Today was my first day ever at NARA II. I felt like a fish out of water--every archive is different. But the staff were so friendly (and patient!). I managed to get through quite a few boxes. But I will return tomorrow. FYI: There is a shuttle that goes from NARA I and NARA II (and vice versa). It arrives at NARA II every hour and leave five minutes past; it's really useful for everyone, but particularly students who are on research trips on a budget. read more

National Archives - National Archives sign as seen from Adelphi Road. - Public Services & Government Near Me - College Park, Maryland

My review for National Archives is solely based on digitalized search records as ulterior motive for genealogy research or ancestry records retainment. I personally find familial history and records fascinating including oral history. I plan to sustained these military records perpetually. I sorrowfully wished I have driving skills enabling car ownership to make the long-haul trek to this federal archival material data files record keeper office at 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740 from New York City as I would search deeper obtaining more information. National Archives' website has painstaking digitalized and categorized military personnel records by all military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. It is all personal to me as a next of kin seeking my beloved family member who was a U.S. Army veteran. Searches are further categorized by war periods dating back 250 years American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, World War I, World War II including later wars and conflicts Korean War and Vietnam War. Oh! I am highly impressed that U.S. military personnel records dating 250 years are maintained and retained perpetually because my search is dating 83 years ago as it is not in recent years. My online search is very gruesome, daunting, extensive time consuming with high level of patience tolerance as there are many, many layered links and sub-links in a national centralized database. Links take users to more links and further complicated specified links. The records or biographical information are mostly abbreviated as "19" for birth year rather than year 1919 and does not explain rank, title, grade, grade code military jargon or military codes in everyday ordinary civilian language. The DD Form 214 Certificate of Release or "Discharge from Active Duty," is the official discharge paper and Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) which can also be obtained either online or mail. My data search encountered United States, Army Enlistment Records and Flexoline Index Database, by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) under Department of Justice originated the Alien Registration Act of 1940 which I did successfully achieved basic biographical results from both file units. Further document requests can be obtain by submitting requests either online or U.S. mail for fees as draft registration cards and Records of the Selective Service. National Archives is a federal government official record keeper. These were service members who have names. They are significantly more than Army Serial Number. They lived and served. They have narratives. They are still loved and remembered. read more

See all

Knowing history gives us a sense of perspective. If you think you have it tough, read history books. We'd obtained the necessary advance tickets when I was last there in 2013 for further family research. I've done virtual visits there since then. This College Park, Maryland location is Archives II, which is solely a research facility. Archive I is in Washington, DC, which I'd previously reviewed at https://www.yelp.com/biz/national-archives-and-records-administration-washington. I have no complaints. The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency of the United States government within the Executive Branch. It's charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. Employees here certainly try to be helpful. Be aware that there are "millions of records, documents, photographs, maps, decrees, charters, videos" so impossible for employees to be an expert on all of them. So, do as much research before visiting so you have something to help you to find what you're looking for. If you are a History Addict such as myself, resist the temptation to read all that cool history that passes before your eyes here or you will never find out what you specifically came to find. The security procedures are different at each National Archives location based on many factors, including function and size of the facility, and are subject to change without notice. Rules can even change from floor to floor and employee to employee. Resistance is futile. When entering National Archives facilities, you must provide valid photographic identification and are subject to inspection upon entering, anytime while there and exiting. Just like at most IRS building, your id may be scanned as you travel from floor to floor. You are very limited on what you can bring in with you, Weapons are prohibited. There are a lot of security guards. If you have a heart pacemaker or other medical device that might be disrupted by the magnetometer (or give a false reading), ask to be screened with a hand-held wand. Surgical implants set off the security machines. If you have surgical implants, bring documentation of them from your doctor with you. On-site parking is limited. Any papers you are allowed to bring in are required to be first approved and then stamped / Permitted. Phones, their cases, and computers cases are prohibited. Computers require a previously obtained Permit. Recommend putting your stuff in clear plastic bags. Large or bulky clothes, hats, even some boots, prohibited due to previous thefts, hence why some requests come back as "unavailable". Has a cafeteria on the ground floor. Has specific times you can make a request to "Pull" an item. Be prepared that it can take a while to fulfill your request, it may be fulfilled damaged, and that it may not even be fulfilled due to previous thefts. There is a cost to get copies of anything. On this day in history 31 December: 1775 - George Washington ordered his recruiters to accept Blacks into the Army. Standing shoulder to shoulder, an ethnically diverse soldiery formed. From free and enslaved Blacks, to Native Americans, native born colonists, to foreign recruits, to women, Washington's integrated Army was a diverse fighting force for the long and grueling eight-year war. One of the most famous units was the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. The Rhode Island Assembly decreed on 14 February 1778, to allow, "every slave, so enlisting, shall upon his passing muster before Col. Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress; and be absolutely FREE, as though he had never been encumbered with any Kind of Servitude or Slavery." The integrated Army in the American War For Independence was shamefully the last integrated American military until 26 July 1948 (WWII ended 2 September 1945), when President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order banning segregation in the US Armed Forces. For it is essential that there be maintained in the Armed Services of the United States the highest standards of democracy, with equality of treatment and opportunity for all those who Serve in our country's defense. During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt had responded to complaints about discrimination at home against African Americans by issuing Executive Order 8802 in June 1941. It directed that Black Americans be accepted into job-training programs in defense plants, forbid discrimination by defense contractors and established a Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) to enforce the policy. Truman had previously appointed the first African-American judge to the Federal bench, and named several other African-Americans to high-ranking administration positions. read more

