I’ve been a Valley kid off and on since I was born. My first home was in Arleta where I grew up until third grade, then we moved to Sherman Oaks, moved out of the valley, came back to Chatsworth where I stayed through high school, then I left for college in New York.  Now I am back in Porter Ranch with my family in our first home (and I don’t think we will be leaving for a long while).  All this time I’ve been trying to tell friends and colleagues that the valley is not such a bad place, that it is in fact cool, but hardly anyone listened.  However, I never really knew how cool the San Fernando Valley actually is, and how steeped in rich history it has been, until Valley Relics!

At least week’s PRNC meeting Tommy Gelinas was gracious enough to visit and share what has been his passion project for the past twenty plus years.  Tommy has been excavating, restoring, and preserving a treasure trove of valley artifacts tirelessly, with his own funding, and for no other reason than pure love and passion for his hometown.  You don’t get much cooler than that.  He’s collected everything from old Frosty Freeze signs to restaurant menus and matchbooks to funky jukeboxes and even a collection of vintage cars.  The list goes on as folks’ eyes get wider in delight.  As of last year Tommy so generously set up a museum called Valley Relics to share and display over 10,000 of these rare gems of SFV history.  It’s quite a glorious yet humbling collection that can only make a valley kid like me proud.

Tommy was even kind enough to host an elections mixer last Wednesday at his Valley Relics museum space which garnered a respectable turnout by fellow candidates, various council members and leaders of the community.

Tommy’s work truly cements the San Fernando Valley as incontrovertibly cool!  Valley Relics is open every Saturday from 10:00am-3:00pm.   Stop by, say hi to Tommy and his awesome crew, and let your mind be blown.

Valley Relics Museum
21630 Marilla St.
Chatsworth CA 91311

818-678-4934

Hour of Operation
Every Saturday from 10:00am – 3:00pm

Thanks Tommy!