a breakthrough: anthems of restless youth, escape, and longing that propelled Springsteen from cult favorite to national figure almost overnight.
Born to Run at 50 explores both the creation of the album and the cultural impact that followed its release.
As Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music Director of Curatorial Affairs Melissa Ziobro noted, “Born to Run captured the anxieties of a post-Vietnam, post-Watergate, stagflation-era America, while also offering the possibility of fulfillment through dreams, love, and resilience. In this way, the album stands as both a product of its time and a lasting reflection on the struggles and aspirations of ordinary Americans of the 1970s, and today.”
Central to the exhibition are Springsteen’s legendary 1978 performances at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic County, shows that crystallized his reputation as a transcendent live performer and reaffirmed his deep ties to the Garden State. Together, the album and performances helped set the course for a career defined by intensity, reinvention, and an enduring connection with audiences.
The exhibition is presented in three interconnected sections. Visitors will see rarely exhibited outtakes from the original Born to Run album cover photo shoot by acclaimed photographer Eric Meola; a selection of artifacts from the Born to Run era, including materials related to Springsteen’s Capitol Theatre appearances; and a dynamic video installation featuring footage from those historic 1978 shows alongside highlights from the September 2025 Born to Run 50th anniversary celebrations at Monmouth University. Those celebrations feature Bruce and members of the E Street Band talking about the making of the album, and have not been publicly available since the event was held.
Born to Run at 50 underscores the lasting significance of Born to Run, as both a defining artistic statement and a launching point for one of the most enduring careers in American music, while celebrating Passaic County’s pivotal role in that history.
Exhibit Details:
Born to Run at 50
February 26 to July 5, 2026
Passaic County Arts Center at the John W. Rea House
675 Goffle Road
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
Opening reception event will be held on Thursday, February 26th at the Passaic County Arts Center 6:00-9:00pm; to reserve your space for the event call 973-706-6640.
For more information, visit www.seepassaiccountynj.org
Media Contact:
Lindsay Reed
Public Information Officer, Passaic County
Lindsayr@passaiccountynj.org
About the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music
The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music preserves the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and celebrates the history of American music and its diversity of artists and genres. As the home of the Bruce Springsteen Archives, the Center serves as the official repository for materials related to Springsteen and the E Street Band, including photographs, historic memorabilia, oral histories, and more. The Center also explores American music more broadly by producing exhibitions, concerts, and educational programming that interprets and honors the cultural impact of American music past, present, and future.
Opening Reception & Events
Opening Reception
February 26, 2026
The opening reception event will be held on Thursday, February 26th at the Passaic County Arts Center 6:00-9:00pm; to reserve your space for the event call 973-706-6640.
Talk: Women of the E Street Band
March 21, 2026, 1:00 PM
The “core” members of Bruce Springsteen’s famed E Street Band over time are generally listed as Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, David Sancious, Vini Lopez, and Ernest “Boom” Carter. The band would not be what it is today, however, if not for a number of strong and talented, but too often overlooked, women. This multi-media talk will explore the likes of Adele Springsteen, Marion Vinyard, Barbara Dinkins, Dee Holmes, Suki Lahav, Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell and others who have supported and shaped the E Street Band from its pre-history to the present.
Talk: What America Sounds Like: 250 Years of American Music
April 15, 2026, 7:00 PM
This interactive, multi-media talk by the Museum Curator of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music provides a look at the iconic music that helps us understand our shared history as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence. Special emphasis is given to Thomas Edison, Paul Robeson, James P. Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Latifah, Bon Jovi, and others from NJ who have contributed so much to the American music landscape.
Talk: Born To Run and the American Experience
May 2, 2026, 1:00 PM
This talk by the Museum Curator of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music provides a close look at Born to Run’s historical context, lyrical depth, and cultural resonance, examining why it continues to speak so powerfully across generations.