National Archives - I recommend. - Public Services & Government Near Me - College Park, Maryland

Good Lord what a cool place. I really had no idea what was in an archive like this and man ... just so damn cool. Got a tour from a long time employee and would love to spend some time in the research room at some point. History is pretty bada** after all! read more

You can get advanced tickets but we were first in line. (The Archives open at 10. If you're military, you will be escorted to another entrance for some deserved preferential treatment.) If you're there early, rush to the rotunda to see the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration. (The Magna Charta is on the lower level.) If you have any questions, find a docent. We had one question about the mural and we were treated to much more info about the Constitution. You cannot take photos inside. Be aware. read more

See all

I spent three days doing research at the College Park branch of the Archives. I had a 5-star experience in terms of "customer" service from the staff ranging from the security guards in the parking lot to the archivists and everyone in between. If you've never been, know that they do have rules and they politely insist you follow them. You'll be asked to store any backpacks, jackets, etc. in a locker. For that locker, you'll need a quarter (which you get back at the end of the day). You won't need any paper or pens as they have plenty of paper for notes and pencils for you to use. The staff was extremely helpful in locating documents for my research project and getting them to me in a timely fashion. read more

Completed some family research. Tip: come early because there are a lot of records here. Some might be checked out. Don't be shy about asking for help. The archivists are busy but so willing to spend time with newbies like me. Shout out to Gary! He helped me so much. I found that the file I needed was checked out, Nita box of materials made me stop and cry. I found the letters that got my great grandfather out of a refugee camp. I saw my grandfather's signature and all kinds of papers. It took my breath away. I saw so many people doing all kinds of research about presidents, military men and women, and civilians. I was in the last group. So much of our history is preserved here. I will definitely come back to finish the research I have started. read more

National Archives - The in assuming front. Take bus C8 from Metro station. - Public Services & Government Near Me - College Park, Maryland

