Burlingame prepping for new 50-year time capsule 

Now, the city is preparing another time capsule, allowing current residents to share meaningful items indicative of present-day life and issues, Burlingame Historical Society President Jennifer Pfaff, who is helping to organize the capsule, said. 

“I think it brings everyone together and focuses on what is meaningful in our current time, that they want to pass along for future generations,” she said. 

From now until Feb. 28, Burlingame residents can apply to put items in the capsule at www.burlingame.org/vault and ask questions via vault@burlingame.org. The items will be preserved in an old army locker discovered in the attic of the old Burlingame Recreation Center, Pfaff said. 

When it’s bolted shut, which will be sometime in April, the locker will be displayed in the lobby of the current Recreation Center for the next 50 years. 

“It will not be going in the ground,” Pfaff said. “It doesn’t matter — it’s still going to be lots of fun.” 

Potential items for the new capsule include pandemic-era paraphernalia, like masks, Pfaff said, as well as things related to housing or real estate, which is top of mind for many residents. Items related to Burlingame-specific projects, like the major El Camino Real renovation, could also show future generations what was a top priority for the city during this time. 

Local restaurant items or technology that showcases the Bay Area’s relationship to burgeoning artificial intelligence and innovation could also be a valuable inclusion, Pfaff said. 

“Something with a Burlingame or local tilt — staying true to the prism of Burlingame,” she said. 

Personal family photos or other trinkets that don’t tie into the context of the larger time period may not be as valuable for the capsule, Pfaff said. 

Pfaff, alongside a small group of other commissioners, will work to decide what items ultimately go into the vault, and she encouraged Burlingame residents to think about including things that demonstrate what they care most about. 

“What is interesting or what meant something in our lifetime?” she said. “What was meaningful? What would they like the message to be to people opening this in 50 years? What would they like to convey?”