You'll have to wait 5,000 years to get your hands on the goodies in this cache (unless you use a backhoe in the middle of the night to pry open the 7 1/2 foot diameter by 2 1/2 foot high granite monument cover. The stuff is underneath, 50 feet down a well). The inscription on the East side of the monument states: "The Time Capsules Deposited September 23, 1938 and October 16, 1965 by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a Record of Twentieth Century Civilization - to Endure for 5000 Years."
Click to see description and contents of the two Time Capsules underneath. Link
While you are there, check out the accuracy of your GPS and calibrate your altimeter. Just place it in the center of the cover and check your coordinates. The NGS measured the full degrees, minutes, seconds DD MM SS.SSSSS coordinates at 40 44' 34.46640"(N) 073 50' 42.31409"(W), (NAD 83 1996) which is accurate to a thousandth of a meter. But who's counting?
When you log your visit here, it would be nice if you would list the type of GPS receiver and how far away it indicates you are from the actual coordinates. How close do our readings come to the actual? No cheating. Mine were between 1 and 4 meters accurate among four Waypoint markings. Convert to UTM and each integer difference represents one meter or 3 feet 3 inches The capsule UTM position is 18 T 597508 4510860 which is as accurate as I can convert it. Note: If you have an altimeter, you can calibrate it to the NGS height of 23 feet or 7 meters.
This is a great place to visit for fun things to do. Take the kids. It's in Flushing Meadows Park. You can park at N40 44.679' W73 50.787' next to an ice skating rink. Walk to the capsule. Or drive to within 30 feet of the capsule if it's raining. (Don't drive in the back areas however. I think that's restricted). View the Unisphere behind the rink, a 100-200 foot diameter stainless steel geodesic sphere of the earth above a fountain. All within a few blocks to a mile are the Queens Museum of Art and a Children's Science Museum. When it gets warmer there's plenty of walking and picnic areas and you're close to Shea Stadium -the Mets and Flushing Tennis stadium. Take the kids to the zoo (open all year and a quick 3 hour tour) and carousel (summer only) both on the other side of the parkway N40 44.588' W73 50.929'. Go fishing, sail and fly model airplanes 3/4 mile south at Meadow Lake at N40 44.025' W73 50.234'. For out-of-towners who can't wait to calibrate their GPS, La Guardia Airport is only 2 miles away at N40 46.241' W73 52.031'.
Access From Laguardia Airport
For those who have time waiting at the airport, it's about a one hour, 3 mile walk along the water and through the park to the cache. (ONE-WAY). Or you can take a cab there and walk back. Here's the Google Map Navigation link to walk from the cache back to the airport: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zMxV3v8L63vPHZJ26 You'll pass the NYS Pavillion (Men in Black Flying Saucer), Unisphere, Queens Museum, The NY Mets Stadium and the Promenade by the Bay, all very picturesque.
Have fun.
Kid Friendly Lunchtime Cache Handicap Access
Dogs Allowed Bicycles permitted on paths |
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