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Appointments must be made to conduct research at the Rockefeller Archive Center. Contact us in writing via email, fax, or mail with a brief description of your research project, the names of individuals and institutions that are central to the study, the years covered by the study, and any geographic restrictions on the study. The Center's staff can respond most efficiently and effectively to inquiries that are specific. A staff member will respond with a description of the scope and content of relevant materials in the collections and to schedule an appointment. Photo ID is required.
Archive Center hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Reading Room hours: Monday-Friday, 9:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
The Archive Center is usually open the first Saturday of every month. Appointments are necessary. In the coming months, the Archive Center may be open on the following Saturdays: August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1, and December 6, 2008.
Note: Saturday Reading Room hours are 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and there is no van service to/from the train station. Contact us for an appointment. See detailed information about Saturday openings at the end this page.
The Rockefeller Archive Center (RAC) is closed on the following days:
- January: New Year's Day - January 1*; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - third Monday in January: January 19, 2009
- February: Presidents' Day - third Monday in February: February 16, 2009
- May: Memorial Day* - last Monday in May: May 25, 2009
- July: Independence Day - July 4
- September: Labor Day* - first Monday in September: September 1, 2008
- November: Thanksgiving* - fourth Thursday and Friday in November: November 27-28, 2008
- December: Christmas* - closed for a week during the Christmas and New Year period: Thursday, December 25, 2008 through Friday, January 2, 2009
* Note: The Archive Center will close at 3:00 p.m. on the day before certain holidays. Early closing will take place on: the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend; the day before Independence Day; the Friday before the Labor Day weekend; the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; the day prior to the Christmas holiday period, and on New Year's Eve. On those days, the Reading Room will close at 2:45 p.m.
The Rockefeller Archive Center (RAC), located 20 miles north of New York City in Westchester County, is easily accessible from major highways and by train from Grand Central Terminal in New York City to Tarrytown on the Metro-North Hudson Line. The RAC, when notified at least two days before arrival (telephone: 914 631-4505; fax: 914 631-6017) will provide transportation to and from the Center for the following trains:
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Departs Grand Central 8:20 a.m.*
Arrives Tarrytown 9:13 a.m.
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Departs Tarrytown 4:47 p.m. (Van leaves RAC at 4:20 p.m.)
Arrives Grand Central 5:30 p.m.
This train schedule, as well as the fares, may be subject to change.
It is advisable to call Metro-North at (800) METRO-INFO or (212) 532-4900 or access their web site (http://www.mta.info) to verify departure times or verify fares. If you have arranged to use RAC transportation from the Tarrytown station and your plans change please call us. There is a taxi stand at the Tarrytown station. One-way taxi fare is approximately $10. During the winter, if ice or snow is predicted for suburban New York, it is advisable to telephone the RAC (914 631-4505) immediately prior to your visit since weather conditions may warrant closure or delayed opening of the Center. A recording noting a closure or delayed opening is generally posted by 7:30 a.m.
