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If you grew up in the Valley, this nostalgic time warp will send you down Memory Lane. Even if you don’t, it’s still worth a trip to see all the neon signs (and more) from defunct businesses, as well as a jukebox and pinball machine.
Occupying two airplane hangars next to Van Nuys Airport, Valley Relics Museum is a non-profit that celebrates the history of the San Fernando Valley through pop culture artifacts. Stuffed to the rafters with everything from a Cadillac customized by rhinestone cowboy designer Nudie Cohn to vintage memorabilia of bygone restaurants and BMX bikes, the museum offers a visual reminder of what it was like to live here during different eras.
The brainchild of Tommy Gelinas, the museum started in his Chatsworth garage in 2013. When his collection grew too large, it moved to its current location at Balboa Blvd. in November 2018, next to the airport. The space is open to the public on Saturdays.
Visitors are invited to roam the vast warehouse, taking in all the nostalgic ephemera and memorabilia on display. There’s a lot to see: original signage from the now-defunct MelaEUR(tm)s Drive-In and Mission Hills Bowling, a neon sign from the old Pioneer Chicken wagon, and a relic of the mall-centric ’80s: a squadron of BMX bikes. There’s also a room dedicated to all things bowling, including pinball machines and a huge tapestry of the famous Los Angeles AMF lanes, which are now demolished.
As Gelinas explains to visitors, the museum is meant to celebrate the past and remind people of what the Valley used to be, before the area grew from a sleepy agricultural region to a booming suburbia and then a bustling metropolis that nearly seceded from L.A. As the museum continues to grow, the goal is to create a permanent space for it.
Emilia De Jesus, a bona fide Valley girl from Van Nuys who visited the museum in November 2020, says she was happy to find so much nostalgia all in one place. She says she expected the museum to be smaller and have less to look at, but that it was still a good experience.
A visit to the museum will cost you $15 per person, but the money helps support the museum and keep it going. It’s a great option for families looking for something fun and interactive to do on a weekend. And it’s a great way to show kids that the past isn’t just some distant, mystical place that happened long ago. It’s a part of their own history, and it’s important to preserve it. To learn more, check out the Valley Relics Museum website. If you plan to visit, consider purchasing a T-shirt from the museum so they can continue their efforts to preserve this piece of California history. The shirts are available online and at the museum. The museum is a 501(c)3 organization. Donations are welcomed. For more information, contact them directly.
