If you’re in Los Angeles and happen to run out of robot milk or find yourself in urgent need of barbarian repellent, don’t worry: there’s a store for that. Browsing the shelves, you’ll also find cans of mammoth meat, dinosaur eggs, and other products you definitely won’t find at the corner store.
And no, we’re not on the set of a science fiction movie, even if Hollywood isn’t far away: we’re at the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a shop that presents itself as a supply store for time travelers.
Of course, there’s a catch. And behind this rather unusual business lies a story that’s perfect for our Unusual America column.
A Mini-mart for Time Travelers
photos by Scott Beale
You’ll see this shop as you walk, or drive, along Sunset Boulevard in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary convenience store, except for the sign advertising the sale of products from the past, the present, and the future. The slogan says it all: Whenever you are, we’re already then.
But it’s when you step inside that things become even more surreal. Among the most famous and popular items are, as mentioned, Robot Milk, milk for robots, and Barbarian Repellent, indispensable for anyone who might suddenly find themselves in the middle of a medieval siege. You can buy a tin of primordial soup, a Victorian iPod, and even some pills for time-travel sickness. Especially useful is the Pastport, a passport designed specifically for travelers from the past. Even the slushie machine is perfectly on theme: a sign warns customers that it’s out of order, inviting them to come back… yesterday!
Of course, behind these improbably packaged items are souvenirs and gadgets made with a good dose of imagination and irony. But the Time Travel Mart isn’t just another quirky gift shop: behind its shelves lies a project that has very little to do with time travel, and whose story begins in San Francisco a few years earlier.
The History of the Echo Park Time Travel Mart
The story begins in 2002 in San Francisco, when writer Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari founded 826 Valencia, a center that offered free writing workshops and academic support to children and teens.
The chosen space also had to house a business. The solution? Open a pirate supply store! The idea was a success and was later replicated in other American cities, each time with a different theme.
In Los Angeles, the theme of time travel was chosen and so, in 2007, the Echo Park Time Travel Mart was born. The store is actually the storefront of 826LA, a nonprofit organization that offers free writing workshops and other educational activities to the city’s kids. The proceeds from sales help fund these programs: in short, buying a can of mammoth meat can also serve a good cause!
How to Visit the Echo Park Time Travel Mart
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart is located at 1714 West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. It’s open to the public, so you can step inside, browse the shelves, and pick up some rather unusual souvenirs. According to the hours listed on the official website, it’s open every day from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. There is also a second location in the Mar Vista neighborhood.
Naturally, you won’t be able to freely take part in the educational activities held in 826LA’s spaces, which are reserved for the organization’s programs. Other than that, before buying anything, a quick look at the expiration date might be a good idea!
