About the National Archives

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About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.

Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you. Learn more

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Spotlight on National Archives History

Find out about defining moments in the agency's history through the decades with photo galleries, personal stories, and notices of special events throughout the nation. Go

Prologue: NARA's Quarterly Magazine

Current Issue:

Prologue magazine brings readers stories based on the rich holdings and programs of the National Archives across the nation—from Washington, DC, to the regional archives and the Presidential libraries. Access our articles online, in print, or download high-quality issues on our Scribd site.

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Winter 2009 Highlights:

The Alaskan Frontier in Panorama
Some of the first panoramic photos of the Alaskan wilderness are held in the National Archives. Richard E. Schneider tells the story of how these century-old photos were preserved.

A Place in the Archives
Love, dinosaur tracks, and your own letters are all part of the National Archives. Miriam Kleiman shows us the personal side of our nation's holdings.

A Tower in Nebraska
What do Maryland's National Naval Medical Center and Nebraska's state capitol have in common? A lot more than you'd think. Raymond P. Schmidt recounts how Franklin Delano Roosvelt's design for the medical center was inspired by a stopover in middle America.