A comprehensive list of the San Antonio area archives and special collections.
This list was produced by SARA with the kind support of the Bexar County Historical Commission, for the City of San Antonio Tricentennial in 2018. It was updated by SARA in 2024 following the San Antonio Archives Bazaar.
American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions
1616 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 227-4940
Air Force Medical Service History Office
1175 Wilford Hall Loop, Bldg. 4431, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland TX 78236-9907 (210) 292-3000
Monday–Friday, 8am-4pm, by appointment only
Collections document the history and heritage of the Air Force Medical Service, its contributions to medical practice and joint military environment, in annual histories, photographs, and publications.
Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives
2718 W. Woodlawn Ave., San Antonio TX 78228 (210) 734-1956
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4pm, by appointment only archive@archsa.org
The archives document the activity of the Catholic Church, including administrative, clerical, and sacramental records, 1703 to the present; Catholic newspapers, 1892 to present; and closed catholic school and orphanage records.
Archives of the Congregation of Divine Providence
http://www.cdptexas.org/archives/
515 S.W. 24th St., Room 117, San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 587-1113
By appointment only ckitowski@cdptexas.org
Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence of San Antonio. The archives document the mission, ministry, and membership from 1860s to present, focusing on education, social services, and health.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Archives
www.bexar.org/600/Sheriffs-Office
200 N. Comal St., Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 335-6302
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm record@bexar.org
The collection includes personnel, inmate, and court records.
Bexar County Spanish Archives
https://www.bexar.org/2965/Bexar-County-Spanish-Archives
126 E. Nueva St., San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 335-2125
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Includes records relating to: Spanish and Mexican land grants; wills and estates; maps; the missions; voting, dating from the first elections of the Republic of Texas; minutes from the commissioners court; and the state’s founding families.
Bexar County Tricentennial Digital Archives
https://library.biblioboard.com/module/bexar-county-tricentennial-digital-archives (210) 289-0963
The digital library includes history from member partners such as local governments, educational and preservation institutions in the San Antonio area.
Canary Islands Descendants Association
https://cida-sa.org/ (210) 926-5124
P.O. Box 12618, San Antonio, TX 78212 cida.satx@gmail.com
Casa Navarro State Historic Site
https://www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/casa-navarro (210) 226-4801
228 S. Laredo St, San Antonio, TX 78207 casa-navarro@thc.texas.gov
Center for Mexican American Studies and Research Collections
https://www.ollusa.edu/academics/academic-centers/cmasr/index.html
Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th St., Room 112, San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 528-7138
Monday-Thursday, 9:30am-2pm, and by appointment
The collections include sources related to Mexican American history, including: the missions and presidios (1680-1820) San Antonio and South Texas from the Spanish colonial period to the late 20th century.
City of San Antonio Municipal Archives
www.sanantonio.gov/municipal-archives-records
George Whitfield, Jr. Municipal Records Facility, 719 S. Santa Rosa St., San Antonio, TX 78204 (210) 207-7253
By appointment only cityclerkarchives@sanantonio.gov
Archival records for the local government of the City of San Antonio, from the establishment of the Villa de Bejar in 1718 until the present.
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
922 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212 (210) 228-0201
By appointment only
Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
https://www.hmmsa.org/museum-history
12500 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78231 (210) 302-6964
Hours of Operation Monday - Thursday 9AM - 3PM, Friday 9AM - 1PM, Sunday 1PM - 4PM
Lackland Gateway Archives Collection
www.37trw.af.mil/About/History/
Office of History, Research & Museum Programs 37th Training Wing
37 TRW/HO, 2320 Carswell Ave., Ste 2, JBSA Lackland Air Force Base, TX 78236 (210) 671-2217
Monday-Friday, 8am-2pm, By appointment only. 37trw.ho@us.af.mil
Documents and manuscripts from Lackland Air Force Base, Basic Military Training, technical training and the Air Force. Houses the repository of former Kelly Air Force Base, including documents and photos dating from 1917.
Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society
2300 West Commerce St. Suite #104 San Antonio, TX, 78207 (210) 805-1726
Library use by appointment only.
An organization who takes pride in the Hispanic heritage by expanding awareness and knowledge of Hispanic culture, historical contributions and traditions.
McNay Art Museum Library & Archives
https://www.mcnayart.org/archives/
6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., PO Box 6069, San Antonio, TX 78209 (210) 805-1726
Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm, By appointment only.
Collections include: administrative records, photographs, publications, exhibit catalogues; papers and photographs of Marion Koogler McNay and her life at Sunset Hills, and affiliated persons and organizations.
