Ames Research Center Archives
Explore the Archival Collections at
Ames Research Center
Collections in the Ames Research Center Archives provide evidence, in a wide range of formats, of the center’s management, competencies, culture, activities, achievements, origins, evolution, facilities, and personnel. The ARC Archives are located in Silicon Valley at Moffett Field, California.
Collections Overview
Holdings in the Ames Research Center (ARC) Archives document the history of Ames from 1939 to the present, including the center’s affiliation with both NASA (as Ames Research Center) and its precursor organization the NACA (as Ames Aeronautical Laboratory). Ames is NASA’s second oldest center after Langley Research Center. As a multidisciplinary research center in continuous operation for over 80 years, Ames has conducted a wide range of basic and applied research, engineering, and operations to support the nation’s aeronautics and space endeavors.
A broad array of people use the collections in the Ames Research Center Archives, such as students, managers, scientists, engineers, artists, architects, and others working on behalf of NASA, other government agencies, outside institutions, and the public.
Guides
Public-facing guides to selected collections are available on the Ames Research Center Archives legacy website and on the Online Archive of California.
- Search across all collection guides on the Online Archive of California
- View all collection guides in PDF format
If you do not find information related to your research questions in the guides available online, contact the archives. We may have relevant information in a collection that hasn’t yet been fully processed or described.
Bibliography
This selected bibliography provides citations for overview histories and books, papers, and articles about Ames.
Featured Collections
People and Organizations
Information about Ames, its functional units, and its personnel, such as biographies, obituaries, memoirs, interviews, documents, brochures, reports, photographs, audio-visual, and other materials.
Missions, Programs, and Projects
Documents, photographs, presentations, proposals, reports, plans, reviews, drawings, specifications, outreach materials, ephemera, and other materials related to Ames missions, programs, and projects.
Buildings and Facilities
Information chronicling the evolution of facilities at Ames, such as documents, photographs, plans, reports, and other materials.
Newsletters
Newsletters produced by Ames Research Center and its business units, such as the "Astrogram" newsletter, published from 1958 to the present.
Research Appointments
Scheduling Appointments at the Ames Research Center Archives
The Ames Research Center Archives are open for research, by appointment.
If planning a visit, contact the archives at ARC-DL-archives at mail.nasa.gov to discuss your research objectives and schedule an appointment. Please note: If you are a foreign national, plan to provide ample notice before your visit, as the process for securing authorization to enter the facility can take up to several months.
All visitors must be pre-approved for an on-site visit. If approved, to gain entry to the center, first go to the Visitor Badging Office. For access:
- US citizens must have a current driver license or official photo ID.
- International visitors must have a valid picture identification, passport, and visa.
- The badging office can provide directions to Building N207, where the archives are located.
- If planning to drive a car on the center, visitors need a valid driver’s license and the car information (color, make, registration, and the license plate number). International visitors must be escorted by Ames staff to be able to drive on center.
Directions to Ames
The ARC Archives are in Building N207
Entry to the center is via Moffett Boulevard
Address for Use in Online Map Searches
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Boulevard, Moffett Field, CA 94035
Visitor Badging Office
The Visitor Badging Office is in Building 26. The building and associated parking area are located on your immediate right after you pass through the traffic light. Stay in the right-hand lane to access the parking area. Please be sure to allow 15-20 minutes for processing.
Use and Exhibition of Archival Collections
Research Use of Collections at Ames Research Center
Original materials from the archives are not loaned out for research use. For access to our undigitized holdings, contact the archives to schedule a research visit.
Loan of Material for Exhibition
Original materials such as documents and artifacts may be loaned to qualified institutions when the intent of the exhibit is to inform and educate the public about NASA and its activities.
Borrowing institutions from the United States should submit an initial written request and facility report at least six months prior to the exhibition date. Borrowing institutions from institutions outside of the United States should submit requests at least 15 months before the exhibition date.
Contact Us
Ames Research Center Archives Contact Information
The archives responds to research requests from NASA, outside institutions, and the general public.
Direct historical research, artifact, and donation inquiries to the archives.
April Gage, Senior Archivist and Center Artifacts Manager
NASA Ames Research Center Archives
Mail Stop 207-1
Moffett Field, California 94035-0001
ARC-DL-archives@mail.nasa.gov
