Research at the Archive: Research Collections

Explore our collections pertaining to Franciscan history and Missions and the communities they interacted with, especially in Colonial New Spain, Northwestern Mexico, and the Southwestern United States.

Click here to register as a researcher

Mission Era Documents

The Mission-era collections include the Junípero Serra Collection, 1713 to 1947; the California Mission Documents, 1640-1853; and the Apostolic College (Our Lady of Sorrows) Collection, 1853-1885, and more.

Mission Music Collection

The Mission Music Collection contains works related to the music of the Alta California missions.

De la Guerra Collection

Documents in the De la Guerra Collection cover the social, political, military, and economic pursuits of one of California's founding families. Also includes the De la Guerra-Vallejo Collection.

Serra Cause Collection

The Serra Cause was the lengthy campaign to have Junípero Serra canonized as a saint. The documents in this collection describe that campaign, which resulted in Serra's canonization in 2015.

Fine Art Inventory

Browse the Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library's working inventory of collected fine art. Please note that this inventory may be updated as artworks are added to our collections.

Photo Archive

The Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library holds several thousand photo-images of various types, covering a broad range of subjects and dating back to the late 19th century.

Personal Paper Collections

Personal research collections of historians, archaeologists, and other academics and non-academics.

Reference Library

Browse our main book catalog for reference materials on topics related to our primary source collections.

Genealogical Research

The Archive-Library has copies of the sacramental registers of the California Missions, recording baptisms, marriages, and burials, for use in family history research.

Many thanks to the Wood Claeyssens Foundation, Hutton Parker Foundation, Outhwaite Foundation, California Mission Foundation, and the Academy of American Franciscan History for their generous support of SBMAL's collections and programs.

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Provincial Archives

Portions of the collections of the Provincial Archives of the Province of Saint Barbara are on the same property as the Mission Archive-Library, but are not curated by SBMAL.

For information concerning the Franciscan Friars on the West Coast since 1915, please contact: Franciscan Friars, Province of Saint Barbara, 1500 34th Ave, Oakland, California 94601 | (510) 536-3722 | info@sbofm.org

Those who do research at the Mission Archive-Library are required to be Friends of SBMAL or Registered Researchers.

If your interest is a one-time inquiry or research project, becoming a Registered Researcher rather than a Friend might better suit your needs. Registering as a Researcher for $30 will get you access to the Archive-Library for six months. (Becoming a Friend of SBMAL, starting at $50, will get you access to the Archive-Library for a year.)

If you are a student with a current student ID, becoming a Registered Researcher is free, though donations are happily accepted! To register for free, please fill out this form.

Registered Student Researcher Scholarship Donors

We are always in need of those who can help us keep student research free. Those who donate more than $100 for the purpose of supporting our Registered Student Researcher program will automatically be considered Good Friends of the Archive-Library.

Use the checkout option below to pay online with a credit card. If you prefer, you may pay by check (made out to "SBMAL") and bring it with you to your appointment or mail it to:

Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library

2201 Laguna Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Please contact us at research@sbmal.org directly if you have any questions.

$30.00

Welcome to the Archive-Library!

SBMAL is open to researchers by appointment only.
Research hours are available on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Note: We will be closed 11/28/24-11/29/24, and 12/25/24-1/3/25 for the holidays.

Research at the Archive: Research Collections

Hours
By appointment only on most Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed on federal holidays and other occasions.

Location
Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library
2201 Laguna Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Sister Organizations:

Connect with Us
(805) 682-4713, ext. 131
research@sbmal.org

Old Mission Santa Barbara
Saint Barbara Parish