Psychedelic ‘Furthur’ bus rolls back into San Francisco for new Grateful Dead exhibit

Ken Kesey’s psychedelic Furthur bus has returned to San Francisco for a new Grateful Dead exhibition opening Saturday at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. The original 1939 International Harvester school bus, used by Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during their 1964 cross-country journey, anchors Forever Grateful/Golden Gate Park. The exhibition also includes Jerry Garcia’s 1973 BMW, publicly displayed for the first time, according to organizers. Haight Street Art Center says the show combines historical artifacts with performances, projections, interactive storytelling and a psychedelic liquid-light experience. The bus left the Kesey family farm in Oregon in August, its first departure since 1969, when it was taken to Woodstock. Organizers are using the exhibition to begin a multi-phase restoration effort for the deteriorated vehicle in San Francisco. The show runs through Oct. 25, while a separate Forever Grateful exhibition at the Haight Street Art Center continues through Sept. 20.