See all

The National Archives embody the history of our democracy, and in some ways, of representative democracy more generally. The famous facility on the National Mall in Washington, DC houses the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, even one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. The importance of these documents for how we understand politics today cannot be overstated -- and the monumental building at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue is thus deserving of the many 5-star-ratings my fellow yelpers have given it. But the National Archives at College Park are, to a much greater extent, the place where real research into our nation's history can be undertaken. Here, in a huge, modern edifice of glass and steel, on a nondescript suburban street nestled against the University of Maryland's golf course, stands the place where our government houses literally millions of records, documents, photographs, maps, decrees, charters, videos and, if you believe Steven Spielberg, the Ark of the Covenant itself. It would be absurd to list the holdings of the NARA, most of all, its facility at College Park. In fact, it might be an equally Sisyphusian task to list the listings of its holdings, since almost any new research endeavor seems to involve the onion-opening-analogous process of finding the directory which lists the location of index of the files of the folders that house the reference numbers for the shelves on which the boxes with the index cards may be located. If you manage to locate those cards before the next pull time, you may be just a few hours away from seeing your first document. On my recent visit, I browsed but a tiny fraction of the Guide to Captured German Records from World War II. But doing so required that I resist the temptation to look at anything from the belongings of the earliest American settlers to the material submitted in support of the findings of the 9/11 Commission. I had to skip over the Watergate Tapes and video of the Kennedy assassination only to realize that I was also skipping over the court records of Plessey vs. Ferguson and the pieces of Plymouth Rock. One critique: Photocopies of microfiched material cost 50 cents per page! And while this outrageous, outlandish price didn't hinder my institutionally-supported endeavors (I would like to thank the Byron K. Trippet Research Fund and the Dean's Office of Wabash College for their generous support at this time), such a price may present a dangerous deterrent to the underfunded forager, the amateur or the enthusiast, all of whom should have the same right and enjoy the same privilege as those who emerge from the ivory tower. In a phrase, a national treasure like the National Archives should be accessible to everyone -- lest we risk breaking from the very traditions that the National Archives embody. read more

National Archives - Public Services & Government Near Me - College Park, Maryland

super super cool! all original documents and very nice staff. enjoyed an outing with the fam

This is a review of Archives II, the College Park location, which is a research facility, not the tourist destination in downtown DC. Archives II holds the Army records from WWI and later, and most civilian records, photos, film, sound, and cartographic. I have put off reviewing the National Archives and Records Administration for a while, despite having visited for research purposes dozens of times over the years. After all, they are not really a business, and suffer from many of the usual ailments of federal government-run institutions. Hopefully this review will help new researchers be slightly less alienated and overwhelmed. Now don't get me wrong: the archives are a national treasure, and the largest archive facility in the world. But they have endless bureaucratic rules and contradictory regulations, and lots of problems that are the result of under-funding and budget issues, like under-trained staff and missing/unavailable/unprocessed records. The main reason I docked them a star is because of the inconsistency in staff. The archives employees run the gamut from wonderful and knowledgeable to incompetent and apathetic to overzealous power-trippers. The worst part is that they CANNOT seem to keep their own rules straight. One person tells you one thing, someone else yells at you for that same thing. It happens constantly. They also have many arbitrary rules (such as the "scarf defined as 4'' wide and 4' long") which they enforce rabidly while sometimes ignoring things such as proper preservation techniques (which isn't always their fault, budget issues and all). Parking is in a covered lot to the right of the building. You will have to show ID to a guard to enter. It is limited, but there is a satellite lot nearby. I have only had a problem finding a space on rare occasions. The reading rooms don't open until 9, but the building, cafeteria, and locker rooms open at 8, so you can beat traffic and show up early. You will have to go through airport-style security- x-ray and metal detector- when you enter the building, and show ID again. If you don't have a research card (which can serve as your ID also) you have to get one before researching. Go to the office to the right of security for that. There is an extensive list of what can and cannot be brought into the reading rooms, and everything else can be locked in a quarter-accessible locker in the basement. Any papers brought in have to be approved and stamped (same office as research cards). No phone or computer cases, no large jackets, anything you could hide documents under, basically. You will have to scan your research card at the entry desk and then at the front desk of any room you enter upstairs. Main reading room is on the 2nd floor. Cafeteria is on the ground floor. The food is reasonably priced and the Grill is pretty good, but will take a few minutes because everything is made to order. They now accept credit card. There are a number of quirks you will have to deal with when researching at Archives II. You do not want to show up unprepared. If you do, the finding aids will eat you alive and destroy your soul. Sometimes the archivists are very helpful, but it depends who is working that day, and you might get someone who knows very little about your subject. You should look online, talk to people who have researched there before, call ahead, or basically do anything you can to prepare, because this ain't for amateurs. I've seen it take down even highly trained researchers. The finding aids: binder after binder of typed or hand-written information of varying detail on the contents of each record group, which you then use to locate entry numbers, then cross reference in a separate set of binders to find the location information for the call slip. Pull times are mostly on the hour. If you are lucky, you will be able to fill out a call slip properly and the correct records will be brought up. Things go well about 90% of the time. Don't even get me started on records that come up as "unavailable." Yes, things get lost, and if it is the thing you are looking for, you might as well forget it. Missing archival boxes: the historian's nadir. Rules are subject to frequent change and, like I said, I suspect many employees do not know all the rules, considering the varying contradictory reprimands and scoldings I have received. You will get yelled at, so just accept it. Some of these folks have weird things they focus on. One employee is obsessed with proper staple removal. Another will ask you if you are taking pictures and tell you you need a camera permit, even when you are obviously not taking pictures. It can even be sort of funny. Accept it; it's part of the beauty of bureaucracy in action! Or inaction. read more

