The Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center is now showing a retrospective of Bruce Springsteen’s early years living in Long Branch. An archival photo among those on view shows Springsteen and the E Street Band in 1972. Photo Courtesy Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center/Ed Gallucci 
Springsteen Archives staff with Mayor John Pallone of Long Branch, second from left, and Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy, center, at the exhibition. Photo Courtesy Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center
By Mary Ann Bourbeau
LONG BRANCH – A retrospective highlighting Bruce Springsteen’s early years living in Long Branch, where he wrote the songs on his breakthrough album “Born to Run,” is on display at the Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center through Nov. 15. The exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the record, which was released Aug. 25, 1975, and solidified Springsteen’s place in rock ’n’ roll, launching him to worldwide fame.
The presentation is in collaboration with Monmouth University and the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.
“Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and influential musicians to have ever lived and we are proud of his roots here in Long Branch,” said Mayor John Pallone. “Not many people know the importance of his time spent in Long Branch and how it shaped specifically the ‘Born to Run’ album, ultimately propelling his career. We want to thank Monmouth University and the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music for this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit.”
On display are early concert photos, rare photographs by David Gahr and Eric Meola, some photographs taken by locals and the Elvis Presley button Bruce famously wore on the “Born to Run” album cover. A fan-interactive section invites guests to share their own Springsteen memories on vintage postcards, each one becoming part of the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The exhibit also features a slideshow of photos, including Springsteen as a child and locations that were important to him in Long Branch.
“I wrote ‘Born to Run’ sitting on the edge of my bed in a cottage I’d newly rented at 7½ West End Court in West Long Branch, New Jersey,” Springsteen wrote in his 2016 memoir “Born to Run.”
“I was in the midst of giving myself a crash tutorial in ’50s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll. I had a small table holding a record player at the side of my cot, so I was just one drowsy roll away from dropping the needle onto my favorite album of the moment.”
There he drifted away listening to the sounds of Roy Orbison, Phil Spector and Duane Eddy, and it was there, five decades ago, that he wrote “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Jungleland,” “Backstreets” and the title track, “Born to Run.”
The exhibit also features album promotional materials and other iconic Springsteen artifacts, including a green drum set from his early band, Earth, and an exact replica of the guitar on the “Born to Run” album cover.
Visitors can get a glimpse into his surfing days by viewing the surfboard he used in 1974 and 1975 while living in an 828-square-foot cottage just a block and a half from the beach. There is an entire section dedicated to West End in the 1970s, highlighting its lasting impact on Springsteen’s life and music.
“This exhibit deepens our shared commitment to preserving the cultural legacy of the Jersey Shore and the music that has defined generations,” said Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy. “We are proud to partner with the City of Long Branch to highlight the creative spirit rooted in this community and its influence on American music.”
The Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center will also host a variety of programs throughout the exhibition, including a Bruce Springsteen song open mic night, a presentation on his years in Long Branch and a storytelling event. For details, follow the City of Long Branch on social media accounts.
“With the opening of our new center in the spring of 2026, located in Long Branch, we saw an opportunity to collaborate on an exhibit that highlights Bruce Springsteen’s connection to the city where he was born and where he wrote ‘Born to Run,’ ” said Eileen Chapman, director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University.
More than 400 people attended the exhibit’s opening reception, including Springsteen’s former drummer Vini (Mad Dog) Lopez, and Marilyn Rocky, the landlord who rented the West End cottage to the aspiring rock star.
The Archives will sponsor a series of events for the first week of September, including a full-day symposium featuring members of the E Street Band, a screening of rare film footage with Thom Zimny and Max Weinberg, an academic conference, a photo exhibit by Eric Meola – who shot the album cover – and a walking tour of West End, which will include a visit to the cottage at 7½ West End Court. For more information, visit springsteenarchives.org.
Admission to the Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center exhibit is free. The center is located at 577 Broadway, Long Branch, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The article originally appeared in the August 28 – September 3, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
