ST. LOUIS

www.archives.gov/st.louis

Visit Us!

NATIONAL ARCHIVES at ST. LOUIS

1 Archives Drive St. Louis, MO 63138

Directions

From I-55, North of St. Louis: I-55 S take exit 20B to I-270 W 

toward Kansas City to enter Missouri. Take exit 32 toward Bellefontaine 

Road. Go straight onto Dunn Road and the facility 

will be on the right.

From I-55, South of St. Louis: I-55 N take exit 196 toward 

Kansas City / I-270 W. Merge onto I-270 N. Take exit 32 for Bellefontaine 

Road. Turn left at Bellefontaine Road. Take the first 

left onto Dunn Road. The facility will be on the right.

From I-70, East of St. Louis: I-70 W take exit 238 to I-170 N to I-270 E. 

Take exit 32 for Bellefontaine Road. Turn left onto Bellefontaine Road. 

Then next left at Dunn Road. The facility will be on the right.

From I-70, West of St. Louis: I-70 E take exit 232A-232B to merge onto 

I-270 N toward Chicago. Take exit 32 for Bellefontaine Road. Turn left at 

Bellefontaine Road. Take the first left onto Dunn Road. 

The facility will be on the right.

Contact Us!

Research hours: Tuesday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.– 3:45 p.m.

Closed: Mondays, weekends, and all Federal holidays.

Hours are subject to change during inclement weather 

and under other circumstances.

Telephone: 314-801-0850 

E-mail: stlarr.archives@nara.gov

Web site: www.archives.gov/st.louis

Educators and students can also find us on Facebook at 

www.facebook.comnationalarchivesstlouis.

Front cover. Margaret R. Ringenberg,Women Airforce Service Pilots, National Archives at St. Louis; Elvis Presley, 

U.S. Army, Courtesy of the Temple Telegram; Dorothea Lange Taylor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Archives at 

St. Louis; Bertha Irene Jackson, Office of War Information, National Archives at St. Louis. Inside front cover: John F. 

Kennedy, U.S. Navy, National Archives at St. Louis; Harriet I. Pickens and Frances Wills, U.S. Navy, National Archives 

at College Park, MD.; Charles Lindbergh, U.S. Army, National Archives at St. Louis

General Information Leaflet 81, Revised 2011

NATIONAL ARCHIVES at

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St. Charles

Granite City

St. Peters

Hazelwood

Bridgeton

Chesterfield University City St. Louis

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Clayton

HONORING THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY

The National Archives at St. Louis holds the individual civilian and military 

records of millions of Americans who served the United States Government 

as members of its civil and military services over the past 150 years. 
N A T I O N A L A R C H I V E S 

The National Archives at St. Louis is home to the largest 

Federal records collection outside of NARA’s Washington, 

DC, and College Park, Maryland, locations. The St. 

Louis facilities hold more than a 100 million civilian 

and military personnel records dating back to the 19th 

century. These records tell the story of American men 

and women who served this country, some of whom 

rose to national and international prominence as civilian 

employees or members of the military. Visitors will find 

the civilian and military records of former Presidents, 

other political leaders, wartime heroes, famous athletes, 

entertainers, artists, writers, scientists, journalists, and a 

host of other professionals. 

The National Archives and Records Administration 

(NARA) is required by congressional law to preserve 

and provide access to permanent Federal records with 

historical, legal, or fiscal value. 

v The National Archives at St. Louis uses Federal 

documents to educate and inform the public.

v The National Archives at St. Louis works in 

partnership with colleges, universities, historical 

and genealogical societies, veterans organizations, 

museums, and other agencies to provide information 

to the public. 

v The National Archives at St. Louis offers spacious 

research room facilities, public eating areas, and rooms 

equipped with video and conferencing technology. 

Access is free—to census reports, exhibits, online 

genealogy subscription services (Ancestry, Fold3, and 

Heritage Quest), workshops, lecture events, and more. 

at ST. LOUIS
At the National Archives you can ...

Look for Your Family History 

The holdings of the National Archives at St. Louis contain a 

wealth of family history and personnel information helpful 

in a wide variety of research. Civilian and military holdings 

can help you locate lost family members and answer a wide 

range of questions about your family’s history. 

Civilian Holdings

The National Archives at St. Louis is home to certain civilian 

personnel records that document service ending before 1952. 

These archival records are a great source for family historians 

interested in examining the lives of your nation’s Federal work 

force. Within these files, you will find employment histories 

that tell the stories of men and women who were early pioneers 

at the Works Progress Administration, the Federal Bureau of 

Prisons, the Department of State, and other Federal agencies. 

Military Holdings

You can track a military member’s journey in the fight to 

defend freedom and hold documents that tell stories of 

courage and valor. The National Archives at St. Louis is 

the repository of millions of military personnel, health, 

and medical records of veterans of all services during the 

20th century. 

In 2004, the government designated Official Military 

Personnel Files (OMPFs) as permanent historical records. 

This expanded public access to records filled with a wealth 

of family history. You can access these records, after the 

legal transfer from the Department of Defense (DoD) into 

NARA’s holdings, 62 years following a military service 

member’s discharge, retirement, or death in service. 

