SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's historic Transamerica Pyramid is opening its doors to a new exhibit showcasing the contents of a time capsule that was buried over 50 years ago.
It's over 800 feet tall with more than 3,000 windows. The iconic Transamerica Pyramid is a beloved landmark on the San Francisco skyline but that wasn't always the case. From the moment it was proposed, controversy surrounded the building.
"The pyramid was the revolutionary kind of thing that was happening here. I want people to come and see, for those who remember to come and see and remember what happened and give a glimpse of the history of what was here before the pyramid existed," said Michael Shvo, owner of the Transamerica Pyramid and CEO of Shvo.
A year and a half ago, Shvo got an anonymous tip about the time capsule inside the building. Shvo found the drawings that led the team to the exact location of the capsule. The time capsule was under six feet of concrete in the building's Annex.
EXCLUSIVE: 50-year-old time capsule discovered under San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid
"This propane like capsule that was buried 50 years ago with instructions not to open for another 50 years," said Shvo. "This is a testament that 50 years ago it was happening city. This was a happening place and 50 years later, we are still here and never forget that maybe there were bumps in the road, but this is an amazing place and it's irreplaceable and this building is irreplaceable."
Shvo is now making everything they found inside the capsule available for the public to see in a new exhibit.
"We have a cassette tape that is an interview that was done as the building was opening. We have all this content and people can scan it here," said Shvo.
The plan was to preserve history. John Krizek was the pyramid's original public relations representative. He wrote the press release detailing everything in it.
"I helped put it down there," said Krizek. "It was just too rich with history. We had to honor that history and hope that someday it would be appreciated it."
MORE: Transamerica Pyramid Center in SF celebrates grand reopening after $1 billion renovation
Jackson Square is right next to the pyramid - it is also becoming a key part of the city's recovery with new stores greeting shoppers.
"We just finished $250 million renovation of this entire city block. I'm sure a lot of people have been here. The park, the Transamerica Redwood Park is open now to the public," said Shvo.
CBRE: Global Commercial Real Estate Services is also noticing an uptick in interest about a year ago.
"You have creatives, architects, venture capital, private equity, law firms in that area. That drives a lot of traffic in addition you have tourism you are close to the ferry building," said Alex Sagues, senior VP retail leasing for CBRE. "Acceleration of the recovery has really picked up. We are seeing a much faster recovery than we saw in the last couple of years."
The exhibit will be open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Sunday, May 18.