Step Back in Time at the Valley Relics Museum

Occupying two airport hangers in an industrial park adjacent to Van Nuys Airport, the Valley Relics Museum is a time machine funhouse that combines pop culture and historical artifacts celebrating the San Fernando Valley—from Lockheed and aviation to the entertainment industry to B-Westerns to restaurant memorabilia, BMX bikes, pinball machines, and neon signs.

For those who grew up in the sprawling Valley, the museum will resurrect childhood memories. Those not as familiar with the area will find the museum appealing as a fun lesson in suburban history.

The non-profit museum is the vision and creation of Tommy Gelinas, a Valley native who observed that many of the places from his childhood, from department stores to restaurants and amusement parks, were disappearing.

“I took it upon myself to try and seek out my history and figure out what happened to all these wonderful establishments. Pieces of architecture and places I used to hang out, realizing that they're gone forever,” says Gelinas, who started “collecting things” over 20 years ago - photographs, postcards, vintage signs, restaurant ashtrays, yearbooks and more, until the collection could no longer fit in his garage.

In 2013, he opened the first Valley Relics Museum in a Chatsworth warehouse. Outgrowing that space, in November 2018 he moved the museum to its current home, which currently features over 25,000 items and is probably only a third of the collection.

"Why is it that the Valley was home to so many famous people for so many years?" asks Gelinas, who calls the San Fernando Valley “the world's most famous valley." He notes that Marilyn Monroe and Robert Redford went to Van Nuys High School, and John Elway attended Granada Hills. James Cagney and Clark Gable had ranches in Chatsworth. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married in Canoga Park. Barbara Stanwyck and Jack Oakie's estate was in Northridge.

In addition to Gelinas’ personal collections, contributions are donated from the community, including Roddy McDowell’s "chimp face" from Planet of the Apes, a Hires root beer collection, a '70s sticker-covered bedroom door from The Brady Bunch donated by Eve Plumb ("Jan"), Charlie Chaplin’s pajamas,  Mike Connor’s suit from Mannix, and more.

Among the most generous donations come from Julie Ann and Bob Ream. The husband-wife volunteer docents can be often be found on weekends at Valley Relics sharing stories of their respective collections chronicling Westerns and Lockheed.

Julie, a Valley native, was born into a family of Western cowboys and entertainers. Through photographs, costumes, and assorted memorabilia, she shares the stories of her grandfather, Cactus Mack, and cousins Rex Allen and Glenn Strange, in an iconic exhibit that includes B-Westerns, John Wayne, The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, and even Universal’s “Frankenstein.”  Among her most eclectic items is one of Jeannie’s bottles from “I Dream of Jeannie,” and the cement footprint of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 

Employed by Lockheed Aircraft Company for 45 years, Bob is a walking encyclopedia of aviation history in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, and shares photos of Lockheed’s plant during World War II, Lindbergh’s flight jacket, and much more.

The Western movie era is also represented with memorabilia from Nudie Cohn, the North Hollywood tailor who created signature rhinestone-studded Western outfits, affectionately known as "Nudie Suits," for legendary singers and entertainers like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, John Wayne, Gene Autry, Hank Williams, George Jones, Ronald Reagan, Elton John and Cher.

Cohn created the light-up costume for Robert Redford in The Electric Horseman and the infamous marijuana suit that Gram Parsons wore on the cover of The Flying Burritos debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin. The museum's Nudie collection includes the iconic gold lamé suit that Elvis Presley wears on the cover of his 1959 album, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.

Cohn also customized 18 cars, nicknamed "Nudie Mobiles." Valley Relics has two of them in its collection, including a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado decorated with massive longhorn steer horns and 500 silver dollars. Gelinas explains, "It was the last car that Nudie made. We have a 1967 Pontiac Bonneville that Nudie designed for his daughter. It's decorated with guns and the interior is full-color embroidery."

The numerous vintage neon signs are must-sees during any visit to Valley Relics and are mostly gathered in the back hangar which also houses the hands-on “Family Fun” pinball arcade and a vintage jukebox.  The illuminated signs include: The Sherman Room, Pioneer Chicken, Mustang Liquor, Love's BBQ, Van de Kamp's, Bob's Big Boy, Chez Nous, Mel’s Diner, and Drexler’s Deli (opened in 1954, it was first kosher deli in the Valley).

As part of its mission to salvage history,  Gelinas also went "over the hill" and rescued the sign from the Tiffany Theater, which is broadly displayed.  Renowned as the first theater on the world-famous Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, the Tiffany gained fame as the office in the TV detective series, 77 Sunset Strip. The Tiffany was located just west of La Cienega between the Playboy Club and Dean Martin's lounge, Dino's Lodge.

One of Gelinas’ most treasured signs is from The Palomino Club, a North Hollywood landmark that was open 1949 to 1995 and visited by a Who’s Who roster that began with country stars and segued to rock n’ roll. Among those who performed: The Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Pretenders, and many more.

Gelinas says that the sign that probably brought him the most publicity was Henry's Tacos, the taco spot in Studio City that had celebrity supporters like Elijah Wood and Aaron Paul rally to its defense to save it from closing. Despite their efforts, the original Googie-style location at Moorpark Street and Tujunga Avenue closed in 2012, and was replaced by Cactus Tacos.  Luckily for fans of Henry's, the hard-shell tacos were being served again in April 2013 at its new location across the street.

Cohn also customized 18 cars, nicknamed "Nudie Mobiles." Valley Relics has two of them in its collection, including a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado decorated with massive longhorn steer horns and 500 silver dollars. "It was the last car that Nudie made. We have a 1967 Pontiac Bonneville that Nudie designed for his daughter. It's decorated with guns and the interior is full color embroidery."

Bargain shoppers will no doubt remember Fedco and Gemco and will enjoy seeing old containers and signs. There is a case filled with Orange Julius, McDonalds, Jack-in-the-Box and Dairy Queen memories, including Ronald McDonald costume and an original Jack drive-through speaker and menu (when a burger was 18 cents). Ashtrays, menus, and matchbooks are also displayed from days gone by.

From its Southern California origins in the early '70s, BMX (Bicycle Motocross) grew into a national movement and eventually an international sport. It's a staple of the Summer X Games and became an official Olympic medal sport at the 2008 Summer Games. Valley Relics has more than one hundred rare BMX bikes from the early 1970s to the mid-'80s.

Gelinas is particularly proud of the bike collection and makes the case for the Valley's key role in the growth of BMX. "Gary Littlejohn was one of the first to make what they call a rigid frame BMX bicycle, in the early 70s. And his factory was located in North Hollywood. He was a stuntman but he was the first one to make a BMX bicycle." Gelinas quickly names other famed BMX brands: "Mongoose bicycles, which was in Chatsworth; Redline bicycles, which was in Northridge and eventually moved to Chatsworth; Champion bicycles, even Robinson bicycles were made in the Valley. And those were all the top of the line BMX bikes of their time, and those were all made in the Valley."

Among the oldest treasures is a letter written in 1865 by Isaac Newton Van Nuys. At one time Van Nuys owned the entire southern portion of the San Fernando Valley. A development syndicate (including Harry Chandler of the Los Angeles Times) bought him out. Although he didn't found the town of Van Nuys, he was named its honorary godfather by the developers as part of the land sale.

Peruse the small gift shop at the entry for nostalgic tees, canvas bags, posters and other items.  There are ongoing events lectures about the history of the San Fernando Valley, so check out the website or subscribe to the newsletter. Private and group tours are also available. The Valley Relics Museum can also be rented out as a party venue.