Grammy Museum gets first East Coast home at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

It’s no secret that New Jersey has a storied musical history with artists likeFrank Sinatra, Paul Simon,Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston hailing from the Garden State.

And that history is about to get a little more celebrated in Newark as it was revealed today that the Prudential Center will house the first official offshoot of Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum.

“As a New Jersey native who’s grown up with artists like Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, both of whom put this state on the map, I am thrilled to partner with the Prudential Center to bring the Grammy Museum Experience to Newark,” Bob Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum, said at a press conference. “This is where my love for music started, and this is also where my career started, so I’m most looking forward to the opportunities this will afford the young people and students of New Jersey.”

In addition to Santelli, Prudential Center co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer were also on hand for the announcement as were other officials from the project.

The Grammy Museum Experience will feature 8,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, including Roland Live, which allows visitors to simulate a real-life, on-stage performance, an in-depth look at the recording process, a rap and mixing/remixing tutorial and a dedicated section to the Grammy Awards. There will also be a sizable portion that pays homage to homegrown musicians.

The announcement comes just days before the 59th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Prudential Center is home to the New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall University’s men’s basketball team. It also hosts more than 175 events ranging from concerts to family events each year and sees more than 1.7 million visitors, a press release said.