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The Maritime Research Center provides access to the library, archives and museum collections and encourages research in maritime history and humanities. 
(NPS photo/K. Kvam) The Maritime Research Center of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is the premier resource for San Francisco and Pacific Coast maritime history and the portal into the Park's collections. Originating in 1939, the collections have become the largest maritime collection on the West Coast and the largest museum and research collection in the National Park Service. Our unique resources serve and inform historians, genealogists, artists, authors, students, filmmakers, sailors, boat and model builders, and performers from all over the world, as well as NPS staff. Our collections are developed through the support of our partners, donations, and library collection purchases. Reference staff are available by phone, email, fax or in person by appointment to assist you with your research in all of the Park's collections--with books, photographs, or even the objects cared for by collections staff. The collections include more than:
Browse Collections highlights by subject or by their chronological links to maritime historical events via "This Day in Maritime History"
ObjectsThe museum Object Collections run the gamut from large parts of sailing vessels rescued from an undignified demise, to fine art created for the documentation and admiration of such vessels. There are items from the everyday lives of people making their living at sea, relying on the sea for transportation, and of those who became wealthy from their maritime endeavors. The object collections are a treasure trove of the iconic to the practical, containing tangible links that help bring maritime history to life. ArchivesThe Archival Collections concern the history and achievements of seafaring Americans primarily of the Pacific Coast of North America covering the span of history from the California Gold Rush era to the recent past. They include paper records (such as manuscripts, naval architecture and marine engineering drawings), photographs, film and video, and audio records on tape and digital media. The major subjects encompassed in the archives are oceanic and coastal trade, the San Francisco Bay and river systems, marine harvesting, marine business, labor and shore-based support activities. LibraryThe Library Collections consist of published titles dating from 1536 to the present, including cartographic materials dating from 1650 to the present primarily covering the Pacific Basin and the West Coast of the United States, as well as audio and video materials in multiple formats. Small CraftThe Park's Small Craft Collections consist of traditional and significant vessels that provide a fine introduction to boatbuilding and maritime trades. Museum Collections highlights by subject:
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Last updated: August 10, 2022