National Archives and Records Administration

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Revision as of 13:26, 5 April 2009 by DiltsGD (talk | contribs) (footnotes)
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
 
Research entrance to National Archives Building (Archives I) as seen from 7th St. & Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, D.C.

Contact Information[edit | edit source]

E-mail: Several e-mail options are available at http://archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html

Mailing Address:[1]

The National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001

National Archives in Washington, D.C. (Archives I) — Street Address:[2]

National Archives Building—Research Entrance
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Telephone:[1]  1-866-272-6272 , or TDD 301-837-0482
Fax:  301-837-0483

Hours:[3]  Monday, Tuesday, Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 am to 9:00 p.m. For record pull-times, holidays, and other details, click here.

Public transportation:[4]

  • Subway. In Washington, DC, take Metrorail's Yellow or Green lines to the Archives/Navy Memorial station. The Archives/Navy Memorial stop is across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Archives building.
  • Bus. In Washington, DC, Metrobuses 30, 32, 34, 36, 53, A42, A46, A48, P1, P2, P4, P17, P19, and W13 stop at the National Archives on Pennsylvania Avenue.
  • Parking. No parking at the building is available for researchers. Several commercial parking lots are located nearby and metered curb parking may be available on nearby streets.

Internet sites and databases:

Collection Description[edit | edit source]

The National Archives has a vast collection of documents created by the United States federal government. The records most often used by genealogists are census, military, land, and immigration records.

The National Archives Building in Washington, DC (Archives I), houses textual and microfilm records relating to genealogy, American Indians, pre-World War II military and naval-maritime matters, the New Deal, the District of Columbia, the Federal courts, and Congress.[7]

Tips[edit | edit source]

Researchers first visiting Archives I, the National Archives and Records Administration building in Washington, DC, proceed to the Research Center on the first floor. Depending upon the types of records requested, researchers may need to first obtain a researcher identification card. You can get your research card in the Research Center. During the registration process, new researchers will view a short PowerPoint orientation emphasizing the safe handling of records and explaining the most basic research procedures, responsibilities, and rules. New researchers should plan for a total of 15-20 minutes to complete the registration process.[8]

Guides[edit | edit source]

  • Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/ (accessed 5 April 2009). Provides a general overview of NARA's holdings at the record group level, and is intended to assist researchers in identifying which record groups may have material relevant to their research topics.
  • Eales, Anne Bruner and Robert M. Kvasnicka, ed. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States. Third Edition. Washington, DC: Nathional Archives and Records Administration, 2000. Explains records collections used most by genealogical researchers: Census, Passenger Arrivals and Border Crossings, Naturalizations, Military, Land, Native Americans, African Americans, and more.
  • The Archives

Substitute Repositories[edit | edit source]

Microfilm copies of many of the records at the National Archives are available at the Family History Library, other major archives and libraries, and at regional branches of the National Archives. You may purchase microfilms from the National Archives or request photocopies of the records by using forms obtained from the Archives.

National Archives—Regional Branches. For a list of 12+ Regional Branches of the National Archives, click here.

{ List (link to a Wiki article for) at least one or more other repositories that collect overlapping records, or similar family history material including central repositories, affiliated or branch repositories, higher level jurisdiction repositories, parent or daughter jurisdiction repositories. Also list neighboring repositories with similar records. Please briefly explain how each substitute repository is related.}

If a record you need is not at the {repository name}, it may be available at one of the following.

Overlapping Collections



Similar Collections



Neighboring Collections


Sources[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Contact the National Archives and Records Administration" in Natonal Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/contact/ (accessed 5 April 2009).
  2. "Washington, D.C. Area" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/ (accessed 5 April 2009).
  3. "Hours" in "Washington, DC Area" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/#hours (accessed 5 April 2009).
  4. "Transportation" in "Washington, DC Area" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/#hours (accessed 5 April 2009).
  5. "About ARC" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/about-arc.html (accessed 5 April 2009).
  6. "What will I find in AAD?" in "Getting Started Guide" in "Access to Archival Databases (AAD)" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://aad.archives.gov/aad/help/getting-started-guide.html#find (accessed 5 April 2009).
  7. "Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/researcher-info.html (accessed 5 April 2009).
  8. "Orientation and Research Room Procedures" in "Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC" in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/researcher-info.html#research (access 5 April 2009).