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The Springfield Armory National Historic Site Museum Collections contains over 13,000 cataloged objects and archival collections. Upon establishment of Springfield Armory National Historic Site (SPAR) in 1978, the National Park Service (NPS) became stewards of a museum and collection that was not only one of the largest firearm collections in the world, but also a formal museum operation that was over 100 years old. The SPAR Museum Collection is part of the NPS Museum Management Program. It is NPS policy to collect, protect, preserve, provide access to, and use objects, specimens, and archival and manuscript collections to aid understanding and advance knowledge. Collections play important roles in resource management, research, and education programs, and function as baseline databases for park natural and cultural resources. The SPAR Museum collection is available to researchers and select objects are on exhibit. Springfield Armory National Historic Site does not provide staff for research services. Members of the public may request an appointment to research on site by contacting our museum curator. 
Museum Collections
The NPS museum program preserves the collections at Springfield Armory NHS for future generations. 
Archives
The archival collection at Springfield Armory NHS contains historical records, photographs, blueprints, and manuscripts containing unique an 
Library Collection
The Library Collection at Springfield Armory NHS include a general circulation library, rare books, historic newspapers, microfilm and more. 
Other Resources
Additional reference resources available to all. FAQ about Research and Collections at Springfield Armory NHS All floors of Springfield Armory NHS are handicap accessible.
Members of the public may request to do research on site by contacting our museum curator.
Museum collection storage areas are not open to the public. The Springfield Armory NHS Collection is available for research by appointment only.
The Springfield Armory NHS Collection is generally available for research by appointment weekdays only from 8:00am-3:00pm. Staff tries to accommodate requested appointment days and time, but alternative days or times may be necessary as staff and space are limited.
Contact the curator for more information. Before scheduling a research appointment, curatorial staff will discuss your research topic with you to get a better sense of how the collection may meet your needs and to coordinate the visit.
If you are interested in donating material to the museum or archival collection, please send an email to the curatorial staff. In your email, please include any background information you have about your object, with images, if possible. The information you provide will help the review committee make a final decision and will increase the research value if the item(s) are accepted into the collections. Federal laws and National Park Service policies dictate how and what we can acquire and how we manage this collection. We follow our Scope of Collections Statement, General Management Plan, interpretive themes, and other documents in making decisions in what we can accept.
Springfield Armory NHS has no records that reflect the disposition of individual firearms during or after their manufacture at the historic Springfield Armory. As a federal military facility from 1794-1968, the Springfield Armory's records are, by law, maintained by the National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). These records are official documentation of the administrative functions of the facility. Specific records having to do with the disposition of a particular gun after its manufacture tended to be temporary and thus were not preserved as a whole. Some records did survive as incidental attachments to other, more permanent records. There are entities that have compiled these references and, for a fee will give you that information or conduct research for you. If you wish to search the holdings at NARA yourself, please visit their website for information about their collections, hours, and research policies. Additional resources can be found our our Other Resources webpage.
The Springfield Armory NHS Collections may contain some content that may be harmful or difficult to view. The records reflect almost two centuries of history of the United States, and it is our charge to preserve and make available these historical records. As a result, some of the materials presented here may reflect outdated, biased, offensive, and possibly violent views and opinions. In addition, some of the materials may relate to violent or graphic events and are preserved for their historical significance.
The National Park Service is committed to working with staff, communities, and peer institutions to assess and update descriptions that are harmful and to establish standards and policies to prevent future harmful language in staff-generated descriptions. Researchers are required to sign all SPAR Access and Use Policies before their scheduled research appointment.
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Last updated: September 10, 2024