One of the most recognizable vehicles from the 1960s has returned to San Francisco. Ken Kesey’s colorful Furthur bus is now parked inside Golden Gate Park, where visitors can finally see it in person.
The bus is the centerpiece of Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park, an exhibition celebrating the Grateful Dead and the city’s counterculture history. It opened Sept. 5 and will remain at the County Fair Building through Oct. 25.
According to the Haight Street Art Center, it is the original 1939 International Harvester that carried Kesey and the Merry Pranksters across the country in 1964.
The bus sat on the Kesey family’s farm in Oregon for years, exposed to the weather. Its trip to San Francisco marked the first time it had left Oregon since 1969 and the first time the bus had ever gone on public display.
The Bus Traveled Across the Country in 1964
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Kesey purchased the former school bus in 1964 after it had already been converted into a motor home. The Merry Pranksters added a sound system and covered the outside with colorful designs before heading to New York for the World’s Fair.
Neal Cassady, who helped inspire a character in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, did a lot of the driving. The group also filmed its adventures along the way.
The trip was later featured in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Furthur also became connected to the Acid Tests, parties where the Grateful Dead performed before becoming one of San Francisco’s most famous bands.
The Original Bus Is Still Rusty and Faded
If you’ve ever seen a bright Furthur bus at another event, you may have been looking at the second one. Kesey created another version in 1990, and that bus continued making public appearances around the country.
The original bus spent decades outside before it was moved into protective storage. Most of its paint has faded, and rust now covers large sections of the body. The bus is unfortunately too fragile for people to climb inside, but visitors can still look through its windows.
Once the Golden Gate Park exhibition closes, the Furthur Down the Road Foundation plans to begin restoring it to its appearance during the 1960s.
Jerry Garcia’s BMW Is Also on Display
Jerry Garcia’s BMW is also being shown publicly for the first time in the exhibition. The rest of Forever Grateful includes original artwork, Grateful Dead memorabilia, large projections, a liquid light show, and live performers.
The exhibition is located in the County Fair Building, also called the Hall of Flowers, at 1199 Ninth Ave. It is ticketed, so anyone planning to go should check available dates and buy tickets before visiting.