COLLECTIONS
The story of Kansas
Find descriptions of our collecting areas through catalogs, how to research and access them, and see highlights online through our digital archives.
The collections span wide time periods and include photographs, letters, diaries, government records, newspapers, three-dimensional museum artifacts, and archeological items.
They relate to notable people like John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and Carry Nation and Kansans from early to more recent times.
Explore Collections
Kansas Memory
Find highlights of our collections through the online digital archives, Kansas Memory. This portal offers more than 700,000 select items—photographs, maps, documents, and objects.
Browse Catalogs
Archives Catalog
Descriptions about thousands of items in the archives collections—photographs, maps, letters, records. Most entries do not include digital images of the items.
Museum Catalog
Descriptions about hundreds of items in the museum collection—which contains three-dimensional objects. Most entries do not include digital images of the items.
Research Our Collections
Find descriptions of the collections and how to access them
ARCHEOLOGY
Among the state's largest and most comprehensive material cultural collections.
AUDIOVISUAL
Films, videos, audio, and oral histories that span a wide range of topics and time periods.
BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES
Records, nominations, and surveys related to historic preservation programs.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Records of railroads, health care, banks, aviation, media, and other small businesses in the state.
GOVERNMENT
Records of governors, state agencies, and the business of the state from territorial to more recent times.
LETTERS & DIARIES
Descriptions of the personal documents and manuscripts providing insights into those who lived in the state.
MAPS
Three-dimensional collections with museum, archeology, and cultural artifacts.
NEWSPAPERS
Nearly comprehensive collection of newspapers in Kansas history.
OBJECTS
Three-dimensional artifacts in the museum and ethnographic collections.
PHOTOGRAPHS
More than 500,000 images picturing Kansas from 1860s to recent times.
