As a longtime Los Angeles Valley Girl now living near Pasadena, I was excited to see what the Valley Relics Museum was all about. It did not disappoint. The museum is located in two airplane hangers near the Van Nuys Airport.
Watch my quick video walkthrough.
The Valley Relics Museum was founded by Valley Native Tommy Gelinas and houses an eclectic mix of artifacts, neon signs, classic cars, retro arcade games, vintage BMX and Stingray bikes, odes to popular and now defunct fast food restaurants, and other odds and ends.
It is a nostalgic tribute to the mid-20th century through the 1980s that spotlights historic landmarks, local businesses, and famous personalities who resided in the Valley.
I’m old enough to remember many establishments like the Palomino Club, the Sherman Room, Phil’s Diner, and Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors.
The museum also highlights the Valley’s aeronautical past as Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed, and Rocketdyne were major employers. By the end of World War II, 60 to 70 percent of the American Aerospace industry was in Southern California.
Naturally, there are touches from the entertainment industry as many movie and recording studios are in the San Fernando Valley.
A few items are from other parts of Los Angeles such as the Tower Records neon sign from West Hollywood.
Currently, the museum stores over 20,000 items with 45% of them on display at a time. Some artifacts date as early as the 1880s.
In the center of the museum is a vintage van displaying props from the film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” a Valley-inspired film circa 1982.
Valley Relics Museum is one of those hidden treasures you must find out about by word of mouth. It’s only open on weekends but also hosts special events from time to time.
C3 & C4 Entrance on, 7900 Balboa Blvd, Stagg St, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
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