Big Reveal Coming For Framingham Time Capsule – And It's Not The Only One

FRAMINGHAM, MA — More than 31 years after burying a time capsule, Framingham will unveil its contents at a public event this week.

If the ceremony seems like déjà vu, that won't be due simply to the decades-old memorabilia.

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Time capsules are popular in Framingham and nearby.

The city’s Human Relations Commission buried this one in October 1994 at the Memorial Building Plaza. Now the historical cache will be opened and the items shown off in a ceremony on the plaza at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Details of the capsule’s contents aren’t yet available, but it was buried “to reflect the community’s ongoing efforts to eliminate racism, stereotyping and discrimination in Framingham,” the city said in a statement.

The event is free and after the unveiling, the public can participate in a “community conversation focused on the city’s past, present and future.” The discussion will take place inside the Memorial Building, at Nevins Hall, around 7:15 p.m.

“This time capsule represents the voices, hopes and commitments of residents in 1994,” said Human Relations Commission Chair Robert Anspach. “As we open it, we honor that history while continuing the work toward equity and understanding in our community.”

October 1994 was also the month then-President Bill Clinton visited Framingham, where he toured Framingham High School and praised its diversity, saying “it’s a school that really looks like America.”

Busy time for time capsules

The big reveal was originally scheduled for Oct. 16, 2025 – to coincide with the 31st anniversary of the capsule’s burial. But the Human Relations Commission pushed back the event.

Its initial date would have followed the opening of another Framingham time capsule only a few weeks earlier.

The city installed that capsule in 2000 to mark the 300th anniversary of Framingham’s founding. Officials opened the contents Sept. 17, 2025, also at the plaza, as part of the ongoing 325th anniversary celebration.

The city buried another time capsule last year, to be opened in 2050. There’s also one scheduled for unearthing in 2100, the MetroWest Daily News has reported.

In 2022, the Natick Mall opened a time capsule buried there in 1994 when the shopping center was rebuilt and expanded.

There are between 10,000 and 15,000 capsules worldwide, according to the International Time Capsule Society. But it’s estimated 95 percent are forgotten or lost by the fifth anniversary of their burial.

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