Anchorage Alaska

www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/anchorage/

NATIONAL ARCHIVES at

Visit Us!

NATIONAL ARCHIVES at ANCHORAGE

654 West Third Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501-2145

Directions

From the Airport: Leaving the airport: go east on International Airport Road. Take 

the Minnesota Drive North ramp toward downtown. Minnesota Drive becomes I 

Street. Continue on I Street. Turn right onto West Third Avenue. 

Visual: The Archives is on the right between F and G Streets. Enter through the open 

gate on West Third Avenue and walk down the sloping walkway. Turn left at the 

bottom of the walkway to the main entrance. 

From North:Head southwest on the Glenn Highway S. Continue on East 5th 

Avenue. Turn right (north) at A Street. Go two blocks and then turn left (west) onto 

West Third Avenue. The Archives is on the left between F and G Streets.

From South: Entering Anchorage from the south, go north on the Seward Highway. 

Turn left (west) at Northern Lights Boulevard. Continue on Northern Lights 

Boulevard. Turn right (north) at A Street. Turn left at West Third Avenue. Continue 

west on Third Avenue past C Street and go three blocks until F Street. The Archives is 

on the left between F and G Streets.

By Bus: The facility is accessible by all People Mover buses that stop at the Downtown 

Transit Center (6th Avenue and H Street), three blocks south of the Archives.

Parking:Metered parking is available on-street or at several pay lots in the vicinity. 

Contact Us!

Research hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. 

Extended hours at the National Archives: The first Saturday between 

September and April only. Please call to confirm Saturday hours in 

advance of your visit.

Hours subject to change due to special programs and weather. Please check our 

web site for current hours. We are closed on all Federal holidays.

Telephone: 907-261-7800 

Fax: 907-261-7813

E-mail: alaska.archives@nara.gov

Website: www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/anchorage

General Information Leaflet 60, Revised 2012

National

Archives at

Anchorage

Downtown

G St.F ST.

W 6th Ave.

W 5th Ave.

E St.

D St.

C ST.A St.

B St.

I St.

H ST.

W 5th Ave.
N A T I O N A L A R C H I V E S 

At the National Archives location in 

Anchorage you can see original historical 

documents, photographs, maps, drawings, 

artifacts, and much more, from over 60 

Federal agencies. Here, we preserve and 

provide access to permanently valuable, 

non-current Federal records with 

historical, legal or intrinsic value.

v We sponsor programs that educate the public about 

archives, history, genealogy, and related subjects

v We partner with colleges and universities, historical 

and genealogical societies, veterans organizations, 

museums, and other archives

v We host student interns, school groups, educators, 

and others who want to learn more about archives

v We recruit and train volunteers and docents who want 

to learn more about history while helping researchers

Access is free—to documents, displays and exhibits, 

online genealogy subscription services, workshops, 

events, and more.

at ALASKA
At the National Archives you can...

Explore Our Records

Curious about history? Writing a school paper? 

Searching for information about Federal programs? 

Anyone who needs historical information created 

or received by the Federal Government—historians, 

genealogists, lawyers, scholars, government officials, 

environmentalists, students, veterans—may search our 

holdings for answers.

Our records are diverse in form and content, 

including correspondence, reports, contracts, 

case files, photographs, maps, and drawings 

which document the actions and reactions of the 

government and the American people as they dealt 

with issues and events such as immigration and 

naturalization, the environment, technological change, 

the Great Depression, war, and the evolution of a 

multicultural nation.

“Thank you for your rapid and courteous 

action! We were at a loss as to how we 

might obtain a certified copy of Jeannette’s 

naturalization papers and your response 

gave us the comfort we needed.” 

—Fran H, AL

“You were most helpful when I began researching 

the early years of the Alaska Communications 

System ... you put me on the right track when I 

came in to look through NARA records.” 

—Hilary H, WA
At the National Archives you can...

Look for Your Family History

We can assist as you search for information about your 

family. Free computer access is available for researchers 

wanting to view Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3 for 

family history.

For Alaska, there are primary-source records including 

censuses of Alaska Natives and some school enrollment 

and attendance records; townsite trustee records; 

naturalization records; and Federal court records, 

including a limited number of divorce cases (1884-

1960). Additionally, we have selected National Archives 

microfilm for the Pacific Alaska Region. Please see a 

staff member for current listings. 

There is a list of the records digitized on the National 

Archives web site: www.archives.gov/digitization/

digitized-by-partners.html.

At the National Archives you can...

Consult Our Expert Staff

We are here to help you with your questions. In 

fact, we encourage you to ask us questions. Whether 

you have a specific request, or just want a nudge in 

the right direction, our staff is here. There is always 

something to be found, even if you didn’t know you 

were looking for it. 

“I want to thank you for your assistance 

... and for your persistence in following 

up my request. The convenience of a 

National Archives branch in Alaska is a 

tremendous help for me.” 

—Stephen R, AK
Discover our Education Programs

Become a Volunteer!

For Students

Looking for materials to use for reports, or to support 

your National History Day project? Use our records: 

v as primary sources for your research project

v to enhance your presentation or paper

v as research for National History Day projects

Consult Our Expert Staff

We assist teachers and home-schooling parents in the use 

of primary source documents with curriculum. Resources 

permitting, we:

v teach workshops for educators at our facility, in 

schools or via webinars 

v provide copies or images of primary sources suitable 

for use in the classroom

Field Trips and On-Site Visits: 

Work with our education staff to custom-design an 

interactive, hands-on learning experience

 

Primary records can support school curriculum and cover 

a wide scope of topics including: immigration; land use; 

westward expansion; growth of the Federal court system; 

Alaska Natives; the Great Depression; natural resources 

such as fish, fur seals, and fox farming; Forest Service; 

Alaska Railroad; World War II and its aftermath; Exxon 

Valdez Oil Spill; and more.

Interested in history or genealogy? As a volunteer you will 

help generations of people learn about their history, and 

you will play a vital role in the success of our programs. 

Please ask us for more information! 

From one building on Pennsylvania Avenue in 

Washington, DC, the National Archives has grown to 

24 regional archival and records center facilities, 15 

Presidential Libraries, and 10 affiliated facilities. 

“I wanted to THANK YOU for your help 

and time in finding this court record. It is a 

real ‘find’ in my search for information ... 

And it even has photographs! I had been 

looking for one without success.” 

—Martha R, AK
Anyone who has cleaned out a family attic knows 

the importance of keeping family records. You may 

have military records from relatives who served in 

one of the World Wars—or even the Civil War. Or 

pictures of your great-great grandparents on the 

day they became American citizens. Now imagine 

the task of the National Archives and Records 

Administration—record keepers for all historically 

valuable records created by agencies of your Federal 

Government. 

From one building on Pennsylvania Avenue in 

Washington, DC, the National Archives has grown 

to 13 archives locations nationwide, from Atlanta to 

Anchorage.

National Archives and

Records Administration

Our staff is here and ready to assist you. Because 

research is time-consuming, you may need to visit 

more than once. Please call 907-261-7800 before 

visiting to assure that records are available.

Please bring identification such as a driver’s license, 

passport, or student ID so that we can issue you a 

researcher’s card.

Lockers are available for your personal items, though 

laptops are permitted. A staff member will answer any 

questions about what is allowed in the research room. 

Get Copies of Records 

For a fee, our staff will make or arrange for copies of 

records and can provide certified copies for legal use.

You can use self-service copiers for a fee to make 

paper copies from microfilm.

Self-service copying of original records may be 

allowed, depending on the condition of the records. 

Use of scanners and digital cameras may be allowed.

Make an Appointment to Use 

Original Records