Other NARA Holdings 

Other NARA locations across the United States offer 

access to records that document some of the following 

subjects: U.S. and Native American census reports, Civil 

War, immigration, naturalization, passports, and various 

slave records. For more information on these topics and 

locations, visit www.archives.gov/locations. 

Your Access Rights

Researchers can request access to records currently 

included among the holdings of the National Archives at 

St. Louis. However, all requests are subject to Freedom 

of Information Act (FOIA) privacy exemptions that may 

limit or restrict document access. 

Jackie Robinson, Courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, New York U.S. Army Courts Martial Records, National Archives at St. Louis

Marie Baldwin, U.S Department of Interior, 

National Archives at St. Louis

Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army, National 

Archives at St. Louis
National Archives at St. Louis ... a glimpse 

inside the personnel records holdings

Explore Our Treasure Chest 

Files from the Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) 

collection document the service of former Presidents, 

scientists, military leaders, decorated heroes, celebrities, 

and other well-known figures. For example, these files 

include Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, 

actors Clark Gable and Beatrice Arthur, authors Alex 

Haley and Frank Herbert, plus entertainers Elvis Presley 

and John Coltrane. E-mail pep.records@nara.gov to learn 

more about obtaining copies. 

Research Family History

Individuals conducting family history research will find 

official military personnel files (OMPFs) helpful because 

files contain some of the following: dates and places of 

birth; the names of parents, siblings, and dependents; 

education; residence; and employment history. Civilian 

official personnel files (OPFs) also contain valuable 

family history information such as dates of birth, family 

history, education, and place and time of employment. 

Resurrecting the Past

The OMPFs salvaged from the 1973 fire have been stored 

in a climate-controlled area where specially trained 

preservation technicians have been able to recover 

valuable information to reconstruct portions of veterans’ 

personnel files, verifying their service.

For Educators 

v Civilian and military personnel files provide an 

extraordinary view into the history of men and 

women who served this country. These holdings offer 

a wealth of historical data for educators. 

v Educators can tour exhibits, view primary documents, tour 

the building, and learn firsthand about archival holdings 

storage, preservation, and conservation methods.

v Students and teachers can attend free public panel 

discussions examining the impact of historical documents 

on this country’s struggle for freedom, equality, and justice.

v Students can use primary source documents to 

complete class reports and other research projects.

For more information on how to schedule tours and other 

public programs, please e-mail stlpublic.programs@nara.gov

or call 314-801-0847.

“Documented Rights” exhibition (2011–2012)

Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Department of Justice, National Archives at St. Louis
Photocopies 

Photocopying fees are due after copies are made. 

NARA accepts cash, personal checks, Visa, MasterCard, 

Discover, and American Express. See www.archives.gov 

for copy fees.

Making copies on site

Personnel records can be copied using personal cameras 

with the flash turned off, or records may be scanned using 

NARA-approved scanners. For a fee, copies may be made 

using NARA photocopiers. Records deemed at risk of 

damage or information loss from handling will be copied 

by NARA staff. A limited number of records of prominent 

historical figures (PEPs) may be available in digital format 

for a fee. 

See www.archives.gov for copier and equipment guidelines. 

Archival Research Room

We are here to help you with your questions. In fact, we 

encourage you to ask questions. Things you should know

before you arrive:

v Photo identification is required (such as a driver’s 

license, passport, or student ID) for researcher card 

registration and issuance.

v Walk-in visitors are welcome in the research room. 

However, we encourage researchers who wish to view 

original textual records to make an advance appointment to save time and ensure efficient access to the 

requested records. Records damaged in the 1973 fire 

may not be immediately available for review since 

examination by our Preservation staff is necessary before these records are served to researchers. 

v Laptops are allowed in the research room. Coats, 

jackets, hats, scarves, bags, handbags, equipment 

cases, and briefcases must be placed in lockers outside the research room. Food, beverages, and ink 

pens are never allowed in the 

research room. There are designated areas for cell phone usage. 

Other items deemed disruptive or 

harmful can be banned at the discretion of NARA staff. Researchers 

who violate NARA policies risk losing 

research privileges temporarily or 

permanently. 

Air Corps Technical School, Chanute Field, 1939 Air Force personnel on microfilm machines, National Personnel Records Center, circa 1960
Ordering Copies of Official Military 

Personnel Files (OMPFs) by Mail: 

National Archives at St. Louis 

National Personnel Records Center (Military) 

1 Archives Drive 

St. Louis, MO 63138

Ordering Copies of All Other Archival 

Holdings by Mail: 

National Archives at St. Louis 

Attn: RL-SL

P.O. Box 38757

St. Louis, MO 63138

At the National Archives at St. Louis Visitors 

Can Enjoy the Experience of a New Archival 

Facility Where They Will Find ....

v Spacious research room facilities 

v Public eating area

v Conference rooms equipped with video and 

teleconferencing technology 

v Free parking 

v Bus parking available for large groups

v ADA-compliance access

v Local St. Louis Metro bus stop for commuters and 

visitors visit www.metrostlouis.org

v Next to Hazelwood East Middle School

Operation Return Navy Project, National Personnel Records Center, 1963

Catherine Selak, U.S. Department of Justice, National Archives at St. Louis