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Dallas Municipal Archives

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Dallas Municipal Archives

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Documenting and preserving the history of Dallas city government The Dallas Municipal Archives can be reached at (214) 670-5270.

The purpose of the Archives is to preserve the historical records of city government and support research and scholarship by its external and internal customers. Established in 1985, the Dallas Municipal Archives is a division of the City Secretary´s Office and contains over 2,000 cubic feet of departmental records in a variety of forms and formats, including ledgers, manuscripts and typescripts, maps, photographs, microforms, and printed materials. Among our many collections are the "Bonnie and Clyde" Barrow Gang materials of the Dallas Police Department; the John F. Kennedy/Dallas Police Department records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy; the earliest extant City of Dallas Charter; and over a quarter million images documenting the growth and public services of the City of Dallas. We also maintain thousands of permanently valuable documents, maps, and architectural plans reflecting the actions of every aspect of Dallas government.

10/02/2026

Lightning Strikes!
Dallas screen history enthusiasts will remember the ‘shocking’ scene from Phantom of the Paradise, filmed at the City of Dallas’ Majestic Theatre in 1973 by director Brian DePalma. Character actor Gerrit Graham, who portrayed glam rocker “Beef” in the movie (and died September 15th), is killed by a lethal neon lightning bolt on the Majestic’s stage.
The lightning bolt prop was acquired in 2024 and installed recently in the permanent exhibit on the Majestic’s history that’s in the theater’s downstairs lobby. Scenes inside the Majestic and Beef’s demise are in this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psj1l6JHmPA .

09/30/2026

As the doors close on the flagship location of fabled Dallas department store Neiman-Marcus, the Dallas Municipal Archives salutes the contributions of its longtime leader, Stanley Marcus, to Dallas civic life.
Among many interests, "Mr. Stanley" promoted the Arts in Dallas aggressively, being involved with the development of the Dallas Museum of Art and collecting a great deal of art himself. In this photograph of the 'Dallas '78' event from the City Photographer Collection, Marcus looks on with his wife Billie; Dallas Museum of Art Director Harry Parker and Dallas City Councilmember John Leedom are to his right.

09/15/2026

The Dallas Municipal Archives salutes the establishment of ChildCareGroup, an early education and social service organization. The original charter, listed as the Clara Chaison Free Kindergarten and Training School of Dallas, Texas, was created on September 14, 1901. The organization was formally organized by compassionate and civic-minded people concerned about the appalling conditions in which many disadvantaged children were living. Three organizations — the Clara Chaison Free Kindergarten and Training School, the Free Kindergarten Association and the Dallas Free Kindergarten and Industrial Association — joined forces to provide day care and kindergarten for children of the women who worked in the Dallas cotton mills. The organization provided care for children, as well a school that trained kindergarten teachers.

This image of the original Clara Chaison Free Kindergarten is from the City Photographer Collection. It was located at 125 Cedar Springs Road.

About ChildCareGroup: ChildCareGroup works to end the cycle of intergenerational poverty in the Dallas community by utilizing the research-based Two-Generation Approach that links high-quality early childhood education programs with other core programs and services that help families increase self-sufficiency.

09/03/2026

The Dallas Municipal Archives is pleased to announce we are a recipient of a 2026 grant from the Rescuing Texas History mini-grant program of the Portal to Texas History, our digital library partner at the University of North Texas.

We are delighted to work again with UNT and the The Portal to Texas History as we make our collection documenting the history of the City of Dallas' 100-year old radio station WRR 101 available to students and scholars worldwide.

This year's awardees include libraries, museums, historical societies, state historic sites, community organizations, and private collectors from across Texas. Together, we preserve and share materials that document military service, education, civic life, religion, arts and culture, local communities, family histories, and the experiences of Texans from every region of the state.

Just over 100 years ago, commercial broadcasting began and Dallas' radio station WRR was there at the birth. Today WRR 101 remains the second federally licensed station in the United States, the oldest single-owner station in the US, the first in Texas, and the first commercial radio station West of the Mississippi River.

The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. Created and maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries, the Portal leverages the power of hundreds of content partners across the state to provide a vibrant, growing collection of resources. Want to learn more? https://texashistory.unt.edu/about/portal/

The Dallas Municipal Archives has been partners with the Portal since 2013 and is the first local government to share archival materials on this vitally important resource for the worldwide educational and scholarly community.

08/28/2026

The Dallas Municipal Archives pauses to remember the life and art of Dolly Parton, who died this week at 80. Ms. Parton performed twice at Reunion Arena: October 1, 1982 and October 27, 1985. This image from the Reunion Arena Collection features the singer performing a duet with Kenny Rogers in 1985.

08/25/2026

One-hundred-nine degrees? Schmun-hundred-nine degrees! Cool off in the Archives with some Dallas Park and Recreation Department pools in the 1940s and 1950s.

08/20/2026

Today is National Radio Day, which celebrates the past, present, and future of the medium that changed American and World history. Just over 100 years ago, commercial broadcasting began and Dallas' radio station WRR was there at the birth. Today WRR remains the second federally licensed station in the US, the oldest single-owner station in the US, the first in Texas, and the first West of the Mississippi River.

05/21/2026

The Dallas Municipal Archives and Dallas City Hall will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026 in observance of Memorial Day. We honor the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives.

05/08/2026

This week is National Drinking Water Week. Each year since 1985, Dallas Water Utilities water conservation program has sponsored a poster contest to highlight this vital resource.
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The Dallas Municipal Archives has historical and permanently valuable records of Dallas Water Utilities, from the 1880s to the present, in the form of photography, maps, architectural plans, publications, and ephemera. More modern records include a complete set of National Water Drinking Week posters. From the Save Dallas Water website, enjoy these fantastic older posters: https://savedallaswater.com/poster-winners/

Address

1500 Marilla Street
Dallas, TX
75201

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12146705270

Website

http://bit.ly/dallasmunicipalarchives

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