By the time the Great Colorado Time Capsule is opened in 2076, a little girl who wrote about petting a baby duck at Lake Estes on Thursday afternoon will be nearly 60 years old.
That simple memory became part of a statewide effort to preserve Colorado’s everyday stories for future generations as Visit Loveland brought the enormous time capsule to Estes Park.
Unlike traditional time capsules, which are often assembled by a small group with carefully chosen objects, the Colorado Capsule is designed to become a snapshot of life across the state in 2026—created by thousands of Coloradans.
“We want to tell the story of our residents in 2026,” said Charles Lammers, marketing manager for Visit Loveland. “Anybody can submit items, stories, and memories. Time capsules are typically put together by small groups with predetermined items. This one is for everyone.”
The project commemorates two milestone anniversaries: America’s 250th birthday and Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood. The capsule will remain sealed for half a century before being opened in 2076, during celebrations marking America’s tricentennial and Colorado’s bicentennial.
The capsule itself is as memorable as its mission.
Stretching seven feet long and three feet in diameter, it is constructed from high-density polyethylene water pipe donated by contractors working on the expansion of The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. It is covered in a printed vinyl graphic that depicts a scene of mountains and forests and sports the logos of sponsoring organizations – Belair Sitework Services, Pedersen Toyota, Aims Community College, Action Signs and Banners, The Ranch, and Visit Loveland.
With roughly 50 cubic feet of interior space—about 10 times larger than a typical community time capsule—it is believed to be the largest community time capsule project in Colorado history.
The pipe, designed to spend decades underground as part of municipal water systems, was repurposed as a sustainable way to preserve history.
“It was meant to be underground for about 100 years,” Lammers said. “It should be just fine for 50.”
When the capsule returns to The Ranch this fall, it will be permanently buried near the complex’s new Event Lawn as part of its master plan.
Throughout its afternoon visit, curious onlookers stopped to ask questions, fill out “Letters to the Future” forms and imagine what life in Colorado might look like five decades from now.
One three-generation family from Jefferson County paused during an annual grandmother’s trip to Estes Park to contribute their memories.
Eight-year-old Lilly, who had spent the morning fishing at Lake Estes and proudly announced she had petted a baby duck, wasn’t quite sure what to write. Her grandmother offered a suggestion: write about today.
The idea of a time capsule was new to Lilly, but not to her older sister, who will graduate from high school next spring. As kindergartners, each members of her class created their own capsule time filled with letters and keepsakes. The students will open the time capsules when they graduate.
“It’s such a cool idea,” one family member remarked as Lilly began writing.
That simple exchange perfectly captured the purpose of the project—not preserving famous moments, but preserving ordinary ones that someday will become history.
Visit Estes Park is also encouraging local participation. Talia Siens of Visit Estes Park nd the Estes Arts District said she has spoken with an Estes Park Schools art and music teacher about involving students to submit their artwork and letters for the project.
Submissions are intended to represent everyday life in Colorado during the past five years. Suggested items include personal letters, photographs, artwork, creative writing, postcards and small keepsakes. Objects must fit within a 12-inch cube and cannot include food, liquids, batteries, hazardous materials or other items that could deteriorate over time.
A selection committee will review submissions for preservation, safety and their ability to represent the diversity of Colorado life. Accepted items will be vacuum-sealed before being placed inside the capsule.
Residents can contribute in several ways. Physical items may be mailed to the Loveland Visitor Center by August 10, delivered in person during the Larimer County Fair from July 31 through Aug. 4, or submitted digitally through the project’s online “Letters to the Future” form.
For those who don’t know exactly what to contribute, organizers say the answer is often simpler than expected.
Write about fishing with your grandmother.
Describe meeting a baby duck.
Capture an ordinary Thursday in Estes Park.
In 50 years, those everyday moments may become extraordinary windows into Colorado’s past
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