Pennsylvania has no single archive that holds everything. The state, 67 counties, more than 2,500 municipalities, universities, churches and federal agencies each keep their own records. Our directory lists 35 archives across the Commonwealth, from the Pennsylvania State Archives on North Street in Harrisburg to the Carbon County Archive in Jim Thorpe. This page explains who runs what, so you can pick the right office before you travel or call.

How Pennsylvania Splits Archive Duties Between State, County and City

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, known as the PHMC, runs the Pennsylvania State Archives. The building sits at 350 North Street in Harrisburg, in Dauphin County, beside the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The PHMC preserves the permanent records of state government. It also publishes retention guidance that counties and municipalities follow when deciding what to keep.

So the State Archives is the right stop for state-level material. Holdings include Land Office records from Penn's colony onward, Civil War veterans' card files and military service records. It is not the place to ask for your own county's deeds or a local police report. Those stay with the office that created them.

County government runs through elected row offices. The Recorder of Deeds keeps property records. The Register of Wills handles probate and usually serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court, which issues marriage licenses. The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts hold civil and criminal court files. Some counties move older material into a dedicated archive. That explains listings such as the Northampton County Archive in Easton and the York County Archive at 150 Pleasant Acres Road.

Philadelphia works differently. City and county governments consolidated in 1854, so one set of offices serves both. Our database lists the Philadelphia City Archive at 3101 Market Street and a Philadelphia City & County Records Archive at 3001 Market Street. Both show the same phone number, 215-685-9400. Call before you go to confirm which building holds your record.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh: Metro Archives With Specialist Collections

Philadelphia County has the densest mix of archives in the state, and each one serves a different need. Choosing the right one saves a wasted trip.

Federal holdings follow federal rules. Requests for those records go through federal channels, not the city or the state. If your question involves military service, immigration or federal courts, start with the Townsend Road listing.

In Allegheny County, Pittsburgh has five listings. The Pennsylvania Birth & Death Records Archive at 300 Liberty Avenue, reachable at 412-565-5113, matters most to western Pennsylvanians. Harrisburg is about 200 miles east, so a nearer point of contact for vital records saves a long drive. Call ahead to confirm which services and identification requirements apply.

Smaller Cities, Industrial Towns and Rural Counties

Outside the two big metros, archives often reflect a town's own history. Bethlehem, in Northampton County, has two. The Bethlehem Moravian Archive at 41 West Locust Street (610-866-3255) preserves records of the Moravian community that settled the city in 1741. The Bethlehem Industrial Archive at 18 West 4th Street (610-868-1115) points to the city's steelmaking past.

Hershey lists the Hershey Community Archive at 30 East Granada Avenue (717-533-1777). The town grew around Milton S. Hershey's chocolate company, and its records follow that company-town story. In Jim Thorpe, the Carbon County Archive at 44 Susquehanna Street (570-325-5713) sits in a town once called Mauch Chunk, renamed in 1954. Anthracite coal shaped much of that county's history.

County seats hold the deepest legal records. Scranton, in Lackawanna County, lists the Scranton Central Records Archive at 100 South Washington Avenue (570-348-4150). In Lancaster County, the Lancaster County Offices Archive is at 50 North Duke Street (717-299-8319). Centre County's archive is at 420 Holmes Street in Bellefonte (814-355-6705). Cambria County's is at 201 North Center Street in Ebensburg (814-472-2353).

Rural offices differ from metro ones in practical ways. Staff are fewer, public hours can be shorter, and some records are available by appointment. A phone call a day or two ahead is usually worth it. Metro archives tend to keep longer hours and offer more finding aids, but they also draw more researchers.

Three listings are police records archives: Bristol (215-788-7813) in Bucks County, Norristown (610-270-0469) in Montgomery County and Shavertown (570-696-1174) in Luzerne County. Treat these as records requests to a local police department, not as historical research visits.

The Right-to-Know Law and Other Rules That Decide What You Can See

The Right-to-Know Law, enacted in 2008, is the main access statute for government records. It presumes that records held by state and local agencies are public unless an exemption applies. You submit a written request to the agency's open-records officer. The agency generally has five business days to respond, and it can extend that period by up to 30 days with written notice.

If an agency denies your request, you can generally appeal within 15 business days. Appeals for most agencies go to the Office of Open Records in Harrisburg. Judicial records and some law enforcement records follow separate appeal routes.

Private archives, such as church, company or private university collections, generally fall outside the law. Access to those depends on each institution's own policy. Ask about their reading room rules, appointment needs and copying limits.

Vital records follow their own rules. The Pennsylvania Department of Health keeps birth and death certificates from 1906 forward. Birth records become public after 105 years and death records after 50 years, and older ones pass to the State Archives. Newer certificates are limited to the person named and eligible family members, who must show identification.

Some records stay closed regardless of age or who asks. Adoption files, juvenile court records and active criminal investigation files are examples. Expect a clerk to explain which category your request falls into.

What to Bring and How to Search Before You Go

Pennsylvania has 67 counties and more than 2,500 municipalities, so the place where an event happened decides which office holds the record. Work out the county and municipality first. Many failed searches happen because the record was sought in the wrong place.

