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 .

1

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Image: Mandy Beerley

If you've ever imagined what hell might look like, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park could come close—not because it’s a place of suffering (you'll actually witness some of the most incredible views on Earth), but because it's full of glowing, molten, menacing lava. The lava flows from Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. But not everything here burns; this national park is also home to unique flora and fauna.

2

Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming

Image: Dan Meyers

What you're looking at might resemble a weather forecast map, but it's not. It's the Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone's most famous hot spring. With its brilliant blue, orange, yellow, and green hues, it looks like a surrealist painting. Although it might look small in pictures, the Grand Prismatic Spring is huge—about 370 feet in diameter and 160 feet deep. That makes it the largest hot spring in the US and the third largest in the world!

3

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Image: Fudo Jahic

If you want to feel like you're walking through a giant red stone maze, Antelope Canyon near Page, in northern Arizona, is the perfect spot. Carved over thousands of years by flash floods and erosion, its towering walls allow sunlight to stream in from above, creating an unforgettable experience for visitors.

4

Painted Hills, Oregon

Image: Ashley Bard

If an artist were to paint a series of enormous hills in vibrant colors, it would probably look a lot like Oregon's stunning Painted Hills. Located within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, these hills display stripes of red, yellow, gold, and black. But that's not all! The colors shift with the seasons and change throughout the day, creating a breathtaking, ever-changing landscape.

5

Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves, Alaska

Image: Salomé Guruli

Exploring caves can be risky and terrifying for many, but imagine a cave system made entirely of ice! It sounds like something from a fantasy movie, but it really exists—and it's in Alaska. The stunning Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves lie beneath the glacier of the same name, formed by meltwater carving tunnels and chambers deep within the ice.

6

Turnip Rock, Michigan

Image: Maria Teneva

Turnip Rock, located in the famous Lake Huron in Michigan, is as fascinating as it is mysterious. What makes this rock so special? Standing about 20 feet tall, it has a turnip-like shape—its narrow base supports a much wider top—giving it a perfectly balanced appearance that amazes all who see it.

7

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Image: Peter Hansen

The Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves are just one of Alaska's many spectacular sights. Another must-see is the incredible Hubbard Glacier in southeastern Alaska, one of the largest and most active tidewater glaciers in North America. Trust us— its sheer size and dramatic ice cliffs will absolutely blow your mind!

8

Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico

Image: Robert Harkness

When it comes to surreal landscapes, New Mexico's Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness can't be left out. Its towering rock formations, blending shades of white, gray, red, and orange, were shaped by erosion and look like something straight out of another planet!

9

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Image: Adrien Tanic

A cave doesn't always have to be a small, cramped space. Mammoth Cave stands out with its enormous underground chambers, filled with impressive rock formations in both shape and size. In fact, it's the world's longest-known cave system—and it's right here in the state of Kentucky!

10

Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana

Image: Carlo Lisa

If you're easily spooked, Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin might not be your idea of a fun trip, especially at night! It's the largest swamp and wetland area in the US, packed with twisting bayous, spooky cypress trees, and massive alligators lurking around.

1

Hopscotch

Image: MOHAMMADREZA Kr

When we were kids, before computer games and smartphones, we didn’t need much to keep us entertained in the afternoons. Playing hopscotch, for example, required only a piece of chalk and a large enough asphalt area to draw on and jump around.

There are numerous variations, but children have played hopscotch for centuries . The basic principle remains the same: a series of numbered rectangles is outlined on the ground, and the player tosses a pebble into each one in turn. The player then hops through the course without touching the lines, picking up the pebble along the way, and returns—still hopping—to the starting point.

2

Tag

Image: Aleksandar Andreev

Tag is undoubtedly the most famous chasing and catching game of all time. It also serves as the foundation for many other games. This is no coincidence—tag has existed since ancient times, with different versions in civilizations as dissimilar as Greece and India.

In the simplest form of tag, one player tries to tap another player; the tagged player then becomes "it —a.k.a. "the chaser"—and it all starts all over again. Which version was your favorite? Ours was freeze tag!

3

Jump-rope and Double Dutch

Image: cottonbro studio

Jumping rope was another childhood favorite, whether on street corners or in school playgrounds. Whether alone or in a group, it kept us entertained for hours. Among the countless variations, Double Dutch—a version in which one or more players jump between two long ropes turning in opposite directions—was probably the most fun and most challenging of all.

