This coming Spring, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will present a new exhibit titled Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip. The exhibit will open on Thursday, April 12, as a part of the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week events.

According to the Rock Hall’s website, Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip the exhibit will be presented in a non-linear format. Sections will focus on specific areas such as the Dead’s recorded works, their touring career, the fans who devotedly followed them, the tapers and more. It will include finished and working manuscripts for classic songs, handwritten notes from legendary archivist Dick Latvala, artifacts from original sound designer Owsley “Bear” Stanley, and promoter Bill Graham’s Father Time robe and Grateful Dead Hotline answering machine.

The exhibit will also include an unprecedented collection of original artwork drawn from the band’s album covers and posters. It will feature instruments used by the band members over the years, including several Garcia guitars, keyboards, drums, percussion, and elements from the legendary Wall of Sound PA system. The Grateful Dead Archive at the University of California-Santa Cruz has loaned a significant number of items from their extraordinary collection.

Specific highlights Include: five Jerry Garcia guitars (including his Travis Bean TB 500), Mickey Hart’s custom-painted drum kit, two Bob Weir guitars (including his first Ibanez “cowboy” custom guitar), several original lyric manuscripts, including “Truckin’,” “Box of Rain” and “Sugaree, several original Grateful Dead-related artworks (including images from Workingman’s Dead, Without a Net and Fillmore Auditorium poster art).

In addition, The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum has teamed with the Grateful Dead and Rhino Entertainment on an exclusive line of merchandise around the exhibit. The items, including include apparel, accessories, and other items featuring iconic Grateful Dead imagery, will be sold exclusively at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This exhibit will be open through December 2012.