Valley Relics Museum

Valley Relics Museum Valley Relics Museum is a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization with an endeavor to preserve and protect local history and artifacts while educating the public.

Valley Relics Museum is a non-profit organization with an endeavor to preserve and protect local history and artifacts while educating the public on the rich history of The San Fernando Valley. The Valley Relics Museum boasts its vast collection of historical artifacts pertaining to the San Fernando Valley abroad. The collection includes rare documents, photographs, vintage neon signs, post cards, yearbooks, negatives, clothing, books, art, automobiles, and bicycles from the valleys past.

Wooden Nickels from Manning’s Cafeteria, ca. 1970.Manning's Cafeteria operated as an original, popular dining destinatio...
05/26/2026

Wooden Nickels from Manning’s Cafeteria, ca. 1970.

Manning's Cafeteria operated as an original, popular dining destination at Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park. Opening alongside the mall in February 1964 as one of California’s first enclosed shopping centers, the cafeteria was well-known for its family-friendly tray-line service, comfort food, and signature Swedish meatballs. It served the San Fernando Valley community for over a decade before eventually closing and making way for newer mall dining trends.

Along with home-style classics, it was famously remembered by locals for its Swedish meatballs and gelatin desserts.

The chain struggled as consumer dining habits shifted and was eventually bought and closed down by Del Monte. By the 1980s, most Manning's cafeterias had shuttered.

Reseda Country Club!Ronnie James Dio front center. I saw so many great bands here! ...
05/26/2026

Reseda Country Club!

Ronnie James Dio front center. I saw so many great bands here! This photo was taken in 1987 backstage at the Reseda Country Club. Photo by David Plastik.

Kristy McNichol and Scott Baio at Malibu Grand Prix located at 19550 Nordhoff Place in Northridge, ca. 1978. Photo by Sa...
05/25/2026

Kristy McNichol and Scott Baio at Malibu Grand Prix located at 19550 Nordhoff Place in Northridge, ca. 1978. Photo by Saxon. Source: Getty Images

This track opened in 1974 and closed in 1994.

Stonehurst is comprised of 92 homes in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, in the community of Sun Valley. Many of the s...
05/25/2026

Stonehurst is comprised of 92 homes in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, in the community of Sun Valley. Many of the structures were built between 1923 and 1925 by Dan Montelongo, a local artisan and stonemason, using stone selected from the nearby washes and the foothills of the Tujunga Valley. The neighborhood boasts the highest concentration in Los Angeles of homes utilizing native river rock as a primary building material. Many of these homes were designed in a "Stonemason Vernacular" style that is a derivative of Craftsman architecture. Stonehurst homes are frequently small bungalows on large lots, often on horse-keeping or animal-keeping properties, giving this neighborhood a unique, rustic character among Los Angeles' historic districts.

Northridge Water Slides on Nordhoff Place next to Malibu Grand Prix and across from the Northridge Fashion Center, late ...
05/24/2026

Northridge Water Slides on Nordhoff Place next to Malibu Grand Prix and across from the Northridge Fashion Center, late 1970s.

The courtyard of Encino Town & Country, December 31, 1989. Source: LA Times
05/24/2026

The courtyard of Encino Town & Country, December 31, 1989. Source: LA Times

Shadow Ranch at 22633 Vanowen Street, West Hills. Photo is undated.The Workman Ranch was named after Alfred Workman, an ...
05/23/2026

Shadow Ranch at 22633 Vanowen Street, West Hills. Photo is undated.

The Workman Ranch was named after Alfred Workman, an Englishman who worked for various enterprises in the Western U.S., among them, being Nadeau's freight teams, which had a base in San Fernando. He leased the 13,000 acre ranch from Isaac Lankershim and his son-in-law, Isaac Newton Van Nuys. The ranch had 1,000 head of cattle and Workman imported Australian Blue Gum eucalyptus tree seeds from his homeland and planted them on the ranch. The ranch house was built from 1869-1872 using adobe and redwood lumber.

In the 1930s the Workman Ranch was acquired by Colin Clements and Florence Ryerson, a couple who were screenwriters for the film studio. Ryerson co-wrote the screenplay for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz while living there. She renamed the estate Shadow Ranch for the amount of shade provided by the numerous large eucalyptus trees, originally planted during the Workman era.

It was purchased again in 1948 by another screenwriter, Ranald MacDougall, whose credits include "Mildred Pierce" and "Cleopatra." In 1961, film director William Wyler used the ranch house as a filming location for The Children’s Hour.

Today, the historic Shadow Ranch residence stands on 13 acres; the remaining undeveloped land of the original ranch is now an L.A. city park. The house is used as a recreational facility and events venue. When the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission was formed in 1962, Shadow Ranch was one of the first ten properties to be designated as a city Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM #9).

Who remembers the big slide on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near Victory in Woodland Hills, 1970s? 🛝
05/21/2026

Who remembers the big slide on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near Victory in Woodland Hills, 1970s? 🛝

Address

7900 Balboa Boulevard C3 & C4
Van Nuys, CA
91406

Opening Hours

Saturday 10am - 3pm
Sunday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+18186164083

Website

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