What to Know
- Saturday, Nov. 17
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- 7900 Balboa Boulevard, Van Nuys
Where's the repository holding the bulk of your memories?
A shoebox in the hall closet? Some bins in the back bedroom? Under your bed? A floppy disk?
It's pretty easy, all told, to stash the photos, letters, and memorabilia of our childhoods.
But when it comes to a neon sign that's several feet long and only liftable by heavy machinery, that's another matter entirely.
Leave it to Tommy Gelinas, a Valley-rooted local, and the Valley Relics Museum team, to store some of the more sizable memories of those people who grew up around the San Fernando Valley, and those who love the SFV today.
Sizable? Make that "massive memories," thanks to the huge neon signs the museum houses.
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For the history-loving people behind the museum have dedicated themselves to saving a slew of Valley treasures that were slated for demolition or fading away.
The first iteration of the neon-amazing, photo-filled, BMX bike-laden museum appeared about a half decade ago, in Chatsworth, but it outgrew that space, which is understandable, given that it houses several large signs and other items.
Now, after much planning, fundraising, and sheer pluck, the Valley Relics Museum is in its new home, at Van Nuys Airport, and, yes, a hangar is involved.
Eager to eyeball this new capacious space, and signs from the Palomino night club, Henry's Tacos, and thousands of other SFV-sweet sights? There's a Grand Opening on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the museum's fresh digs.
Expect to see a "Vintage Arcade," "Retro Gift Shop," "Cowboy Clothing," and "(o)ver 15,000 artifacts not displayed in the original location."
Wowza.
It isn't often that someone saves the things we saw, nearly every day, around our childhood neighborhoods. More often than not, it seems, those objects meet the wrecking ball.
But Tommy Gelinas wasn't having it.
And now? The San Fernando Valley's retro-field, decades-ago character shimmers on, in Van Nuys, at a much larger venue.
Adult admission is ten dollars, at the grand opening and each Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to come.
Want to admire the artifacts for free? Pay no admission on Thursday mornings, from 10 a.m. to noon.
