Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Watch This Brooklyn Time Capsule Get Opened Up On Wednesday


By

Jen Carlson

Published Sep 30, 2014

Modified Sep 30, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Carlson

Published Sep 30, 2014

Modified Sep 30, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

This Wednesday morning, at 11 a.m., a time capsule will be unsealed and opened up in front of a live audience. The capsule is buried at 370 Jay Street in Brooklyn, the old MTA headquarters now owned by NYU. According to Fort Greene Focus—"renovations are facilitating the removal of the capsule."

A Brooklyn Eagle article from October 26th, 1949 reports that the time capsule was created by "then-Mayor William O’Dwyer, then-Brooklyn Borough President John Cashmore and then-Transportation Chairman William Reid, containing microfilmed documents relating to the construction of 370 Jay St., the then-new Board of Transportation Building."

A rope and pulley will be used to get the capsule (a metal chest) out—it's located "underneath a 5 x 5 cornerstone near the building’s main entrance on Jay Street, just south of Myrtle Avenue and next to the Downtown Brooklyn information kiosk."

A conservator will be on-hand and the materials (after being digitized) will go on display at the Transit Museum next year.

Sadly we still have to wait 4,924 years until we can open the World's Fair time capsule buried in 1939.

Tagged

1950

downtown Brooklyn

time capsule


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.

A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Sep 26, 2026


There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

By

Hannah Frishberg

Arts & Entertainment

There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

By

Hannah Frishberg


A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.

By

Hannah Frishberg

How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest

By

Sonia Rao

NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says

By

Hannah Frishberg


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .