City of Long Beach to Open 1976 Bicentennial Time Capsule After 50 Years Underground

• Extra Large
• Large
• Normal
• Small

PRESS RELEASE

Above: A time capsule that was originally placed outside the previous Long Beach City Hall in 1976 will be opened on July 22, 2026.

Long Beach, CA - On Wednesday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m., the City of Long Beach, in partnership with the Historical Society of Long Beach, will open a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago during the United States Bicentennial celebration. The capsule, originally placed outside the previous Long Beach City Hall on July 4, 1976, was created as part of the dedication of the former City Hall and Long Beach Public Library.

"A time capsule is more than a collection of artifacts, it's a promise between generations," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "Fifty years ago, Long Beach residents captured their hopes for the future. Today we're honored to open that window into our past as we celebrate how far our city has come and recommit ourselves to building an even brighter future for the generations who follow."

City leaders and representatives from the Historical Society of Long Beach will offer brief remarks before unveiling the capsule's contents inside the Long Beach City Hall Council Chambers, 411 W. Ocean Blvd. Several Long Beach residents who authored letters as elementary school students in 1976 will attend and read their messages aloud, offering a unique glimpse into the perspectives of children from a half-century ago.

"As a city, we have such a fascinating and storied local history to celebrate. Hopefully by looking at the past, we're not only able to reminisce about where we've been but also use that history as a guidepost to continue growing and evolving as a community," said Cathy De Leon, Director of Library, Arts, and Culture.

Packed with mementos from the era, the capsule contains a variety of historically significant items, including Bicentennial flags, newspapers and publications from 1976, and handwritten letters from local elementary school students reflecting on life and their hopes for the future. Items that have been carefully stored in the capsule for the past 50 years include 1976 yearbooks from Lakewood, Millikan, Poly and Wilson high schools. Of the more than 84 items in the capsule, there are also surprise gifts for the mayor and the mayor's wife.

The event is hosted by the Office of Mayor Rex Richardson, The City Manager's Office, the Long Beach Public Library and the Department of Technology and Innovation. The celebration is also supported by the Historical Society of Long Beach, Rancho Los Cerritos, the Arts Council for Long Beach and more.

"The 1976 bicentennial time capsule offers a window into Long Beach's past. Alongside optimistic letters written by local 5th and 6th grades, the time capsule holds high school yearbooks, period newspapers, and a collection of full-sized flags," said Julie Bartolloto, Executive Director of the Long Beach Historical Society. "Its most striking contents may be the once ordinary matchbooks and ashtrays branded for the City of Long Beach and a telephone directory that now read as artifacts of a very different time. Also, contained are images of the grand July 4, 1976, celebration that also marked the "new" now demolished civic center."

This celebration is part of the Seeds of Resilience initiative, which invites residents to deepen their understanding of histories that have shaped the greater Long Beach area as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary. The initiative will culminate in Seeds of Resilience: The Story of Long Beach, an event on Sept. 22, 2026, where residents will come together to honor the city's diverse living history through art, performances and storytelling from 2 to 7 p.m.

About the City of Long Beach

Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

For more news, pictures, videos and announcements of what's happening in Long Beach, follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.