Have a question about the county’s history? The Archives are your first stop for research.
The Archival Collection ranges from 1830 to the present and includes books, clippings, documents, films, fine art, ledgers, letters, manuscripts, memorabilia, microfilm, newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals, transcripts, posters, records, scrapbooks, slides and student monographs. The materials are available for research in the Archives.
The Archives are open by appointment only, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Please contact us at least two days in advance to schedule a visit.
San Mateo County History Museum
2200 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063
Call 650.299.0104 and ask to speak to the Archivist, or email archives@historysmc.org.
Review these guides before your visit to the Archives Reading Room.
Explore over 300,000 photographs and negatives, including special collections from the San Mateo Times, Bay Meadows and local photographers. Photographic and document reproductions are available for a fee.
Girls Baseball Team, c. 1890. Photograph by James Van Court.
The Archives has a 1,500-volume book collection, ranging from local history books to telephone and city directories.
Read the breaking news from yesteryear. The Archives include complete runs of many newspapers including the San Mateo County Gazette, Burlingame Advance, Foster City Progress, Redwood City Tribune and So. San Francisco Enterprise.