State Archives of Florida

United States Florida  Leon  Archives and Libraries  

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Contact Information
E-mail: [mailto:archives@dos.myflorida.com archives@dos.myflorida.com]

Address:


 * R A Gray Building 500 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250 USA

Telephone: 850-245-6700 Fax:   850-488-4894

Hours and holidays: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends and state holidays.

Map, directions, parking, and public transportation:


 * Map: Google map: State Archives of Florida.
 * Directions:
 * from the north on US-319 (Thomasville, GA)  Turn onto US-319/GA-35 south toward Tallahassee. At the border it becomes US-319/FL-61/Thomasville Rd. In Tallahassee turn slight left onto N Monroe St/US-27 S/FL-63. Continue to follow N Monroe St/US-27 S, 0.7 mi. Turn right onto E Jefferson St/FL-366. Continue to follow FL-366, 0.2 mi. Turn left onto S Bronough St, 0.06 mi. The State Archives at 500 S BRONOUGH ST is on the right.
 * from the east on I-10 (Lake City, FL)  Merge onto I-10 W/FL-8 W toward Tallahassee. Merge onto US-90 W/FL-10 via EXIT 209A toward Tallahassee, 8.5 mi. Turn left onto N Bronough St, 0.5 mi. The State Archives at 500 S BRONOUGH ST is on the right.
 * from the south on US-319 (Crawfordville, FL)  Go north on Crawfordville Hwy/US-319 N/FL-369 toward Tallahassee. Continue to follow FL-369. FL-369 becomes FL-61, 2.2 mi. Stay straight to go onto S Adams St/FL-363, 1.6 mi. Keep left at the fork to go on FL-363, 0.5 mi. FL-363 becomes S Duval St, 0.2 mi. Turn left onto W Pensacola St/FL-366, 0.08 mi. Take the 1st left onto S Bronough St, 0.06 mi. The State Archives at 500 S BRONOUGH ST is on the right.
 * from the west on I-10 (Marianna, FL)  Merge onto I-10 E/FL-8 E toward Tallahassee. Take the US-27 S/Monroe St exit, EXIT 199, toward State Capitol/Fairgrounds/Civic Center, 0.6 mi. Turn right onto US-27 S/FL-63/N Monroe St. Continue to follow US-27 S/N Monroe St, 3.6 mi. Turn right onto E Jefferson St/FL-366. Continue to follow FL-366, 0.2 mi. Turn left onto S Bronough St, 0.06 mi. The State Archives at 500 S BRONOUGH ST is on the right.
 * Parking: ● Park in Lot E, adjacent to the building. Ask for a parking token at the circulation desk.              ● Also, park in any metered space on Martin Luther King Blvd at the rear of the building.
 * Public transportation: Tallahassee StarMetro bus routes D (Dogwood) and F (Forest Route) run on streets next to the Archives. The bus route hub C.K. Steele Plaza is 6 blocks (0.5 mi.) from the Archives.

Internet sites and databases:


 * State Archives of Florida research, holdings, collection policy, mission statement, online resources, indexes and guides, and plan your visit.
 * State Archives of Florida Online Catalog by keyword, subject, title, creator, personal or corporate name, date, or call number.
 * Florida Confederate Pension Application Files veterans, widows, approved and denied claims.
 * Florida Photographic Collection 185,000 photos.
 * Spanish Land Grants land claims filed by early Florida settlers, 1783-1845.
 * World War I Service Cards 35,829 cards digested from the service record dossier of each veteran.

Collection Description
The State Archives of Florida have a great Florida genealogy collection including state and county documents. This is the place to start research on Florida residents. They have state and local government records, state agency records, manuscripts, and photos. Of interest to genealogists they have federal and state censuses, deeds, marriages, probate, tax rolls, election records, American Indian censuses and records, Florida Pioneer Certificate files, genealogy how-to manuals, colonial and territorial records, military, African American records, online databases, Florida hospital and prison registers, Florida passenger arrival lists, and city directories. Online collections include Confederate Pension Applications, Spanish Land Grants, and World War I Service Cards.

The Archives are in the same building as the State Library of Florida.

Tips
Parking: Ask for a parking token at the library circulation desk to keep from paying the $5 fee when exiting the next door parking garage.

Guides

 * A Guide to Genealogical Research at the State Archives of Florida popular collections, additional collections, topical guides for further research, tips for getting started, and useful free Internet sites.
 * The Black Experience A Guide to African American Resources in the State Library and Archives of Florida including national, state, and local government records, manuscripts, photos, film, and video.

Alternate Repositories
If you cannot visit or find a source at the , a similar source may be available at one of the following.

