An evening to support history

Join us June 21: A Date with History is the History Center’s largest annual fundraiser, planned each year with a different theme. This year’s elegant evening, with the theme Lafayette’s Bicentennial Ball, is set for Saturday, June 21, and will feature a live auction, music and a lot of generosity from York County’s most passionate history supporters. We’d love for it to also include you. Learn more here.

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Library and Archives

Add pieces to your family history puzzle

If you have ancestors from York County, the Library & Archives has a wealth of resources to help you with your local history research. We have more than 9,000 family surname files that contain information from many sources. You can also explore our rich trove of military records and documents dating back to the Revolutionary War, sort through obituaries and wedding and engagement announcements from York’s two daily newspapers, and find resources to uncover the history of your home or business property. We also have subscriptions to Ancestry.com/Library Edition and Newspapers.com/Pennsylvania edition. For more information about our library and archives, please visit our Research page.

You can expect to spend several hours on your research, and we ask that you schedule your research visit in advance by clicking on the Make A Reservation button on this page.

Visit us

Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sundays and Mondays
Library admission is $12 a day, $10 for seniors, Members and students are free

York County History Center Library & Archives
121 N. Pershing Ave., York PA 17401
717-848-1587

Make a Reservation
library volunteers

First-time visitor?

Because the Archives house primarily rare and one-of-a-kind materials, using archival collections can be different from using other libraries. First-time visitors should contact us before scheduling so that we can assist you with planning your visit. Please call 717-848-1587 x 214 or email Emma Streb at estreb@yorkhistorycenter.org if you have questions or would like to arrange a visit.

Genealogy and Property Research
Military Research
Collections and Databases

Upcoming Programs

May 21 at 7:00pm

York Civil War Roundtable

Jim McClure - How the American Revolution Intersected with the Civil War in York County
View Details
Jun 05 at 7:00pm

Writers' Roundtable

Jeremy Young - Telling Historic Wrightsville's story in the right way
View Details
Jun 08 at 2:30pm

South Central Pa. Genealogical Society

Hometown History: When Peach Bottom Welsh quarried slate to make roofs that seem to last forever
View Details
  • Military Research

    Local Civil War veterans database available online

    Genealogy researcher Dennis Brandt spent 30 years tracking down the military service records of soldiers from central Pennsylvania who served during the Civil War. He turned his research over to us, and the result is a searchable database. Visit the Military Research page to learn more.

    Learn More

York County Postcards

Our online library of York County postcards captures a specific moment in time of communities across York County. Browse through more than 1,000 postcards featuring scenes ranging from the Accomac Hotel to the York Water Company.
  • Library And Archives Postcard1 Center Square

Explore our postcard collection.

Browse the collection
  • “
    “Some people get all excited and they go out on a high. They found an unknown ancestor that they weren’t even looking for. We’ve had people from other states and actually from other countries come to York to use the History Center library.”
    ”
    Franklin Ross Grove Jr.
    Library Volunteer

Thank you to our Partner Programs

  • 2024 ALLVETS Logo
  • 2024 South Central PA Gen Soc Logo
  • 2024 Civil War Roundtable Logo
  • 2024 Writers Roundtable Logo

Genealogical Society discusses new State Archives building

Aaron McWilliams with the Pennsylvania State Archives provided a detailed look at the new State Archives building in Harrisburg and its search room operations during the Society’s April meeting. The presentation covered basic search room policies and procedures and what genealogy researchers can expect when visiting the new facility.

In Case You’re Wondering

Here are a few of the most asked questions that we’ve heard from first-time visitors to the Library and Archives.

Daily admission to the Library & Archives is $12.  There is a $2 discount for seniors and students are free.

Plan Your Visit

In that case, you might want to consider a History Center membership. Members can visit any of our sites, including the Library, as many times as they want in a year. Membership starts at $45 for seniors.

Become a member

The History Center Museum and Library has ample FREE parking in the lot behind the building off North Pershing Avenue.

Learn more about parking

Have a question about your research?

The Library and Archives staff and volunteers are happy to help you with your research questions. Simply fill out the form here and tell us what you’re looking for. Be specific about family names, municipalities or key dates, if you have them.

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Email Updates

Continue your research journey with us in the History Center Library and Archives.

Plan Your Visit
Library And Archives Desks Visit