Mexican American Civil Rights Institute
https://www.somosmacri.org/ (210)-810-4093
PO Box 12085, San Antonio, TX 78212 info@somosmacri.org
By appointment only.
Founded in 2019, the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI), formerly the National Institute of Mexican American History of Civil Rights, is a national institute located in San Antonio, Texas, a cradle for Mexican American civil rights leadership and organizations.
National Archives of the Marianist Province of the United States
3141 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX (210) 436-3329
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, By appointment only.
Permanent record of historic and current provinces of the Society of Mary in the United States, from 1849-the present. Includes: photographs, architectural records, and maps. Access granted by the Provincial Superior.
https://www.facebook.com/thingsMarianist/ https://www.instagram.com/thingsmarianist/
Our Lady of the Lake University Archives
https://library.ollusa.edu/archives
CDP Convent/Motherhouse, Room 110,
411 SW 24th St., San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 528-6738
By appointment only.
Approximately 800 linear feet of records from 1895 to the present. Photographs, architectural plans, and faculty and student publications and records.
Our Lady of the Lake University Special Collections Sueltenfuss Library
https://library.ollusa.edu/archives
411 SW 24th St., San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 441-3197
By appointment only.
Old Spanish Missions Collection
Palo Alto College Archives Ozuna Library
pac.alamo.libguides.com/archives
1400 W. Villaret Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78224 (210) 486-3575
By appointment only.
The records document the first higher education institution on the south side of San Antonio. It houses the San Antonio Poetry Archive, including records of local poets and organizations, manuscripts, artifacts, and books.
San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)
La Villita – Building 20. 218 South Presa, San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 486-3575
EXHIBIT SPACE: Monday-Saturday 10AM – 6PM, Sunday 11AM – 4PM
SAAACAAM collects, preserves and shares the cultural heritage of African Americans in the San Antonio region. It also offers Black History Riverwalk Tours and digital exhibits across San Antonio physical spaces, as well as an online digital collection hosted at Texas A&M University, San Antonio.
San Antonio Conservation Society Library and Archives
https://www.saconservation.org/library-resources/
107 King William St., San Antonio, TX 78204 (210) 224-6163
Monday-Thursday, 9:30am-3:30pm; Friday, By appointment only.
Collections include: History of the Society; photographs, manuscripts, and architectural history of South Central Texas, including historic preservation.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
2202 Roosevelt Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78210 ( 210)-825-0206
Monday-Friday, By appointment only.
Schreiner University Archives and Special Collections
library.schreiner.edu/specialcollections/archives
Logan Library, Schreiner University,
2100 Memorial Blvd., Kerrville, TX 78028 (830) 792-7321
By appointment only
Collection includes: Organizational records and publications; the Texas Hill Country collection, including Bandera, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Real and Uvalde counties.
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Congregational Archives and Heritage Center
https://www.amormeus.org; https://www.heritageccvi.org/archives
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word,
4503 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 (210) 828-2224
Monday-Friday, 9am-5:30pm, by appointment only archives@armormeus.org
The collections include San Antonio and international administrative, personnel, and ministry files, from 1869 to the present. Activity in San Antonio missions, schools, and hospitals is well-documented.
Sisters of the Divine Providence Congregational Archives
https://www.cdptexas.org/archives/
515 SW 24th St., San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 587-1113
Monday-Friday, by appointment only
The collections include documents detailing the development of the Congregation as well as its mission, ministry and membership. Materials and records in the collection have been maintained and primarily date from the 1860s to the present.
Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate Congregational Archives
Sisters of the Holy Spirit Convent, 300 Yucca St., San Antonio, TX 78247 (210) 533-5149
By appointment only holyspirit@shsp.org
The collections include: manuscripts, photographs, memorabilia, and news clippings; records from 1887 to the present, from founder Mother Margaret Mary Healy Murphy and missions established in the US, Mexico, and San Antonio.
Sophienburg Museum and Archives
401 W. Coll St., New Braunfels, TX 78130 (830) 629-1572
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm director@sophienburg.com
The extensive collection documents German immigration to Texas. It includes photographic images, newspapers, dating from 1852 to the present; over 2,000 oral history recordings; and government, and genealogical information.
Southwest Research Institute, Thomas Baker Slick Memorial Library
6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238 (210) 522-2125
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, by appointment only
The collection includes the Rare Book Collection, created by former President Martin Goland and Librarian Ed Vaught, containing works from the 16th to the present that document advances of science and technology.
