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Opening a Piece of History: Long Beach Unveils 50-Year-Old Time Capsule
By Staff Writer
Published on Tue, Jul 28, 2026
Long Beach took a remarkable step back in time as City leaders, the Historical Society of Long Beach and community members gathered to open a time capsule buried 50 years ago during the nation's Bicentennial celebration. Originally placed outside the former Long Beach City Hall on July 4, 1976, the capsule offered a fascinating glimpse into life in Long Beach half a century ago.
Among the items inside were Bicentennial flags, newspapers, school yearbooks, maps, City memorabilia, a sealed 1976 Sears catalog and a telephone book. The collection also featured artifacts that captured the spirit of the era, including a City Hall glass ashtray, a DC-10 model airplane, a gold Key to the City, Port of Long Beach memorabilia, historic matchbooks, a MasterCard and even a solidified vial of crude oil.
Several Long Beach residents who had written letters as elementary school students in 1976 returned to read their childhood messages aloud. Their reflections connected the City's past and present, offering a heartfelt reminder of how Long Beach has evolved.
"A time capsule is more than a box, it's a message to the future," Mayor Rex Richardson said. "It's a seed that you plant your hopes and dreams in."
The celebration is part of the City's Seeds of Resilience initiative, which encourages residents to explore the stories, people and places that have shaped Long Beach as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary. This fall, Long Beach will launch a new time capsule, giving today's residents the opportunity to leave their own message for future generations.
The City is also expanding opportunities for residents to connect with local history through new historical signs across Long Beach and the Long Beach Public Library's local history podcast, Don't Know Beach About History: Short Histories of Long Beach.
"You're going to see Long Beach really lean into our history," City Manager Tom Modica said. "We're starting that now and planning to do even more. Great cities have great histories and we're looking to really embrace that and share that."
