Surprise memorabilia!
Did you know that Steve Jobs put a computer mouse in a time capsule?
Image: Ray Shrewsberry
Time capsules work like surprise packages from the past, found hidden all over America, from the Gateway Arch to unassuming backyards. But, for the most part, these artifacts are filled with whatever people thought was important at the time, which might not coincide with what is important during the opening. Folks have buried everything from handwritten letters to coins, but also a few other quite bizarre items, in the hopes of giving future generations a peek into their world. Read on and take a look at some of the weirdest things found inside these time vessels!
1
An empty whiskey bottle
Image: Zhivko Minkov
In 2015, a time capsule from 1944 was found beneath the City Hall stairs in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Inside was a whiskey bottle with a humorous note: "Whoever finds this bottle may keep it. Sorry, there is no liquor in it, but I drank it all up."
The note was signed by Samuel Stevens, a former city surveyor. Along with the bottle were old newspapers and a penny, but Stevens’ decades-old joke stole the spotlight.
2
Electroshock therapy video
Image: Museums of History New South Wales
In 1958, a time capsule was buried at a former state hospital on the west side of Indianapolis. It included a video from the Bahr Treatment Center's groundbreaking ceremony, which focused on mental health care.
Though some audio is lost, the video references electroshock and insulin shock therapy . The footage is a somber reminder of how far mental health treatment has progressed.
3
A piece of cake
Image: Caitlyn de Wild
During renovations, a Niagara Falls funeral home discovered a 1948 time capsule. It held typical items like newspaper clippings, letters, and postcards.
But one surprise stood out: a piece of cake, possibly from the building's opening party .
4
Vintage optical glass
Image: Daniel Novak
In March 2015, a 19th-century time capsule was found in the cornerstone of a former telescope factory in Pittsburgh. It included what may be one of the first pieces of optical glass made in America .
The Brashear Company, founded by astronomer Dr. John A. Brashear, made telescopes and scientific tools from the 1880s to the early 1900s. By the 1940s, the site was used to produce bombsights for the U.S. military.
5
Lisa mouse
Image: Bryan Natanael
In 1983, Steve Jobs spoke at the Aspen Design Conference and added a computer mouse to the Aspen Time Tube , buried nearby. Meant to be opened in 2000, its location was forgotten over time.
In 2013, a National Geographic crew finally unearthed it. Along with the Lisa mouse, the capsule held a Rubik's Cube and a Moody Blues 8-track tape.
6
Vintage shoestore
Image: Erik Mclean
While technically, this is not a time capsule in strict terms, it can be seen as one. An American family inherited an old building from their grandparents and discovered a forgotten shoe store locked for decades .
The store, active from the 1940s to 1960s, held hundreds of vintage shoes in mint condition, possibly worth thousands. The family is keeping the location secret while they assess its full value.
7
Budweiser beer
Image: Giuliana Catachura
Inspired by Egyptian tombs, Dr. Thorwell Jacobs of Oglethorpe University created a massive time capsule called the "Crypt of Civilization."
Buried beneath the school, it holds items like a Gone with the Wind script, recordings, plastic toys, an English-teaching machine, and a sealed Budweiser . It’s meant to be opened in the year 8113 AD.
8
Stephen Hawking’s DNA
Image: Sangharsh Lohakare
The Immortality Drive, located aboard the ISS, is a memory device designed to preserve human DNA. It holds the genetic codes of Stephen Hawking, Stephen Colbert, Jo Garcia, Laura Hickman , and others.
Also in space are messages from 73 world leaders, left on the moon’s Sea of Tranquility by Apollo 11 envoys in 1969.
9
Spooky message
Image: Daniel Lincoln
In 2016, a time capsule from Montgomery Elementary in Albuquerque was found, containing notes from a 1968 fourth-grade class. Most messages were typical for kids at the time. But one stood out: Greg Lee Youngman began his note with "I am dead" and claimed he was born in 1900 . Whether he was imagining the distant future or pretending to be a ghost, it added a spooky twist.
10
A single black shoe
Image: mostafa mahmoudi
While demolishing his parents' old barn, a man discovered a 128-year-old time capsule hidden beneath the rubble.
Inside were a Mason jar, a newspaper from August 10, 1894, an almanac, a damaged notebook or storybook, and a single black shoe .