Southwestern Oblate Historical Archives
https://ost.edu/category/southwestern-oblate-historical-archives/
Oblate School of Theology, 285 Oblate Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78216 (210) 341-1366
Monday-Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm, by appointment only
The collection includes administration, personnel, and related historical material of the former Southern US Province (primarily Texas) of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, dating from 1849-1999.
St. Mary’s University Special Collections
https://lib.stmarytx.edu/c.php?g=886467
Blume Library, 3rd floor, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228 (210) 431-2219
By appointment only
The collection includes the University Archives; Spanish Archives of Laredo and other early Texas records; and the personal papers of historian Felix D. Almaraz and actor Pola Negri.
St. Philip’s College Archives
Center for Learning Resources, 314B, 1801 Martin Luther King Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78203 (210) 486-2583
Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm, or by appointment
The collection includes: records of the College and of the East side community, from the late 19th century to the present; manuscripts, subject files, photographs, and extensive oral histories.
Texana/Genealogy Department, San Antonio Public Library
https://www.mysapl.org/Services/Collections/Texana-Genealogy
Central Library, Temporarily on the 1th floor, 600 Soledad, San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 207-2500
Tuesday- 12pm-8pm; Wednesday - Saturday, 10am-6pm genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov
The collection includes San Antonio and Texas history; North American and Hispanic genealogy; and an emphasis on San Antonio's growth and development from 1900 to the present.
Texas A & M University - San Antonio Special Collections
One University Way, San Antonio, TX 78224 (210) 784-1512
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, by appointment only
Collection priorities include both physical and digital collection items focusing on San Antonio, South Texas, Mexican-American studies, borderlands, the military, and local political figures.
Texas Popular Music Museum
https://stpcc.org/ (210) 792-1312
Monday - Friday, 1-4pm, and by appointment michaelanncoker@gmail.com
Tex Pop is the registered trademark of Michael Ann Coker and Texas Popular Music Museum, an IRS recognized 501c3 nonprofit to collect, preserve, teach, and celebrate local music history. Our holdings include photos, posters, publications, and other ephemera documenting all genres of local popular music.
Trinity University Special Collections and University Archives
Elizabeth Huth Coates Library, 1 Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212 (210) 999-7355
Monday - Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm archives@trinity.edu
The collections include: Trinity University records; historical publications and personal papers related to faculty, San Antonio and Texas history, including the papers of activist and minister Reverend Claude W. Black, Jr.
University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections
lib.utsa.edu/specialcollections/
Two reading room locations:
1. Main Campus, John Peace Library, 4th floor
One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249 (210) 458-5505
Monday-Wednesday, 10am-5pm, by appointment specialcollections@utsa.edu
2. Hemisfair Campus, Institute of Texan Cultures, 3rd floor
801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 458-2228
Monday-Wednesday, 10am-3pm, by appointment specialcollections@utsa.edu
Collections document the history of San Antonio and South Texas, with strengths in African American, LGBTQ, and Mexican American communities; women; politicians and activists, urban development, UTSA history, and photographs from the San Antonio Light and Express-News newspapers.
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
P.I. Nixon Historical Library Special Collections
www.library.uthscsa.edu/2011/11/nixon-library
Briscoe Library, 5th floor. 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229 (210) 567-2400
Monday–Friday, 8am-5pm specialcollections@uthscsa.edu
Records document the origins, development, programs, policies, and collections of the University as well as the history of medicine in South Texas.
Urban-15 Group: Hidden Histories
https://urban15.org/hidden-histories/ 210-736-1500
2500 S Presa St, San Antonio, TX 78210 findus@hiddenhistories.com
The Wittliff Collections
www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu
Texas State University-San Marcos, Alkek Library, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245-3861
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, and by appointment thewittliffcollections@txstate.edu
Collections include: Southwestern Writers - literary papers of authors, screenwriters, songwriters; Southwestern & Mexican Photography; Texas Music– includes genres such as country, rock, conjunto, Tejano.
Witte Museum Library & Archives, B. Naylor Morton Research Center
www.wittemuseum.org/research-2/
3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 (210) 357-1900
Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm, by appointment only
Collections include: Hertzberg Circus Collection, Battle of Flowers Association records, Texas Artist files, photographs, publications, institutional records.
US Army Medical Department Center of History & Heritage
3898 Stanley Road, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78223 (210) 808-3297
Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm; open to the public, call ahead for non-DOD ID access
Collections include: manuscripts, photographs, Army medical field and training manuals, a non-circulating reference library, and AMEDD Museum archives.