The origin of Double Dutch is not entirely clear. Some claim Dutch settlers brought it to America, while others argue it was invented in the early 1900s in the U.S. What is certain is that this game, which combines motor skill training and physical exercise , became so popular that it evolved into a competitive sport with worldwide tournaments.

4

Simon says

Image: Arthur Krijgsman

"Simon says… touch your nose!" Remember these commands? As kids, we could spend hours playing this game, where one player took on the role of "Simon" and gave instructions that the rest of us had to follow to the letter.

Records of this game’s existence in the United States date back to the mid-19th century ; however, its origins may be traced back to ancient Rome. Some historians suggest that the name Simon comes from Simon de Montfort, a 13th-century French-English nobleman who was known for his ability to command authority over his subjects.

5

Hide-and-seek

Image: Annie Spratt

Hide-and-seek is one of the simplest games but, at the same time, one of the most fun when we were children. In this game, one player would close their eyes and count to a certain number while the others searched for a place to hide. The challenge was to find as many hidden players as possible before they reached "home base."

Hide-and-seek, which has different variants worldwide, has been played since ancient times. In fact, historians have discovered a strikingly similar game in ancient Greece called apodidraskinda , which followed rules much like the ones we know today.

6

Hula Hoop contest

Image: Annie Spratt

The hula hoop became popular in the late 1950s when the American toy company Wham-O introduced a plastic version to the market. However, hula hoops have been used by children since ancient times. Over the centuries, they have been made from a variety of materials, including willow, grapevines, rattan, stiff grasses, wood, and metal.

Growing up, most schools had hula hoops available during PE classes. It was the ideal game for young children to have fun and get fit at the same time. Teachers often organized contests in which players twirled the hula hoop around their waist for as long as possible. The winner was the one who kept the hoop spinning the longest before it dropped to the floor.

7

Marco Polo

Image: Library of Congress

This game, which shares its name with the 13th-century Italian explorer, was a summer-exclusive tradition we eagerly anticipated all year long. Many of us still vividly remember our friends, siblings, and cousins shouting "Marco!" and responding "Polo!" as kids.

Played in a swimming pool, Marco Polo is a location-based game in which players must find each other using auditory clues. It became popular in America in the 1960s and is now played worldwide with various adaptations.

8

Musical statues

Image: Robert Collins

Musical Statues, also known as Freeze Dance, is a variation of Musical Chairs that can be played outdoors. It was a popular game at birthday parties and involved running around while music played. When the music stopped, players had to freeze in place. Anyone who moved was instantly out, and the last one remaining won the game.

Musical Statues originated in the United Kingdom, likely in the mid-1950s , when music players became more common in people's homes.

9

Tug of war

Image: RDNE Stock project

Did you know that before the 19th century, the game we now call tug of war was known as French and English ? Tug of war—or rope pulling—is an ancient game , with different versions found in Egypt, Greece, India, China, and Cambodia.

In tug of war, two teams compete in a test of strength and strategy, pulling a rope in opposite directions. Though this game is popular at school events for its mix of teamwork, exercise, and friendly competition, it was once an official sport . In fact, from 1900 to 1920, tug of war was part of the Olympic Games.

10

Dodgeball

Image: Wan San Yip

Dodgeball is another game we used to play in school that is now also considered a sport . In this game, the objective is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls.

Though it’s now a fun and friendly game, that wasn’t always the case. Dodgeball originated in Africa approximately two hundred years ago. Back then, it was much more dangerous and violent. Instead of using soft balls, participants threw rocks found in nature. Fortunately, in the mid-19th century, an English missionary saw the game and transformed it into a more enjoyable, non-life-threatening activity.

11

Duck, duck, goose!

Image: Kampus Production

You probably haven’t played this game since preschool or kindergarten, and you might have even forgotten about it completely. However, it was one of the most popular games on the playground .

In this traditional children's game, participants sit in a circle, and one is chosen to touch the heads of the others. The player who is "it" goes around saying "duck" until they choose someone and say "goose." Then the chase begins!

12

Scavenger hunt

Image: Nellie Adamyan

This was a more complex game that required much more development and preparation time. But perhaps because of that, it was so appealing to us. Scavenger hunts were so much fun that we still play them as adults, and they remain a popular activity at some universities , for example.

This game, which involves finding specific items from a list, evolved from ancient folk games. The modern version we play today, however, was popularized by American gossip columnist and socialite Elsa Maxwell in New York City during the 1930s .