Hours and Directions

Due to UMass Boston's ongoing construction on Columbia Point, the Campus Loop Road will be undergoing major changes, affecting the path to the Archives Building. You can keep up to date on UMass Boston's construction plans on their website: www.umb.edu/news_events_media/news/construction

Hours

The Archives is open to the public for research:

  • Monday-Friday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

* Vault materials:
Cannot be paged after 4:00 pm
Must be returned by 4:15 pm

* Appointments must be made in advance for viewing architectural plans. Appointments are available in two segments: 8:45 am to 11:45 am and 2:15 pm to 4:00 pm. For further information please call 617-727-2816.

The Archives Facility

The Massachusetts Archives is located on a 4.5-acre site on Columbia Point in the Dorchester section of Boston. The building houses the Archives, the Commonwealth Museum, a branch of the Judicial Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and the State Record Center.

The 100,000-square-foot building, opened to the public in 1986, was designed to resemble the early forts on the surrounding shoreline. The building is equipped with computer-monitered climate control systems, fire detection and supression systems, twenty-four-hour security, a photolab, eight paper storage vaults, an artifact storage vault, a microfilm vault, and a conservation laboratory. Public areas include a reading room, exhibit space, and meeting rooms, all handicapped accessible.

Directions

Secretary of the Commonwealth
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125

Telephone: 617-727-2816
Fax: 617-288-8429

Email: archives@sec.state.ma.us

By Car

From the north: Rt. 3/1-93 to Exit 15 (Morrissey Blvd./JFK Library). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp. Follow signs for UMass Boston/JFK Library.

From the west: Rte. I-90 to Rte I-93 South. Follow signs for UMass Boston/JFK Library.

From the south: Rt. 3/1-93 to Exit 14 (Morrissey Blvd./JFK Library). Continue north on Morrissey Blvd. Follow signs for UMass Boston/JFK Library.

Free parking is available.

By MBTA

Take the MBTA Red Line to JFK/UMass station; there are two shuttle buses at the station. Bus #2 stops at the Archives and the JFK Library. The bus is free and runs every 20 minutes: on the hour and 20 minutes after and before the hour from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Map


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Food

There is no cafeteria on the premises. Food is available at the JFK Library cafeteria and at UMass Boston.