Museum and Archival Collections Research

Access and Use

The museum collection and library is open by appointment only. Hours are 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday - Friday, excluding federal holidays, and subject to staff availability. Please review and fill out the following forms: Guidelines for Collection Use, Research Form (English), Research Form (Spanish). Contact the museum with any further questions and these forms by e-mail at saju_curator[at]nps.gov.

Select portions of our records have been digitized and placed online. This is an ongoing project. To assist researchers, finding aids are posted to this website when collections are cataloged. Finding aids contain information on the contents and significance of an archival collection. The finding aid may include descriptive information, repository information, collection history, biographical or historical information on creators of the collection, and, in some cases, a container or folder list of everything in the collection.

Collections with Finding Aids

San Juan NHS Resource Records Collection (Finding Aid): This collection documents the park's administrative history, the history and preservation of its buildings, and the history of programs and events occurring at the park. This is a draft record as some Series are awaiting to be processed.

Assembled Personal Papers Relating to the Spanish-American War and the History of Puerto Rico (Finding Aid): This collection documents the activities associated with the Spanish American War and the advent of the U.S. Military Post at San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Fort Brooke U.S. Army Records (Finding Aid): This collection document U.S. army Base Fort Brooke's planning and development, report its activities, and detail its transition to the National Park Service.

U.S. Coast Guard Records, Pertaining to Lighthouses (Finding Aid): This collection documents the development and administration of light stations in Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands from the late 19th to mid-20th century.

Collections Without Finding Aids

If you wish to research with one of these collections, please reference the title of the collection and the collection number (collection #).

Archivo General De Indias (Collection # SAJU 140)
National Archives New York Collection (Collection # SAJU 141)
San Juan National Historic Site Maps and Drawings (Collection # SAJU 142) [Inventories available: part one, part two]
San Juan National Historic Site Photographic Collection (Collection # SAJU 143)
Microfiche Collection from Spain (Collection # SAJU 144)
San Juan National Historic Site Microfilm (Collection # SAJU 145)
San Juan National Historic Site Rare Book Collection (Collection # SAJU 146) [Inventory available]
Julio Marrero Nuñez Collection (Collection # SAJU 150)
Washington Support Office Collection (Collection # SAJU 152)
Archeological Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey at San Juan National Historic Site (Collection # SAJU 155)
San Juan National Historic Site Negative Collection (Collection # SAJU 157)
SAJU Metals Conservation Project - Phase I (Collection # SAJU 159)
Historical Ship Graffiti (Collection # SAJU 164)
Records of Preservation Projects Collection - 106 Files (Collection # SAJU 165/18520)
Records of Preservation Projects Collection - 106 Files (2000 – 2006) (Collection # SAJU 165/18580)
Records of Preservation Projects Collection - 106 Files; Reference (Collection # SAJU 165/18581)
Non-NPS Research Collection Thesis (Collection # SAJU 170)
Conservation of Historic Graffiti at San Juan Fortification National Historic Site (Collection # SAJU 174)
NPS Research Collection Reports (Collection # SAJU 175)
El Paseo Del Morro Project Documents / El Morro Trail / La Vereda Del Morro (Collection # SAJU 194)
Political Prisoners' Collection (Collection # SAJU 195)
Voices of Fort Brooke, Oral History Project (Collection # SAJU 196)
San Juan Harbor Deepening Project, Phase II (Collection # SAJU 198)

Documentation of Puerto Rico in Spain's Archives

As Puerto Rico was in Spanish possession for over 400 years, a lot of Puerto Rico's recorded history is in Spanish Archives. In the early 2000s, an effort was made to document and digitize Spanish Archives that pertain to Puerto Rico. These finding aids come from Spain's Archives, and therefore are in Spanish.

Documentation of Puerto Rico in the Madrid Military Archive (Documentación de Puerto Rico en el Archivo de Militar de Madrid) Finding Aid: This collection is from the General Military Archive of Madrid. It documents references to Puerto Rico within the General Military Archive of Madrid.
Cartographic and Geographical Studies Archive of the Army Geographical Center (Documentación de Puerto Rico en el Archivo Cartografico y de Estudios Geograficos del Centro Geografico del Ejercito) Finding Aid: This collection is from the Cartographic and Geographic Studies Archive of the Army Geographic Center. It focuses on geography, architecture, engineering, and the urban development of Puerto Rico in the second half of the 19th century.
Documentation on Puerto Rico in the General Archive of the Navy "Álvaro de Bazán" (Documentación sobre Puerto Rico en el Archive General de la Marina “Álvaro de Bazán”) Finding Aid Part One. Finding Aid Part Two. Finding Aid Part Three.: This collection is from the General Archive of the Navy, Álvaro de Bazán Archive. This archive documents Spanish Navy history prior to 1875. This finding aid is too large to load as one document. It has been broken into three parts.

National Park Service Links

NPS Electronic Technical Information Center (eTIC): Historic maps and architectural drawings, and related construction reports for all parks in the National Park Service. Use the Search Filters button to select San Juan National Historic Site.
NPGallery: Historic and modern photos for all parks in the National Park Service. Use the Search Filters button to select San Juan National Historic Site.
NPS Integrated Resource Management Applications (IRMA) Portal: IRMA provides access to National Park Service applications that manage and deliver resource information to parks, partners and the public.
NPS Library Resource Information Center: Books, journals, and other publications within the NPS Library System. Some items are available to loan, contact the corresponding park's Librarian for more information. *The San Juan National Historic Site's Library is not in this database, however, we have an inventory of the books in the library*
NPS Museum Management Program: Museum Publications, Virtual Exhibits, Lesson Plans, and more are available from the Museum Management Program.
Interior Museum Program: The Department of the Interior manages one of the world's largest museum collections - over 206 million artifacts and scientific specimens - in trust for the American people. The Interior Museum Program provides oversight, policy development, advocacy, training, and other assistance, to the ten DOI bureaus and offices managing this museum collection.

Other Resources

National Archives of Spain (Portal de Archivos Españoles)
Digital National Archives of Puerto Rico (Archivo Digital Nacional de Puerto Rico)
Cultural Institute of Puerto Rico (Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña)
Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey