Delaware Public Archives

Digital Archives

Delaware's most prized documents, photographs of Delaware in the past, historic audio clips, and much more.

Research Room

The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public from 8:30a to 4:00p, M-F unless otherwise noted.

Public Finding Aids

Guides to our Military records and Agency Histories are just a few of the links available.

Government Services

Responsible for the administration and implementation of the Delaware Public Records law.

Digital Ancestry

You can use your Delaware Library Card to login to the Delaware page on Ancestry.com.

Collection Gateway

Search 400,000+ records. Then, get a price quote or print a detail slip for your Research Room visit!

Exhibits at DPA

Exhibits are open to the public and admission is free

Upcoming Events

July 07, 2018 - Maximizing Ancestry.com to Find Your Genealogical Roots @ 10:30 AM
August 04, 2018 - Colonial Contagion: Smallpox and the American Revolution @ 10:30 AM
September 01, 2018 - Trench Art @ 10:30 AM
October 06, 2018 - Preserving Documents, Photographs, & Digital Memories @ 10:30 AM

All Events

In the News

Governor Carney Culminates Season-Long Celebration of John Dickinson’s Revolutionary “Letters” February 1, 2018
Students Honored at 16th Annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition Ceremony January 13, 2018
Celebration of John Dickinson’s Revolutionary “Letters” Continues with Programs in Dover and Wilmington January 9, 2018
RESCHEDULED: Students Gather for 16th Annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition Awards January 8, 2018
***Postponed*** Students Gather for 16th Annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition Awards December 7, 2017

From the Archives Blog

The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

On Saturday, February 3, 10:30 a.m., the Delaware Public Archives will celebrate African American History Month by hosting a program titled “The Tuskegee Airmen.” During the Second World War, a question was raised and answered conclusively in a military initiative that later became known as the “Tuskegee Experience.” Our nation’s first African-American military aviators, the […]

The Kalmar Nyckel: New Discoveries

On Saturday, November 4, at 10:30 a.m. Bill Hutchison of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation will present a program at the Delaware Public Archives focusing on how the Kalmar Nyckel operated, with special emphasis on the navigation of the vessel, and the firing of the ship’s guns. Segments of a new film about the ship will […]

Welcome to the Archives

Visit the Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room

The Great War & The First State

Coming Soon: Digital Lesson Plans

Delaware Historical Markers Program