Fifty years from now, someone will open a time capsule and discover the Colorado we know and love today. Personal letters will be read, children’s artwork admired and family photographs flipped through, each offering a glimpse into the everyday moments that defined life in 2026.
The Great Colorado Time Capsule aims to preserve that history. Since opening at the Larimer County Fair on July 31, Coloradans have contributed items that capture the present while telling the stories of the people behind them. The capsule, which will remain sealed until 2076, is the largest community time capsule in Colorado history, commemorating Colorado’s 150th anniversary and the nation’s 250th.
As of Aug. 3, the project has received a wide variety of submissions, according to Charles Lammers, destination marketing manager for Visit Loveland. Some of the most memorable submissions include letters to future generations as well as items representing Colorado’s agricultural roots and enduring connection to the outdoors.
Lammers’ favorite submissions so far include a local woman’s favorite Colorado Rockies T-shirt, a Colorado Governor’s Office challenge coin, a pair of Greeley Monsters produced by local effects company Distortions Unlimited and an award received by a Boulder tech startup. A woman at the Larimer County Fair even donated some present-day, long-term storage cereal seeds for the organizers to vacuum-seal and provide to future generations.
“We’ve already received an incredible variety of submissions that reflect Colorado’s diverse people, places and stories,” Lammers says. “Every submission helps paint a picture of what life in Colorado looks and feels like in 2026.”
The response from Coloradans has been overwhelming, with visitors continuing to make trips to the Sweetheart City to contribute a piece of their lives. But the memories they’re sharing have become just as important as the items themselves.
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been watching people begin conversations about their own personal history and what they want future Coloradans to remember about this moment in time,” Lammers says. “That’s exactly the kind of reflection we hoped this project would inspire.”
Even with hundreds of items collected, there is still room for more. Community members can submit their items through Aug. 4 at The Ranch Events Complex, and mail-in submissions will be accepted through Aug. 10 (address to the Great Colorado Time Capsule, c/o Visit Loveland, 5400 Stone Creek Cir., Loveland, Colo. 80538). Organizers are hoping to add additional stories, cultural mementos and keepsakes from across the state in addition to items that reflect everyday life, like 2020s tech, city photographs, grocery receipts and restaurant menus.
“Sometimes the most ordinary objects today become the most fascinating artifacts 50 years from now,” Lammers says. “We also hope to hear from more communities, schools, businesses, nonprofits, tribal communities, veterans, first responders, farmers, artists, scientists and anyone with a story they believe future Coloradans should know.”
What were people celebrating? What did they care about? What made them laugh? Those are the kinds of questions the capsule hopes to answer in 50 years.
“When the capsule is opened in 2076, we hope it won’t simply be a collection of artifacts, but a meaningful conversation across 50 years between today’s Coloradans and the generations that follow,” Lammers says.
By the time the capsule is sealed and buried in Loveland, it will contain not only objects, but thousands of memories. Together, they will tell the story of Colorado in 2026.
