First Things First: First Steps Upon Arrival
The National Archives on Pennsylvania Avenue (often called A1, as it the main building) is made up of two sides. You can't access one side from the other without having to exit the building and walk around to the other entrance. The entrance on the Constitution Avenue side leads to the National Archives museum. Honestly, except for us genealogical folk, this is what most people think of when they think "National Archives." This is where the Charters of Freedom - the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights - can be found, as well as other important documents, exhibits, and the National Archives store. But the side that really matters [to us research types]... the research side. This wonderful world can be entered through the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance. First, you'll pass through security. Next, present your ID (or your research card if this isn't your first rodeo) to the guard at the center desk and tell them this is your first time. They will have you signed your name in a big logbook and give you an orange badge. Keep this badge on your person and where the guards can see it at all times. Next, proceed through the (very slow and sometimes dysfunctional) automatic glass doors. Say hi to the lovely staff at main desk (that was me at one point!) and they will direct you to the computers to your left. These computers have a 20ish minute slideshow for you to click through containing all the rules you will need to follow while in the research areas. Once you've done that, go though the glass doors adjacent to said computers and the lovely folk at the ID desk will get your information, take your picture, and issue you your research card. Now it's time to delve into research!
Requesting Your Records
This is going to apply specifically to requesting pre-WWI military pension and service records. All other records, the archivists in the consultation room will help fill out a card. As I was putting this together, I realized that this really should be it's own link - don't worry, I'll link it here when it's posted.
DOs and DON'Ts
(203 here refers to the central research room - the place you'll go to actually view your records)
DO show the guard your research card each time you enter and exit the room, even if you are just leaving to use the restroom.
DON'T take paper with you into 203 - unless you absolutely need it for your research, and then one of the helpful staff members will stamp it for you. Don't worry about bringing paper to take notes - they provide all the paper and various size index cards you could need up in 203.
DO bring a sweater, if you would like, 203 can get chilly at times. But if you choose to bring one, DON'T take it off and hang it on the back of your chair. If you bring a sweater, it needs to stay on.
DON'T talk on the phone while in 203 - if you need to take a phone call, you can step into the hall (this rule applies to all research areas - microfilm, consultation area, main floor research room, Innovation Hub, and central research room. Only place cell phone conversations are allowed is in the locker room, main lobby, and hallway outside of the main reading room.)
DON'T feel like you need to whisper - it's not a library. :) And whispers sometimes make it hard for the staff members to hear if you are asking them something. But keep it at a reasonable "inside voice" level - remember, others are researching around you.
DON'T lick your fingers to turn pages. You don't know where those hundred year old records have been, you know.
DO feel free to bring a camera but DON'T use flash photography. There are neat lighted camera stands in 203 where you can attach your camera to take pictures of the documents, if you'd like.
DO also feel free to bring a scanner, if you're brave enough to lug it around DC - only flat bed scanners are allowed, no scanners with feeders or hand-held scanners. There are scanners in 203 where you can scan to paper (on oversized, blue-tinted paper [don't ask me why its blue]) or, if you bring a thumb drive with you, to your thumb drive for 25 cents a page. There is also the "Innovation Hub" which has a bunch of scanners where you can scan your documents for free - after which the National Archives gets to keep a copy of your images, and you get to take you images home too.
DON'T, and again I say, DON'T travel all the way to Washington, DC with the expectation of getting your father/grandfather/etc's WWI or WWII service record. When I worked there, it was the worst thing in the world to hear the someone traveled all of this way and have to tell them that it was all for nothing because their records weren't there :(
Must See Things at the National Archives
- The Charters of Freedom - I mean, if you were that close and didn't see the Declaration of Independence etc, I think everyone back home is going to give you a hard time. But let's be real - they are pretty faded and there are usually always large crowds of people in the Rotunda. So don't expect to be reading them, but it is pretty cool to be that close to such hugely important pieces of American history. Also cool fact - the cases that the Charters of Freedom are kept in have vibration sensors so that if they sense an earthquake (or, you know, nuclear bomb blast) a steel plate will close over the documents and the case will be lowered into the ground. A guard told me that one day - but as we always say in my family, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
- National Archives College Park - 2nd largest government building by area (the largest being the Pentagon) pretty glass front - worth a visit
- The old card catalog drawers in the main research room (203)
- The view straight down 10th street to the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery from the research room windows - when you are getting your records from the central desk in the central reading room, glance up and out the window directly in front of you. It's a great view.
- The microfilm room - it's just cool
- The elevators wide enough that FDR and his wheelchair/whole entourage could fit (I was once stuck on one of these elevators for a good half hour - but don't worry, their mechanics have since been updated. Still some of the slowest elevators in existence)
- The view straight down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capital
- The records - the focal point of the National Archives. Especially if it's a record relating to an ancestor of yours - there is nothing like holding that record in your hands
General Tips and Tricks
There is a shuttle that runs between National Archives DC (A1) and National Archives College Park (A2) every hour on the hour. The first shuttle is at 8 am and the last shuttle is at 5 pm.
Rule of thumb - pre-WWI records are at A1, post-WWI records are at A2. Of course there are always exceptions to every rule, but for the most part this holds true. And post-WWI military records about individuals are located at the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis
Prepare Before You Go - I would have a couple of specific things you want to research before you go. Remember, the National Archives does not have records like birth, marriage and death records - those would be on the state level. If you have the specific archives.gov catalog entry or military service/pension record index card, even better. At the very least (if you are researching an individual in the military), please have his service information. You could email ahead to let them know what you are researching and make sure they have it. But really - the staff and archivists are very helpful, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
Best time to go - try to avoid summer/spring break/any school break because there will inevitably by loads of school kids. And I mean that literally - buses come in packed with kids. I've seen the line for the museum side of the Archives wrap out the door and around the block. Good news - this doesn't really effect the research side at all. In fact, the research side isn't ever predictably super busy - Saturdays tend to be busy, and during the middle of the day is the busiest but it's never over-crowded. And then you have the random Tuesday that is very busy for no logical reason. [Tuesday here is used to represent any random day of the week]
The pull times are: 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. No records will be given out from the main desk in 203 after 4:30 pm, as the Archives closes at 5. No records are pulled on Saturday, BUT if you have records on hold already, you can access them.
Records are held for 3 business days, unless you specifically tell the research room staff that the record can be refiled. You can also request an extended hold up to 5 business days. And that's from the last date viewed - each time you view the record, the clock resets.
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