State Historical Society of Iowa

Welcome to the State Historical Society of Iowa

Building Info and Hours

 * Biggest collection of county records on microfilm, including book, manuscripts, and periodicals—the starting place for Iowa genealogists.

Holiday Schedule
Closed official state holidays.

Holiday 2020 Schedule: Days Closed
 * Saturday, May 23
 * Saturday, Sep 5
 * Friday, Nov 14
 * Thursday-Saturday, Nov 25-28
 * Saturday, Dec 26
 * Saturday, Jan 2

Additional Days Open

Tours

 * Group visits are welcome to come.

Tips

 * Upon arrival, sign the daily visitor registration log.
 * Store your coat, purse, briefcase, fanny pack, equipment case or other similar items in one of the lockers provided. Lockers take two quarters that are automatically refunded when you return the key. Clear plastic bags for storing personal items are provided.
 * All personal notes and equipment are subject to search when you leave the center.
 * Bring a pencil. Pens or markers of any type are not permitted in the center. Pencils are provided.
 * Food or beverages are not allowed in the Research Center and smoking is prohibited on the State Capitol Complex. A break area and vending machines are located in the lobby.
 * Collections in the closed stack area may be retrieved by filling out a call slip for each item at the main desk.
 * Photocopy service is provided for materials under the care of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Copies of maps, manuscripts, photographs and state archives materials are available unless prohibited by copyright or curatorial restrictions.
 * Maps, manuscripts, photographs and state archives materials are unavailable on Saturdays unless requested by noon on the preceding Friday.
 * You may use an audio recorder, laptop, tablet or camera. Please check with the staff to ensure your equipment doesn't inconvenience others.
 * The staff will re-shelve materials, please leave materials on the provided carts when you are finished.
 * All collections must stay in the research center and cannot be checked out or taken to another area of the building.
 * Collections from the other State Historical Society Research Center are sometimes available through loans.

The Special Collections rooms of the facilities include manuscript records of the state, government records, photographs, newspapers, and more. They also have family histories in book and manuscript form.

Hardware/Equipment and Collection
Des Moines Center:


 * 4 computers (internet access), 1 printer, 1 photo copier, 13 overhead microfilm readers, 1 microfiche readers and 2 microfiche reader/microfilm scanner.

There are about 80,000 books, lots of microfilm and newspapers, 5,000 ft. of manuscripts and 20,000 ft. of State Archives material.

Iowa City Center:


 * 8 computers (internet access), 2 printers, 2 photo copiers, 8 overhead microfilm readers, 3 microfiche readers 3 microfiche reader/microfilm scanner (1 to capture PDF files of frames) and 2 OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) computer terminals for access to WWW and InfoHawk online catalog.

There are over 160,000 books and pamphlets; 10,000 bound volumes of newspapers, and thousands of microfilm reels along with over 5,000 ft. of manuscripts or primary sources.

Interlibrary Loans
The State Historical Society of Iowa Research Centers lends microfilm of newspapers, census records and other materials listed below to your local library. Other collections, including books and printed materials, are only available at the Research Centers, however materials may be sent to the center that is most convenient for you.

How to Make a Request

Identify which Research Center holds the microfilm you wish to borrow. Visit your local library to make an interlibrary loan request. Ensure that the library submits the request using the American Library Association (ALA) approved form and includes a return-shipping label. Send the request form to the appropriate Research Center.

Interlibrary Loan State Historical Society of Iowa 600 E Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50319-0290 (515) 281-6200

Interlibrary Loan State Historical Society of Iowa 402 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA 52240-1806 (319) 335-3916

Microfiche:

DM Center

Books:


 * General history books for Iowa and other states; city directories; plat maps; cemetery surveys; biographies and memoirs; school yearbooks; selected government documents; and extensive genealogy resources are available in the libraries; periodicals.

Censuses:


 * Iowa Federal and State Censuses are available for 1840, 1850, 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1885, 1900, 1910, 1915, 1920 and 1930. Special schedules: Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records for selected years in the libraries’ reading rooms.


 * Iowa Mortality Schedules are available for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Family Search, Ancestry.com
 * Iowa State Census, Special Censuses 1836-1860 Ancestry.com
 * Iowa State Census 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 Family Search, Ancestry.com
 * United States Census 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 Family Search, Ancestry.com

Other Materials

 * Photo Collections - about a half million from daguerreotype to digital. A webpage has been created on the Flickr's photo-sharing site to showcase some representative portions of the holding.
 * Newspapers - from hundreds of communities from all of Iowa’s 99 counties from 1836 to the present. The collection features several foreign language and special interest newspapers published in Iowa.
 * County government records - including marriage, birth and death records, naturalization papers and land deeds. Microfilm copies of many of these county records are available in the libraries’ reading rooms.
 * Manuscript, Audio-Visual and Map Collections - including collections of personal papers; records of organizations an extensive photograph collections; and maps.
 * Census materials - Both state and federal from 1840 through 1930. Special schedules: Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records for selected years.
 * Digital Collections - Maps, children's diaries, photographs, and more.

Statewide Searchable Databases

 * Civil War Roster and Index
 * Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
 * Iowa Online Genealogy Records
 * Des Moines Register Newspaper Obituary Index
 * Additional obituaries continue to be added on a regular basis.

About Us
The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, archives & historical libraries, preservation office, and eight historic sites. These bureaus preserve and provide access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future.

Further reading at Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs or Phone: (515) 281-6200 Des Moines, (319) 335-3916 Iowa City.