National Archives - The letter in which NARA defines a scarf. This sums up the national archives in a nutshell. - Public Services & Government Near Me - College Park, Maryland

See all

First off this is not a visit on your tour of DC location, this is the "I am here to research" location, so really my remarks are only relevant if you are looking to do research. Spend time online before you head to the site to get as much information as you can - it takes a while and the online system can have you feeling like you are running in circles. However, if you have done this you are going to have a better experience, plus there are TONS of rules and it is easier to know them going in. When I arrived everyone from the security at the parking deck to the reading room monitors was helpful. I thought I had all the information I needed before arriving and found out I that I did not. The research assistant was great and even though the room was packed with people all needing help she made sure that everyone was helped. I went on a Friday and the place was busy, but it still appeared to have plenty of room for more people to work. There is supposedly a cafe or food in the building, however I did not check it out. Be prepared for multiple searches and security stops while you are there and if you cannot handle the whole "library" quiet environment make sure you bring something to listen to. read more

I don't think it's possible for me to give any less than a five-star review. After all, it's the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence... we got to see the Emancipation Proclamation and we got to watch some funny stories from the president and the guard was funny and made us laugh and everything was awesome...so yeah. Definitely go visit! read more

Here's the skinny... The people are nice and helpful, the food is bad and $$. If you need more basic info, try archives.gov

Bring cash for the food. Coins for the locker (just like A1). The research rooms are warmer, more pleasant. A modern twist for historical researchers. read more

Since November I have been to the Archives 5 times. The first encounter was super shocking. I had my knees replaced. The alarm sounded and the female armed guard asked me if I had something to tell her. I asked her what she wanted to hear? I explained that I had my knees replaced, then she asked for the card the surgeon gave me. I didn't have one but she could see the distinctive scars. She said she wasn't allowed. Now I had driven 4 hours to get there. She allowed me to go up to the Researcher's Room on Second floor. When I got back home I went to the surgeons office and got the card, now I still put off the alarm, but I have the card. No coats, purses, everything you take in must be in the open, No computer carrying cases. Now BIG word to the wise. Use a clear plastic bag or baggie. (I used the empty zippered plastic bag sheet sets packaging) They now give out index cards, and paper to be used with the pencils. I had 2 different types of paper clips, holding the information that I had from previous visits that were stamped as we exited the last time. She confiscated it all. Then when you get to the Research Room they scan your Researcher Id Card and when you leave. They search your computer, scanner and all personal things in the bag, When leaving, all the paper copies (their copier uses blue paper) gets put in a locked bag and is check as it is put in this bag. Unlocked as you leave on first floor as well as you have to shoe your electronics to the guard again thorough security. Once you think you know what is allowed female guards and desk personnel change the rules and it might be a female to female problem. However, my married granddaughter experience the same. She had a knit headband, she was told she wasn't allowed upstairs with it, then we got up stairs and another female had the same headband on. I am not touring the DC area, I had all the information from the catalog to file the pull slips when I got there. I read the all the instructions online. They are accurate and complete, except for the female that is sitting at the desk, the one that was issuing temporary cards, who changes the rules to suit herself. Why are these guards armed, anyway??????????????????????????????? read more