Bring a government photo ID, the full names involved, approximate dates, and proof of your relationship if the record is restricted. For property or court research, add a parcel address or case number if you have one. Check the reading room's rules before you plan to photograph documents.

Many offices charge per-page copy or certification fees. Ask for the amount when you call, and ask whether they accept cards, checks or cash.

Government archives in Pennsylvania are administered by the state archives and records management division, which is typically housed within the Secretary of State's office or a dedicated cultural affairs agency. The state archives preserves official government records while also maintaining collections of historical significance to Pennsylvania residents.

Archives locations are available in 18 cities across Pennsylvania. They are spread across 16 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Easton, which tend to have more archives facilities due to their roles as county seats, state capitals, or historic centers of government activity.

Residents of Pennsylvania conducting genealogical or historical research should check whether their county or city maintains a separate archives in addition to the state repository, as many local records are held at the municipal or county level.

Archives by Counties

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Researchers in Pennsylvania can often access digitized state archives records through the state library's online portal without visiting in person. For records not yet digitized, contact the archives office in advance to schedule a research appointment and confirm that the specific collection is available for public review.

Browse Archives by county across Pennsylvania to find the nearest location.

Planning a Records Trip Across Pennsylvania's Regions

Distances in Pennsylvania are larger than most people expect. Philadelphia to Harrisburg is roughly 100 miles, and Harrisburg to Pittsburgh is about 200. Erie sits in the northwest corner, far from both. Pick the office closest to the record, not simply the largest one.

In the southeast, Philadelphia, Delaware County and Montgomery County sit close together. The Bryn Mawr Educational Records Archive at 1062 East Lancaster Avenue (610-525-8127) is in Delaware County, and the Norristown police archive is in Montgomery County. In the center of the state, Harrisburg has the State Archives at 350 North Street (717-783-3281) and the Harrisburg Central Records Archive at 123 Walnut Street (717-255-3192).

In the west, New Castle's Vital Records Archive is at 101 South Mercer Street (724-656-3100), and Pittsburgh is the larger hub. In the northwest, the Erie County Clerk Records Archive is at 140 West 6th Street (814-451-6250). Easton and Bethlehem are close neighbors, so one day can cover both. Check each office's hours first, because they vary widely.

Pennsylvania Archives: Frequently Asked Questions

Start with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, which holds birth and death certificates from 1906 forward. Our database lists a Pennsylvania Birth & Death Records Archive at 300 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh (412-565-5113) and a New Castle Vital Records Archive at 101 South Mercer Street (724-656-3100). Call to confirm services and hours before you go. You must be the person named or an eligible family member, and you will need valid photo identification. The Department sets the fee. For events before 1906, ask the Register of Wills in the county where it happened, since some counties kept earlier registrations.

The Pennsylvania State Archives at 350 North Street holds the permanent records of state government and is run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Typical collections include Land Office records, Civil War veterans' files, military records and older birth and death certificates that have become public. It does not hold county deeds, probate files or local police records. Call 717-783-3281 before visiting to confirm hours, registration steps and any rules about photographing documents. If your question concerns a family farm, a veteran ancestor or a state agency decision, this is usually the right starting point.

Send a written request to the agency's open-records officer. Describe the records as specifically as you can, with names, dates and the type of document, and include your contact details. The agency generally has five business days to respond and may extend that by up to 30 days with written notice. If it denies your request, you can generally appeal within 15 business days. The Office of Open Records in Harrisburg hears most of these appeals. Private archives, such as church or company collections, are not covered, so ask them about their own access policy.

Our database lists the Bristol Police Records Archive in Bucks County (215-788-7813), the Norristown Police Records Archive in Montgomery County (610-270-0469) and the Shavertown Police Records Archive in Luzerne County (570-696-1174). Call the office and ask who handles records requests and what they need. Expect to give the date, location and names involved. Under Pennsylvania law, criminal investigative records are generally exempt from release, and victim and juvenile information gets extra protection. Some departments may release a basic incident report to involved parties for a fee. The department's own policy decides, so confirm it first.

For city and county government records, start with the Philadelphia City Archive at 3101 Market Street or the City & County Records Archive at 3001 Market Street. Both list 215-685-9400, so confirm which building holds your material. The Philadelphia Records Archive at 1401 John F Kennedy Boulevard is another city-area option, and you can reach it at 215-686-2260 to ask what it holds. Use the Philadelphia Pennsylvania University Archive at 3401 Market Street for campus history. Federal files belong to the Philadelphia Federal Records Archive at 14700 Townsend Road. Because Philadelphia is a city and county together, one visit often covers both levels.

Many do, but small staffs make appointments the safer choice. The Carbon County Archive in Jim Thorpe (570-325-5713), the Lancaster County Offices Archive on North Duke Street (717-299-8319) and the York County Archive on Pleasant Acres Road (717-840-7222) each handle their own scheduling. Call ahead to ask about hours, whether you need to reserve a research table, and which finding aids exist. Bring photo ID and a clear research question, such as an owner's name and township. Staff can often answer simple lookups by phone, which can save you a drive across the county.