drawing of Downer College campus
Archives and Special Collections have merged into a single department.
Beginning May 25, 2026, the UWM Libraries merged Archives and Special Collections into a single department. For more information on the merger, read this news story.

Preserving and sharing historical records, rare books, and special printed materials.

Archives and Special Collections supports research, instruction, and scholarship at UWM and throughout southeastern Wisconsin through the preservation and sharing of historical records, rare books, and special printed materials.  

As the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Milwaukee Area Research Center, we also provide access to WHS’s world-class historical collections from the convenience of our reading room. 

We welcome students, faculty, staff, and the general public to come consult our materials, and offer a variety of research and instruction services to UWM faculty, non-UWM faculty, K-12 teachers, and others. 

Please make an appointment so that our staff can have your materials ready for you.

Visitor Information

Plan your visit to Archives and Special Collections, and view our policies and guidelines.

Individuals in historical clothing walk or drive outside a brick building.

Library Catalog

Use Search@UW for materials in Archives and Special Collections and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

An artistic image depicts a bird and flowers.

Finding Aids

Use Archival Resources in Wisconsin to discover primary sources around the state of Wisconsin.

A man walks outside the Golda Meir Library, where an event is taking place indoors.

Digital Collections

Locate and access images, oral histories, and other digitized and born-digital content.

Protestors march in the street.

Digital Exhibits

Designed using StoryMaps and Omeka, these digital exhibits provide a glimpse into our holdings.

An artistic image depicts two individuals in historical garb, one of which holds a musical instrument.

Genealogy

Study your ancestry and heritage using our wide range of collections that support genealogy research.

Individuals in historical clothing mingle around an outdoor gazebo.

WTMJ-TV

Explore Milwaukee’s history with our searchable catalog of nearly 50,000 news stories from 1950 to 1980.

Man operates camera for WTMJ-TV.

Hours

Mon-Fri: By Appointment


Contact

414-229-5402
askarch@uwm.edu