Resources & Research

 The Danbury Museum is open for on-site research Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am till 4 pm. If you have an in-depth research request, we ask that you make a research appointment so we can pull together all related materials in advance of your visit. There is a research appointment request at the bottom of this page.

If you are unable to visit DMHS for on-site research, we are happy to assist you. Our research fee is $25 per hour (this fee includes 25 photocopies), and the first hour must be paid for in advance—via check by mail, or using the PayPal link below. Each obituary or other research inquiry is treated as a separate request and subject to the $25 charge. If research cannot be completed within the first hour, we will contact you before proceeding further. Please scroll down for a downloadable request form.

Our extensive photo collection offers a rare look at everything from historic buildings and prominent people to precious class photos, early business and industry, clubs, and organizations.

Photo reproduction rights are subject to licensing agreements and usage fees. Download a copy of the fee schedule, reproduction and usage agreement, permission and order forms at the bottom of this page. Volunteers are busy indexing the collection of images from the Shea Photography Studio in Danbury. A searchable database will be ready soon. Perhaps you'll find yourself or a family member in the archives.

Researchers are welcome Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm for microfilm use and the readers are available on a first come, first served basis. The Danbury News-Times and other resources are available on microfilm. Download a list of all resources on microfilm at the bottom of this page. Please bring a flash drive with you so you can take your microfilm scans with you. You may also use your phone or digital camera to photograph microfilm articles. Printed microfilm pages using our copier are .25¢ each. 

 A few of the items available to genealogists, historians, students, educators, authors, film & television productions and anyone interested in local history include: 

• Danbury newspapers on microfilm
• Annual Reports of the City
• Minutes of The Common Council
• Early City Directories
• Family Surname Files
• Vital Statistics and Census Information
• Grand Tax Lists
• Cemetery and Burial Records
• Military Service Records
• School Yearbooks
• Early Maps
• Journals, Diaries, Letters, and Scrapbooks
• Business Ledgers
• Early Deeds and Land Records

Memorabilia and artifacts of all kinds are part of our archive collections.  We look forward to welcoming you to the archives of the DMHS and kindly request advance notice, if possible, so that we may schedule and prepare for your visit! 

You'll find a full and ever-growing list of archive subject files at the bottom of this page.