The mission of the Archives & Records Center is to identify, preserve, and make available to the public records of the City of Alexandria government that have been appraised and selected for historic value. 

City of Alexandria records are available to the public under the Virginia Public Records Act, Virginia Freedom of Information Act and City Administrative Regulations unless prohibited by law due to confidentiality.  However, ALL requests for City documents at the Archives and Records Center require submitting a FOIA request, either to the City Attorney’s Office in Room 1300, City Hall, 301 King Street (703-746-3750) or by email to [email protected].  To ensure that your FOIA request is received directly by Archives and Records Center staff, please indicate that is where you wish your request to go. 

The Archives and Records Center sometimes accepts gifts or donations of records, but only those created by the City of Alexandria government agencies. Acceptance of any such records is at the discretion of the Records Administrator and Archivist.

The Public Records Advisory Commission is a seven-member body made up of citizens of the City of Alexandria. It provides guidance to the Records Administrator & Archivist on matters pertaining to archives and records management as well as the implementation of the City’s records management program.

The Archives & Records Center accepts volunteers and interns who are seeking to fulfill requirements for the various programs of study with which they are affiliated.  The work involves assisting the staff with the preservation, processing, production of finding aids for archival collections or digitization. Please contact the Records Administrator by telephone or online, or submit a volunteer application.

School groups can learn about how to preserve important documents.

• Cost: Lessons are free to Alexandria City Public School groups, and $3 per person ($40 minimum) for all other groups.
• Length: 45 minutes
• Limit: 40 students
• Days: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Good record-keeping is the foundation for government accountability. When records are properly maintained, citizens can examine and keep track of what elected officials, high-level managers, and other government employees are doing. Documents can tell the story of people's ideas and how they behaved at any particular time. The Archives & Records Center preserves and makes available to the public the records of the City of Alexandria, Virginia government.

K-12 students can learn how to handle historic and fragile documents, determine what kinds of documents must be kept permanently, and what preservation measures can be undertaken to ensure that documents survive. To arrange a tour, contact the Archivist through Alex311 or call 703.746.4591.

From the Beltway, exit at Route 1 North in Virginia. At the third traffic signal, make a left onto Wilkes Street. At South Payne Street, turn left. The Archives & Records Center is on the right immediately after the driveway for the last cemetery (Agudas Achim).

From the GW/Mount Vernon Parkway (Washington Street through Old Town), head west on Gibbon Street until it ends at South Payne Street. Turn left.

The Archives & Records Center is wheelchair accessible. Park in the lot (there is one accessible parking space available). There is also an ADA-compliant restroom. The City of Alexandria complies with the terms of ADA. For reasonable disability accommodation, contact our staff at Alex 311 or 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.

Please review Guest Expectations prior to arrival.

At all Historic Alexandria sites, we do not tolerate racist or derogatory jokes, comments, or harassment from our guests or staff. We value the dignity of all people who enter our sites. We are committed to creating an environment where together, we can explore Alexandria’s complex history in a manner that is respectful for all. Violators of this policy will be asked to leave the premises.