Overlapping Collections


 * National Archives Southeast Region (Atlanta), Atlanta, GA, records of federal agencies and courts for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, censuses, ships lists, naturalizations, Indian records, and military records.
 * Dallas Public Central Library, Dallas, TX, outstanding genealogical collection with records for more than Texas, including Florida, Oklahoma, the South, Mid-Atlantic, and New England states.

Similar Collections


 * State Library of Florida, Tallahassee, 700,000 titles: published books, government papers, magazines, and newspapers, 2000 Florida maps, and photos. In the same building as the State Archives.

Neighboring Collections


 * Leon County Department of Health, Tallahassee, birth, death, and burial records.
 * Leon County Clerk of Circuit and County Courts, Tallahassee, marriages, divorce, probate, court, and land from 1825, military discharges since 1914.
 * Leon County Coroner and Medical Examiner, Tallahassee, suspicious or unusual deaths.
 * U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, recent criminal and civil cases.
 * Tallahassee Genealogical Society about them, resources, publications, and queries.
 * Jewish Genealogical Society of Tallahassee facilitates genealogical research activities by providing general knowledge of research sources.
 * Tallahassee African American Genealogy Group promotes the study of African American genealogy and history.
 * Tallahassee Historical Society history of Tallahassee, Big Bend, and Florida.
 * LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library houses the Tallahassee Genealogical Society collection.
 * Meek-Eaton Black Archives, Tallahassee, African American history and institutions: 500,000 manuscripts, rare books, journals, magazines, maps, newspapers, and photographs.
 * Trinity United Methodist Church – The Heritage Room, Tallahassee, parish registers online.
 * Repositories in surrounding counties: in Florida: Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Wakulla, in Georgia: Grady, and Thomas.
 * Florida Health Bureau of Vital Statistics, Jacksonville, has selected births from 1893; marriages and divorces from 1927; and selected deaths from 1877.
 * Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, see Alma C. Field Library of Florida History.
 * Florida State Genealogical Society, Maitland, pioneer database, webinars, and speakers bureau.
 * West Florida Genealogical Society, Pensacola see also West FL Public Library Genealogy Branch.
 * Alma C. Field Library of Florida History, Cocoa, Florida books, maps, photos, family histories, manuscripts, photos, Mosquito Beaters, Alice Strickland, and FL State Geneal. Soc. collections.
 * Charlton W. Tebeau Library of Florida History, Miami, is strong on the history of southern Florida. They also have many documents related to Cuba and the Caribbean.
 * Hillsborough County Historical Commission, Tampa, their Museum, History and Genealogy Library  has the best indexes of Florida residents in the state.
 * Indian River County Main Library, Vero Beach, is a big genealogy collection that rivals Orlando in size and quality. County obituary index, censuses, 35,000 titles, 9 computers, wireless access.
 * Jacksonville Public Library Main Branch, the southeastern USA is covered well, including history, biography, genealogy, federal censuses and indexes. This is the oldest Floridiana collection.
 * Orlando Public Library is the largest genealogy reference collection in FL. American genealogical sources are covered well, including censuses, biographies, histories, and genealogies.
 * P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, Gainsville, includes Spanish colonial sources, United States borderland records, and the best Florida newspapers collection in the state.
 * Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library, Bartow, is a very good genealogical collection.
 * St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library has an excellent collection of records of the first Spanish colonists of east coast Florida, including parish register BMDs back to 1594.
 * University of South Florida Tampa Library Special Collections have a good selection of published Florida local histories and Hillsborough County records.
 * University of West Florida Archives and West Florida History Center, Pensacola, is an excellent research facility. Start here for records of the earliest European settlers in the FL panhandle.
 * Volusia County Public Library Daytona Beach Regional has a very good genealogy collection not just for Florida, but also for the entire eastern seaboard.
 * Wakulla County Historical Society - Genealogy Group, Crawfordville, assist genealogists searching in our area of Florida.
 * West Florida Public Library Genealogy Branch, Pensacola, S.E. USA with a good collection for N.E. and central states, Civil War, African Americans, family histories, and S.E. American Indians.
 * Repositories in surrounding states (or nations): Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Bahamas, and Cuba.
 * Mobile Municipal Archives, Mobile, AL, has records of early Alabama/Florida settlers: Spanish, French, and Anglo. This is the premier library for Gulf Coast settlers from Louisiana to Florida.
 * Thomasville Genealogical, History and Fine Arts Library, Thomasville, GA, southern states family history material including Florida.
 * Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library, Moultrie, GA, emphasizes Scottish Americans, but also has a good basic American genealogy collection including Florida.