Create Your Own Time Capsule to Share with Future Generations

In honor of the installation of the 2115 Time Capsule at the Vance Monument, why not create your own treasure chest of history?

Choose a duration for your time capsule. Who would you like your audience to be? Would you like to share it with your children or grandchildren? Would you like your message to last far into the future?

Collect your artifacts. Choose what you would like to go into your time capsule. Everyone will have something different that is special and has meaning for them. Ideas include toys, books, programs or souvenir booklets, pictures, or handmade items. Objects need not be of high monetary value. Select things that reflect the present. Labels or packaging of your favorite foods or other products, with the price tags. Gadgets or other small devices, like that old remote control, or phone.

Create an inventory list. Make a list that includes what items are in the time capsule, and why you have chosen them.

You may want to include a description of what it is like to live right now. Tell your future audience about daily life. Talk about your day-to-day activities; how much everyday objects usually cost; and current fads, fashions, attitudes, and trends.

Decide where you will store your time capsule. It can be hidden anywhere; just remember where you put it!

Select a container. Think about how long this collection must last and where it will go. If you plan to store it inside, then a coffee can, shoebox, bin, or an old suitcase might be quite adequate. If you plan to place the time capsule outdoors or bury it, you will need to find a container that is highly weatherproof.

Consider using desiccant “gel bags” that are included in the packaging of electronic goods and in bottles of vitamin C tablets. These help to absorb any moisture and kill microbes.

Choose a date. Mark the time capsule with the date you intend for it to be opened. Generally, they should remain closed for at least a year. Select a date with personal significance, such as your birthday, a child’s birthday, or a major holiday.

At the end of each year, write a note on a new calendar indicating when your time capsule should be opened. Create a plaque or marker indicating where it can be found. Record the date and location in a journal, a scrapbook, or in your will, along with any special instructions.

If your time capsule is intended for retrieval years or decades later, make sure that several people know of its exact location. Take photographs, identify GPS coordinates, and write down all data important for re-locating the time capsule. Send copies of the location data to those you can trust.

Wait the determined amount of time, and then open your time capsule. Celebrate by throwing a party or having a special meal with family and friends.

What will you put in your time capsule? Leave a comment on our Facebook page and let us know!