Dylan Schrader opened his Crayola time capsule after 25 years.
A man recently opened a time capsule he created in 2000, and the contents left everyone stunned. Dylan Schrader, the man behind the reveal, took to Twitter to share the unusual items he uncovered after 25 years.
The turn of the millennium was a time of huge cultural shifts. It wasn’t just the first time—and the only time—everyone would witness a millennium change, but it also marked the start of the 2000s. Back then, trends that defined the era were just beginning to emerge, while the ’90s were still fresh in people’s minds, with shows like Friends, Frasier, and Seinfeld dominating TV.
The 2000s also saw brands, foods, and games that many people today might not even recognize. Thanks to Dylan, we now get a glimpse into what life was like at the cusp of the new millennium. In a series of tweets, he recounted opening a Crayola time capsule he made with his brother as they entered the year 2000.
He shared: “Amid the millennium craze of late 1999, @Crayola_Capital offered a simple time capsule. My brother and I both made one on the verge of the new year. I originally had the idea of burying it somewhere, but for whatever reason, that never happened.”
Dylan admitted that instead of burying the capsule, he carried it with him into adulthood, from one place to another, and even considered tossing it. Eventually, he decided to open it and revealed the odd items he found inside.
Surprising Discoveries: A Glimpse Into 2000s Culture
When Dylan cracked open the capsule, the first thing he pulled out was an AIDS information pamphlet—a reminder of the health issues at the time. Alongside it, he found materials on drugs, alcohol, and abstinence, reflecting the awareness campaigns of the late ’90s.
He continued: “The first thing I pulled out was this AIDS flier. The sticker on it reminds me of something I had forgotten: the time capsule kit came with stickers prompting you to include different kinds of things. Here are some pamphlets from the late ’90s. Abstinence pamphlet. HIV, alcohol, and drugs. The personal information book! I guess I didn’t fill the whole thing out.”
Other surprises included family photos, a Pokémon advertisement, a Windows keyboard key, a Living Faith devotional booklet, and a coin. There was also a receipt for an Icee from Walmart—priced at less than a dollar—and some pogs, the popular collectible discs from the ’90s.
In addition, Dylan found a button from when his mom ran for school board, a note on allergies, and even an “impression of a miraculous medal.” To cap it all off, he had written a letter to the “future,” expressing his hopes for a free country where religion, speech, and peace thrived.
Mixed Reactions: A Reflection of the Times
While many people enjoyed the trip down memory lane, others had some criticisms. Some were put off by the religious content, with Dylan admitting that he had just started exploring Christianity at the time. He explained, “Family was actually not very religious back then. Much more so now. I had just started to get interested in Christianity over the course of the previous year or so. The devotional stuff is a reflection of that. Yes, I am a priest today.”
Regarding the AIDS pamphlet, Dylan shared that he wasn’t sure why he included it but suspected that the materials were just readily available and fit in the capsule. “AIDS was also something that we heard about all the time,” he added.
Despite the mixed reactions, Dylan embraced the quirky nature of the time capsule, saying, “No offense taken. I was a kid. I didn’t have any money, and I grew up in a small town. This is apparently what I had to put in the capsule. It’s all real.”
Through this time capsule, Dylan provided a unique window into a moment in time, showcasing the cultural and personal influences that shaped the year 2000.