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An empty time capsule leaves Burbank Public Library with a mystery from the past
The time capsule monument sits in front of Burbank's Central Library branch on July 15.
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Makenna Cramer
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LAist
)
After 25 years of anticipation, the Burbank Public Library opened a time capsule monument only to find…nothing.
They were expecting to come across a collection of memories from 2001, when the monument was last opened. But the capsule was never created. And library officials don’t know why.
“It's a fun little mystery we got going on,” said Kathleen Zapata, marketing analyst for the Burbank Public Library. “Instead, we found the original time capsule that was placed in 1976 by the Burbank Bicentennial Committee who started off this whole time capsule project to begin with.”
The 2001 time capsule was never created, and library officials say they aren't sure why.
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Courtesy of Burbank Public Library
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The monument has four compartments, and while it says it was sealed in 1977, the original time capsule contents are from 1976.
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Makenna Cramer
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LAist
)
In 1976, the committee built a monument in front of the Central Library for four time capsules, according to officials. The idea was to open a time capsule, and add another into the monument, every 25 years for the next century.
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But wires got crossed somewhere along the way. Zapata noted the committee’s instructions were “a bit vague.”
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“Potentially, the 2001 crew just thought maybe that we were supposed to open the 1976 [capsule] every 25 years to maybe admire it? I don't know,” she said.
The library is now working on a 2026 time capsule for future generations — and officials want to hear from you.
Keeping up the tradition
Zapata said the new time capsule should represent life in Burbank today. They’re specifically looking for small, non-perishable items that will stand the test of time (and weather).
It could include movie tickets from all three of the city's AMCs. Or a yellow Porto’s Bakery bag. Or furniture instructions from Ikea, which Burbank boasts as the largest in the U.S.
“If anyone has an item that they could even donate to the time capsule, that would be fantastic,” she said. “We're open to absolutely any ideas that folks have … we hope that the community can join us in this collective brainstorm.”
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For example, the original time capsule included photos of the committee who started the program, a book of utility rates that showed what people were paying for water and electricity decades ago and a menu from a long-closed restaurant.
The items were a blast from the past, including a telephone book and utility rates book that showed what people were paying for electricity and water decades ago.
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Courtesy Burbank Public Library
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The Burbank Bicentennial Committee kicked off the generational project.
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Courtesy Burbank Public Library
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A few photos of Burbank residents in the 1970s were tucked away in the time capsule.
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Courtesy Burbank Public Library
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The first time capsule was from 1976 and included items that represented the area at the time, including a nearby JCPenney.
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Courtesy Burbank Public Library
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You can submit ideas to the library’s form here through September.
Zapata is also hoping that anyone who knows why the last capsule was skipped will come forward and cue the library in, too.
What happens next?
Once complete, the library will put both the 2026 and 1976 time capsules safely in storage until its new Central Library location is built.
The new branch, which Burbank got a $9.95 million grant for a few years ago, is expected to open in 2029, according to Zapata.
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You can find more information about the project and share feedback here.
If you want to see the original time capsule in person before then, the items will be on display at an open house later this year. Zapata said you'll be able to find the time and date on the library's website once those details are finalized.
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