The Pennsylvania State Archives
Changes to the Municipal Records Retention Manual have been approved as of July 23, 2009. Please see our Retention and Disposition Schedules section for more information.



Learn More about the PHMC Internship Program

See the latest Issue of Access Archives, the newsletter of the Pennsylvania State Archives

National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom

The Pennsylvania State Archives collects, preserves and makes available for study the permanently-valuable public records of the Commonwealth, with particular attention given to the records of state government. The State Archives also collects papers of private citizens and organizations relevant to Pennsylvania history.

Phone: (717) 783-3281
Mail: 350 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120
E-mail: ra-statearchives@state.pa.us

Directions to the corner of Third and Forster Streets, Harrisburg, PA.

The State Archives is now CLOSED to the public
on Tuesdays
as well as Mondays.

Hours:
Wednesday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Saturday ( microfilm use only ), 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and State Holidays.

Use the Resources of the State Archives:

Learn About State Archives Programs:

History and Mission of the Pennsylvania State Archives:

  • Brief History of the Archives
  • A Treasure Trove of Historical Records: The Pennsylvania State Archives, an article by Sharon Hernes Silverman published in Pennsylvania Heritage magazine. Click here for part one (PDF, 91KB); click here for part two (PDF, 120 KB). (The article requires the Adobe Acrobat reader to be viewed or printed. The software is available free of charge from Adobe. If you are using a screen reader, Adobe also offers a free online document conversion service at http://access.adobe.com.)
  • Documenting Pennsylvania's Past: The First Century of the Pennsylvania State Archives , a book edited by Willis L. Shirk, Jr. Available for purchase online at PAbookstore.com

Find out what African American records, manuscripts, photographs, and microfilm holdings are here at the State Archives in Ruth Hodge's 598-page comprehensive and invaluable Guide to African American Resources. It's available for purchase online from PAbookstore.com.

If you need further assistance, you may contact an archivist at ra-statearchives@state.pa.us