Valley Relics Museum facts for kids
An assortment of neon signs from defunct Valley businesses decorate the museum's interior.
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| Established | 2013 |
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| Location | 7900 Balboa Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91406 |
| Type | History museum |
The Valley Relics Museum is a cool place to visit in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. It's a museum that collects and shares the history of this famous valley. In 2017, a local newspaper called LA Weekly even said it was one of the "Best Of L.A." spots for arts and entertainment!
The museum was started in 2013 by a person named Tommy Gelinas. It has a huge collection of over 20,000 items. These items show what life was like in the San Fernando Valley from the 1800s all the way to today.
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What You Can See at the Museum
Famous Signs and Costumes
The Valley Relics Museum has many interesting things. You can see old signs from famous places in the San Fernando Valley. One special sign is from the Palomino Club. This was a very popular place for country music in North Hollywood.
The museum also displays amazing costumes. These were made by a famous tailor named Nudie Cohn. He worked in North Hollywood and designed clothes for many country music stars. He even made costumes for Elvis Presley! You can also see two special cars called "Nudiemobiles." Nudie Cohn customized these cars, and they are still owned by his family. One is a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and the other is a 1964 Pontiac Safari wagon.
Treasures from Beyond the Valley
The museum doesn't just have items from the San Fernando Valley. It also has cool things from other areas. For example, you can see the sign from the West Hollywood Tiffany Theater.
The museum also helped save the famous Tail o' the Pup hot dog stand. This unique building used to be in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Now, it's safe and sound thanks to the museum's efforts.
Bikes, Neon, and History
If you love bikes, you'll enjoy this part of the collection! The museum has more than 150 BMX bikes. These bikes are from the 1970s and 1980s. Many of them were even made right here in the San Fernando Valley.
You can also see many bright, old neon signs. There are also vintage postcards and fun fast food items. The museum even has a letter written by Isaac Newton Van Nuys. He was an important businessman in the 1800s. The neighborhood of Van Nuys is named after him!
Museum's New Home
In 2018, the Valley Relics Museum moved to a new, bigger location. It used to be in Chatsworth. Now, it's located near the Van Nuys Airport. The new building is over 10,000 square feet!
Even with all that space, the museum can only show about 45 percent of its collection at one time. This means there's always something new to see when you visit! At its old Chatsworth location, it could only display about 30 percent of its items.
