Menomonee Falls time capsule unearthed after 50 years
Menomonee Falls time capsule unearthed after 50 years
It almost looked like an exhumation at a Menomonee Falls park on Monday. That wasn’t the case, but what was found inside a damaged time capsule – unearthed after 50 years – still shocked.
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - It almost looked like an exhumation at a Menomonee Falls park on Monday. That wasn’t the case, but what was found inside a damaged time capsule – unearthed after 50 years – still shocked.
Time capsule unearthed
The backstory:
When crews dug it out, it was a victory.
"The last time it was seen was on a trailer bed in the July 4th Parade in 1976. Two weeks later, it was buried," said Menomonee Falls Historical Society President Denise Cichy.
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But as soon as the 50-year-old time capsule was out of the ground, there was disappointment.
"It was so difficult to raise that the guys almost immediately knew there has to be water," Cichy said.
Time capsule from 1976 unearthed in Menomonee Falls Old Village Park on June 29, 2026.
Cichy said her group spent months just trying to find it. A map given to Cichy in April wasn’t accurate, but the group knew there was something buried at Old Falls Village Park. Newspaper articles stated students, businesses and elected leaders stuffed the burial vault full of keepsakes.
"It was always the plan – 50 years. They wanted it dug up and available to the public if it survived on its 50th anniversary date," Cichy said.
What's in the time capsule?
What they're saying:
Most of the items inside are now lost to time. But there are some gems to behold: a custom-made 2026 t-shirt, commemorative plates, metal signs etched by community members, and oddly, a pair of dentures.
There were even items from a long-time favorite tavern, the Honey Bucket.
"To them, it wasn’t so important what was in here – but that they knew they had found it for them," Cichy said.
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As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Cichy and the historical society are looking back on the bicentennial with this find – not to reflect on what was lost, but instead to focus on how we got here.
"It took a community to fill this vault with memories and history," Cichy said.
What's next:
The historical society is still cleaning and combing through what can be saved. They plan to put the items on display at the Depot Museum starting on July 18. That will mark 50 years to the day the time capsule was buried.
PHOTO GALLERY: Menomonee Falls time capsule
The Source: FOX6 News went to the park to see the time capsule. Information was gathered from Menomonee Falls Historical Society President Denise Cichy.