Research Library and Archives
The Research Library and Archives is responsible for all two-dimensional items in the Museum’s collection: books, pamphlets, letters, diaries, personal papers, organizational and business records, periodicals, newspapers, scrapbooks, photographs, postcards, prints, drawings, posters, maps, atlases, microfilms, and even some DVDs.
The Research Library and Archives is currently accessible by appointment and during limited open research hours.
Open hours in September will remain open. However, the Library and Archives will be closed for research appointments in September and October due to facilities work in the Library and Archives. You can use the link below to begin booking research appointments again in November.
Open Research Hours
Open hours are intended for general inquiries, brief assistance, and focused independent research without archivist assistance. No appointment is required.
Open Research Hours:
- The first Wednesday of each month, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
During Open Hours:
- Visitors may request up to five materials from our catalog.
- We are currently unable to pull manuscript collections.
- More extensive research requests or requests requiring staff assistance should be scheduled as a research appointment.
Research Appointments
Research appointments are intended for more extensive research needs, access to manuscript collections, and research requiring staff assistance or advance preparation.
In-person research appointments are available:
- Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. — 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesdays of each month
- Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Appointments are recommended for:
- Researching a specific topic, person, or family
- Consulting multiple resources or collections
- Accessing manuscript collections
- More extensive research or staff assistance
Schedule an appointment:
Please review the research visit policies outlined on the booking page before your appointment.
Click here to book an appointment*
*a reminder that appointments are closed for September and October for a facilities upgrade
During September and October:
- Research appointments: Unavailable through the end of October while the Library and Archives undergo facility updates.
- Open Research Hours: The first Wednesday of each month, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
- Appointments resume: November
Not sure which research option is right for you?
Contact us before your visit at library@buffalohistory.org and we’ll be happy to help you plan your research experience.
Research Fees
Research appointment fees are:
- $15 per visit
- Free for Museum members
Looking Ahead
As part of The Buffalo History Museum’s multi-year Master Plan, we have welcomed new staff to support the continued organization and preparation of the Research Library & Archives collections. This work will help create greater public access to our collections in the future while allowing us to continue preserving and sharing the stories they hold.
Thank you for your patience as we continue this work and assist researchers along the way.
Explore Our Online Databases
We invite you to explore our online databases and digital collections—one of the resources below may provide the information you are looking for.
I want to see what is online
I want to find pictures
I want to search the library collection
I want to search newspapers
I want to donate an object
Unable to find what you needed? Questions can be directed to library@buffalohistory.org
Library digitization supported by:
Research Library FAQs
September & October Update
Research appointments will be unavailable throughout September and October while the Library & Archives undergo facility updates. Open Research Hours will continue as scheduled.
Research appointments will resume in November.
Open Research Hours
Open hours are intended for general inquiries, brief assistance, and focused independent research. No appointment is required.
- First Wednesday of each month
- 1:00–3:30 p.m.
- Up to five materials may be pulled from the catalog
- Manuscript collections are not available during open hours
Research Appointments
Research appointments are intended for more extensive research needs, manuscript collections, and research requiring staff assistance or advance preparation.
Beginning in November, appointments will be available:
- Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
- 1:00 p.m. on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesdays of each month
Schedule a Research Appointment
Research appointments are released on a rolling basis and may not appear far in advance. Appointments for September and October are closed due to scheduled facility upgrades. November and beyond can be booked through the link below as availability is released.
Click here to schedule your appointment.
Fees
- $15 per visit
- Complimentary for Museum members
The Research Library’s staff can help point individuals in the direction of resources available to conduct research or a helpful list of Researchers for Hire, but they cannot undertake individual research assignments.
Nearly all architectural records, plans, and drawings within the Research Library are for public buildings such as offices, schools, churches, and hospitals. Only a few large mansions are included.
Yes! Cotton gloves are required whenever handling photographs, plenty of which are available on site. Everything else, with a few exceptions, may be handled normally as long as hands are clean and items are handled gently.
Resource Center
The Resource Center serves as the collections storage facility for the Museum’s three-dimensional artifacts. Collecting since 1862, the Museum cares for a vast collection—only about 10% of which is on exhibit at one time. We continue to collect artifacts that document the social, economic, and political growth and development of Buffalo and Erie County.
To make an appointment please call 716.873.9644, ext. 403.
Resource Center FAQs
By appointment: Call 716.873.9644, ext. 403 for more details.
Guests can view artifacts not on exhibit that are in storage during our Behind the Scenes Tours, offered periodically throughout the year. Visit our events section for information on our next tour.
To request a special viewing of any artifacts not on exhibit, please contact Rebecca Justinger, Registrar and Grant Coordinator, at 716.873.9644, ext. 403.
The Resource Center was originally used as a trolley barn. The streetcars were stored in the building and you can observe the original tracks that are still visible in the floor.
The woman’s head was a replica of the entrance into Dreamland from the Pan-American Exposition, but was meant as a temporary fixture and is now removed.
