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Don't Gamble on Your Time Capsule Container

When it comes time for you to place those precious contents into something, don't skimp on the time capsule container.

Why spend time and money on your time capsule contents only to have the recipients some 50 years hence open a mushy mucky mess?

Time Capsule Size

We’ve found a great way to help you determine what size of time capsule you need. 

To help you decide on the correct size of time capsule you need, see the handy Time Capsule info-graphic, "What Size Time Capsule Do I Need?"

If you need a custom package, simply ask our office for a written estimate.

A Hollywood Time Capsule Story

Washington Mutual hosted a Hollywood Time Capsule event in January 2004. About 100 persons and celebrities attended. But you would never guess the secret that was buried beneath the bank company's concrete pathway! See this post for that answer, and also a great how to for installing a plaque properly onto wet cement.

Lost Time Capsules

There should be no lost time capsules. But unfortunately, future folks sometimes lose track of where the capsule was placed years ago.

If you are planning a time capsule, use the information in this article to  make sure yours is not lost.

If you’ve lost a time capsule placed in the past, use this article as a checklist to try various methods that just might help you find one that is already lost.

Time Capsule Size Revisited – What do I Really Need?

What size time capsule do I want? Is it what I need?

If you are just beginning your time capsule project, figuring the size of container you need is one of the first things you need to do. Whether it is for a small project (such as a personal time capsule or family time capsule) or a larger one, this article helps you figure size of time capsule needed by estimating the size of the items you want to put inside as keepsakes.

Simple Time Capsule Project Planning

How to Make Your Time Capsule Project Work!

What is the most important part of your time capsule project? It's you or your group. Yes, people. People will support you, and they will argue with you. People can make or break a time capsule project. Some people will come up with good ideas and yet others will give you bad ones.You can start with some good ideas here.

Standard vs First Quality for Family Time Capsules

Future Line Standard Time Capsules

Q: I am interested in a Standard Time Capsule on your website, but would like to know what is the extent of the damage. Are they small dents/dings or are they big? Is it possible for you to tell me more?

A: There is only a minor cosmetic difference, and you can see more detail in this article.

Bicentennial Time Capsule for Deerfield 200 in New York

The Bicentennial for Deerfield, New York in 1998 featured a community time capsule project headed up by Dick Kowalczyk. The time capsule committee for the Deerfield NY Bicentennial made an enclosure for the time capsule. We recommended that they insulate all around the time capsule container before capping off the enclosure. They placed a plaque at the top of the time capsule enclosure. Most time capsule events include both a time capsule container and a plaque to mark the spot outside of where it's placed. 

7 Preservation Secrets

Do you really need to preserve things in your time capsule? Use these 7 Time Capsule Preservation Secrets to get a good start on taking care that the gifts you are sending into the future survive. Handy tips you may not already know, about paper, photos & more. Some info is from our Preservation Hints leaflet, included with all time capsules.

The Best Paper for Time Capsules & Long Term Storage

What is the best paper? Which ones should you use inside of time capsules and for important papers that you will have in long term storage, such as wills and other legal documents?

Here we discuss various paper available today, which ones are best and which to avoid, and why. Some are best to use on a daily basis, others are more expensive but have cotton content and therefore will last longer and stay in good condition a long time.

Eli Lilly's Time Capsule Plaza

Photos provided by Eli Lilly show an interesting placement idea for time capsule containers. The Eli Lilly Time Capsule measured 12" d x 14" and they gathered their items in 2003. They placed their time capsule in 2004 at their Time Capsule Plaza in Lafayette, Indiana. Photos show some challenges that they succeeded in hurdling when they finally buried the capsule below the boulder. The capsule is secured beneath the boulder. Although today (in 2017) Eli Lilly is no longer located there, it is now Evonics, and the time capsule is still there. The owners intend to be faithful to the opening instructions, and some of the same people who were at Eli Lilly are still at the new company.

Artistic Time Capsule Preserves View in Manassas

When we hear back from our customers after a time capsule project, we rejoice. It is no small task to survive a time capsule project and event. These photos from 2001 show what one customer did with their time capsule. What she did to make her time capsule a work of art…and preserve the landscape's original view before it is lost forever.

Why You Can't Have It Both Ways

Whether you are wracking your brains to find the perfect Time Capsule container, or finding something that will do because you have no money, know this: you can't have it both ways. That is to say, you can't spend NO money on a time capsule container and have the best protection for your items. That being said...we have some recommendations for you, and ways you can save money without compromising quality.

Time Capsules 101: What are they and when to open them

This article helps define what a time capsule is, some of the history behind it, and how to choose an opening date for your time capsule. Find references here for the "Book of Record" made by the first time capsule ever - the Westinghouse Time Capsule of Cupaloy at the 1939 World's Fair. And it discusses how others have determined the opening year for their time capsule and the thinking behind them. Doing a report? Start here.

