One of the complaints I’m surprised I don’t get enough of is that I need to do more “Valley” and less “Cicla”.
..or maybe I’m my own worst critic.
The Valley Relics Museum is one of the bedrocks is preserving our history boasting a fine collection of signage, clothing, bikes and many other artifacts.
So much so, that the museum was bursting at the seems in its Chatsworth location which precipitated a move to bigger digs.
After about half a year of getting situated into the new space, Valley Relics opened last month at its improved space on the westside of Van Nuys Airport.
The location alone is an upgrade being centrally located in the Valley, but it doesn’t stop there.
Right off the bat, the entrance is a much larger and inviting space than the previous with an expanded selection of tees, sweatshirts and goodies.
I don’t think I’m lying when I say the new lobby is ten times bigger than before!
Entrance now is $10 instead of being donation based which is a fee you should gladly pay.
The exhibition space is divided into two hangers with the first packed with displays.
There are many of the same themes carried over from the old museum, highlighting our movie, aerospace and automotive heritage to name a few, but just with a lot more depth.
Space…the Valley Relics Museum frontier…
All this added space makes it a cornucopia of information that’s a lot to absorb and I found myself going back and forth cross referencing all this history.
That’s not to mention that only about 40% of their collection is on display.
Also in this hall is a very worthy collection of BMX bikes from the sport’s golden age.
Good thing these aren’t for riding because it’d be hard to pick just one!
You may not be familiar with this era of cycling, but even a novice like me can appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship displayed.
The exhibit has a much better layout than the previous museum, so you get a much better idea about the richness of the sport’s history.
One of my favorite parts was looking at some of the clothing of businesses that have passed us by.
Fast food is part of the Valley. So what?
I admittedly wasn’t a fan of the Nogales aesthetic growing up (maybe because I thought it looked like the Padres unis at the time), but seeing those combination of colors was a thing of beauty.
The showcase for me was that gorgeous hue of purple used on the Magic Muffler shirts and hats.
Looking at them is a revelation in the same way when the Wizard of Oz switches to color.
If these items disappear, you know I’m a suspect!
I could spend hours in this space and talking with Tommy or the number of others that curate the museum, but there’s still another hanger to see!
This space is open in the center, but surrounded by plenty of splendid oversized signage that needs this proper separation to fully experience.
You can’t imagine this beauty as much at street level because the scale is skewed, but being able to view them from up close and afar makes you appreciate the care that went into them more.
The second hall is full of signage that you have to see in person to imagine their scale.
When my wife walked in, she noted what a perfect space this would be to hold events and huzzah!!!…that is part of the new vision.
Along the near wall is a number of video and pinball games underneath the Family Fun Arcade sign (that I frequented) that are free to play and had CV Jr’s attention even though these games were well before her time.
Would. You. Like. To. Play. A. Game?
Another great feature that came with this new location are expanded hours.
Previously, the Valley Relics Museum was open Saturdays only, but now they’re open from Thursday to Sunday.
As I could tell from the early crowds, they are going to need those extended hours.
This image is a shocker. I spent hundreds of hours at Valley Plaza, but way after the 170 Freeway went in.
I don’t smoke, but if I got my hands on these, I guess I’d have to!
It’s hard to imagine there was an era where this wasn’t creepy.
The only way to make it last longer at the Valley Relics Museum…