Highlights Archives
Madison 150 Time Capsule Contents on Display
Until November 15, 2006, the Wisconsin Historical Museum is the place to see some of the objects selected for the Madison 150 time capsule. The time capsule project, organized by the city of Madison, WISC-TV, Channel3000, Madison Magazine, and the Overture Foundation, is a community exercise to create a snapshot of Wisconsin's capital city in 2006 to share with future generations.
For several months, the public was invited to donate objects for the time capsule that reflect Madison in its sesquicentennial year. In all, more than 200 objects were donated by Madison-area businesses and individuals. A jury appointed by the office of Madison mayor Dave Cieslewicz selected 33 objects it considered "must-have" items, which automatically were slated for inclusion in the time capsule.
The committee then selected just fewer than 100 items to be eligible for online voting by the public. The public vote concluded on October 27, and an additional 72 items were chosen for inclusion in the capsule.
In addition to objects, the project also involved the collection of stories on DVD. WISC-TV ran a series of stories about the people, places, and issues that define Madison in 2006. These range from downtown development and Allied Drive redesign to the future of sports at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Together, the stories create a "video time capsule" of issues of the day.
On November 16, the objects and the DVD of video stories will be sealed inside the time capsule, which itself will be housed inside a 5-foot-wide, round limestone bench at the Overture Center for the Arts. Architect Cesar Pelli designed the bench to match Overture's interior with a simple inscription to explain the contents: "Our Stories, Our Memories, Our Legacy." The time capsule will remain sealed for 50 years and will be opened during Madison's bicentennial in 2056.
The Wisconsin Historical Museum provides your last chance to view some of the capsule's contents. The objects displayed there include:
- a conductor's baton submitted by Maestro John Main
- a UW-Madison women's NCAA hockey championship puck signed by coach Mark Johnson
- a commemorative Madison police badge
- a Dane County Farmer's Market bag
- a Habitat for Humanity hammer
- a UW-Madison Band score submitted by band director Mike Leckrone
- a floor tile from the Boys and Girls Allied Family Center
- Senator Russ Feingold's official proclamation for Madison's 150th birthday
- a Woodman's Grocery receipt
- a property tax assessment
- a "no smoking" sign
- a lifeguard whistle from Goodman Pool
- two middle school yearbooks
- a cheesehead hat
- a Wisconsin quarter
- a commemorative football from last year's Capital One bowl (signed by UW-Madison football coach Barry Alvarez)
- a Madison Metro pass
- an engraved ostrich egg from Henry Vilas Zoo
- miniature sculptures of a Cows on Parade cow
- a miniature Memorial Union Terrace chair
When the museum closes on November 15, the displayed objects will be moved to the Rotunda Stage at the Overture Center and will be placed with other items in the time capsule at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to watch the loading of the capsule. In a public ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on November 16, the 1,200-pound marble cap will be lowered onto the time capsule bench.
:: Posted November 3, 2006
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