New York City Municipal Archives

The New York City Municipal Archives is a municipal archive in Manhattan that collects millions of documents, photographs, maps, and records spanning several centuries. The collection holds material from the 1600s through the present day and is housed in the Surrogate's Courthouse building.

The archives were founded in 1950 and became North America's largest municipal repository, preserving documents from New York City's early Dutch colonial period. The collection spans from the beginning of the Dutch settlement through to modern municipal records.

The archives hold around 720,000 photographs from the 1940s Tax Photography project, documenting buildings across all five boroughs. These images show the city's appearance during a period of major change and help visitors see what their own neighborhoods looked like decades ago.

Visitors need to schedule an appointment to access the collections at One Bowling Green, Room 328. Staff can be contacted via email at research@records.nyc.gov to help with your research needs.

The facility holds citizenship petitions from 1657 from former residents of New Amsterdam, providing a direct connection to the city's earliest days. These early documents link the city's Dutch past with its modern administrative history.

Location: New York

Inception: 1950

GPS coordinates: 40.71350,-74.00430

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:00