Time Capsule Shapes to Consider

Comparing Cylinder & Box Time Capsules

When choosing the time capsule shape you need, consider these things first. You might have a preconceived notion of what shape the capsule should be. "Shouldn't it look like a pill capsule?" is a comment we often hear. The bullet shaped Time Capsule of Cupaloy at the World's Fair in 1939 gave people the vision and then the preconceived notion of what shape the capsule should be. But when you actually do your time capsule, it's a different matter. Major differences in shapes are...

University of Austin Places Time Capsule

In September 2005, the University of Texas, Austin dedicated one of our stainless steel boxes. This U Texas Austin Bolted Time Capsule measures 12"  x 12"  x 24 inches (our Architect model). The photos show the U Texas Austin Time Capsule buried under the bricked courtyard in a cement area below.

Eagle Scout Project Features Wildlife Time Capsule in Upper Souris, North Dakota

Boy Scouts take things seriously, and Eagle Scouts especially do. The dedication Ceremony for one of the USFW National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) Time Capsules was spearheaded by Daniel Johnson for his Eagle Scout project. It was a project enjoyed by the whole community there in North Dakota. This ceremony was held at the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge in that state. And Daniel took the project very seriously. He wanted to make sure the items last long into the future. 

Believe in Your Time Capsule!

Preparing Photos – Digital vs Paper Formats

Q. What about preparing time capsule photos? Can we just put in a CD/DVD or a thumb drive, or do we need to print them out, too? And, if we print them out, what paper do we use? What ink?

When preparing time capsule photos, provide paper versions of your digital formats. It's natural to want to include digital versions of everything - they are small and cheap. But paper versions are better, because those who open the capsule in the future need no separate or special device to read them. Our current media reading devices are likely to change within just a few years (remember VHS tapes?). To preserve either paper or digital items, see our archival supplies and preservation kits.

Secret Time Capsule Tips for Future Thinking

If you have never done a time capsule project before, how do you think about it?

Find out how by doing some ‘future thinking.’ Those who place time capsules plan someday for either themselves or someone else to open it once again to remember and to ponder the contents.

You'll think about timing. Popular timing goes 10, 25, 50, or 100 years or more in the future. It may be meaningful: sesquicentennial celebrants will choose 150 to match the year of celebration, or simply 50 so that the capsule can be opened at the bicentennial. Essentially, any time capsule is a snapshot of today as well as a gift for the future. You want the time capsule to last, your contents to survive in great condition, and use a plaque to make sure it's not forgotten in the future when you are not around.

5 Tips for Time Capsule Burial of Family Time Capsules

You can safely bury any Future Line Family or School Time Capsule for up to 50 years or more. Read and follow all instructions that come with the sealant included with the time capsule. With these 5 basic tips, plus our quality time capsules, you can be assured the time capsule is opened to the joy and not the dismay of your future legatees. Be sure to use your own common sense when placing any time capsule in the ground.

Mitchell Celebrates 100 with Time Capsule & Plaque

Time capsules help 100 Year Old Elementary Schools such as Henry Mitchell Elementary in Tampa have history and make it, too. So what do you do when your school celebrates a whopping 100 years? On February 22, 2015, the school held its Centennial Celebration with an ice cream social and dedication of the time capsule and plaque to mark the event.

Your Time Capsule – the Stuff Dreams are Made of!

Anticipation

Maybe it won’t be Sam Spade who finds your time capsule many years from now. But someone will find it. Someone will need to deal with it. What are some ideas that you can implement now so that, years down the road, those who open your time capsule might find their job a bit easier? For one thing...

Insulate Your Time Capsule Container

Case study from 1999's Millennium Times Capsule in New York City shows the challenges of placing a time capsule sculpture out in the open for 1,000 years.

Thinking about the challenges of insulation for that project leads to some timely suggestions for common time capsule placement as well. This article shows an example of what one organization did to commemorate the time.

Foothill Christian School Buries Time Capsule

Foothill Christian buried one of our time capsule stainless steel containers in May 2014.  Students and teachers at the Glendora, California school dedicated a time capsule they will open up again in 25 years to happy future memories. They also dedicated a plaque to mark the placement. The school first opened in 1964.

Types of Stainless Steel Time Capsule Boxes

We have two kinds of time capsule boxes. Both are stainless steel, both can be buried. But they differ in style. The capped archives box time capsule is a simple design while the bolted time capsule box is a more complicated design. Even though they differ in design, they still provide sturdy protection. In general, choose a special order bolted box if you need to store your items more than 75 years, or choose the capped box for moderately protected long term storage or burial up to 75 years.

When It's Time for a Time Capsule!

When do you do a time capsule event for your community? What's the occasion? Is it a ground breaking? You can do a time capsule project just about any time you want to do it. On April 8, 1986, the city of Covina, California chose to celebrate its centennial of founding. Along with the year's festivities, the mayor's time capsule was a primary focus. The community got involved!

When is a Time Capsule Vault Necessary?

A vault is not always necessary. But sometimes there are reasons for encasing a time capsule in a vault. This article discusses when they are useful and when they are necessary, and if you have one, how to make sure it is helpful and not harmful to a time capsule's longevity.

This article shows an example of a burial vault. Updated article as of 2021.