From Manhattan -- West Side:
Take West Side Highway north onto Henry Hudson Parkway, then north onto Saw Mill River Parkway. Exit parkway at the Saw Mill River Road - Eastview exit. At foot of exit ramp turn left onto Old Saw Mill River Road and drive about 0.6 miles (the Tarrytown Reservoir will be on your left). Make the first right turn at stop sign (Lake Road). Drive uphill for 0.6 miles. You will pass a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on your right. Turn right at the first street (Dayton Ave.). Go one block and turn right onto the RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
From Manhattan -- East Side:
Take FDR/East River Drive north to Willis Ave. Bridge. Move into the left lane of the bridge. Turn left at end of bridge. Turn left at intersection and proceed onto the Major Deegan Expressway (Interstate 87) north. Continue onto the Thruway (pay 50 cent toll). Take Exit 7A - Saw Mill River Parkway/ Taconic Parkway north. Exit Saw Mill River parkway at the Saw Mill River Road - Eastview exit. At foot of exit ramp turn left onto Old Saw Mill River Road and drive about 0.6 miles (the Tarrytown Reservoir will be on your left). Make the first right turn at stop sign (Lake Road). Drive uphill for 0.6 miles. You will pass a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on your right. Turn right at the first street (Dayton Ave.). Go one block and turn right onto the RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
From New Jersey and Upper New York State
Follow Thruway (Interstate 87-287) across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Exit 9 (first exit off bridge; about 0.2 miles from toll booths). At light turn right onto Route 9 (Broadway) north . Follow Route 9 north about 1.6 miles through Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow to Route 448 (Bedford Road). At this intersection turn right onto Route 448 towards Pleasantville and drive 1.5 miles to stop sign. Route 448 will turn left. Do not turn. Go straight ahead onto Dayton Avenue. Go one block and turn right onto RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
From Upper Westchester and New England
Drive South on Saw Mill River parkway. Exit parkway at the Saw Mill River Road - Eastview exit. At foot of exit ramp turn right onto Old Saw Mill River Road and drive about 0.6 miles (the Tarrytown Reservoir will be on your left). Make the first right turn at stop sign (Lake Road). Drive uphill for 0.6 miles. You will pass a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on your right. Turn right at the first street (Dayton Ave.). Go one block and turn right onto the RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
From Connecticut
From Merritt Parkway or Connecticut Turnpike take right onto Interstate 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) westbound to Exit 3-Sprain Brook Parkway north. Drive 1.5 miles to first exit -Eastview/Route 100C. Turn left at top of ramp. Continue for about one mile; stay on the road that bears to the right and is marked Old Saw Mill River Road. Proceed straight for about 1.2 miles. Pass under the Landmark at Eastview building, the Saw Mill Parkway. Drive about 0.6 miles (the Tarrytown Reservoir will be on your left). Make the first right turn at stop sign (Lake Road). Drive uphill for 0.6 miles. You will pass a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on your right. Turn right at the first street (Dayton Ave.).Go one block and turn right onto the RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
From Long Island
From either the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge or the Throgs Neck Bridge, follow signs to the Hutchinson River Parkway north to Interstate 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) westbound to Exit 3-Sprain Brook Parkway north. Drive 1.5 miles to first exit -Eastview/Route 100C. Turn left at top of ramp. Continue for about one mile; stay on the road that bears to the right and is marked Old Saw Mill River Road. Proceed straight for about 1.2 miles. Pass under the Landmark at Eastview building, the Saw Mill Parkway. Drive about 0.6 miles (the Tarrytown Reservoir will be on your left). Make the first right turn at stop sign (Lake Road). Drive uphill for 0.6 miles. You will pass a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on your right. Turn right at the first street (Dayton Ave.). Go one block and turn right onto the RAC driveway (Highland Ave.). You must use the keypad and speaker located on the left side of the driveway to request access; you cannot use a cell phone for this purpose.
Researchers without private transportation should bring a lunch since there are no stores or restaurants in the Pocantico Hills area of Sleepy Hollow. The RAC provides a refrigerator, microwave, hot plate, soda machine, and tea and coffee for researchers' use. Coins are required for the soda machine; the RAC cannot provide change.
In accordance with archival preservation standards, the Reading Room is kept cool. It is suggested that researchers bring warm clothing to wear in the Reading Room.
The Rockefeller Archive Center offers researchers and other visitors wireless access to the internet in all public places in the building. Researcher with laptops equipped with a wireless network card will get the signal automatically.
We suggest reviewing A Researcher's Guide to Reference at the Rockefeller Archive Center.
On their first visit, researchers are met in the lobby of the Archive Center by the archivist who will conduct the registration interview. The researcher is oriented to the building and taken to the second floor library where the interview and registration take place.
All researchers are interviewed by an archivist to familiarize them with the Center's facilities, rules, and regulations. As part of the interview process, the researcher must complete the registration form on the computer in the library. The researcher signs the registration form and shows photo ID after reading "Rules Governing the Use of Manuscripts."
The archivist reviews all relevant RAC forms and guidelines, including the "Rules Governing the Use of Manuscripts," "Photocopying for Researchers," "Request for Copies," and "Examples of Citations." The archivist demonstrates how to request material for photocopying.
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All briefcases, envelopes, notebooks, bags, cellphones, and purses must be left at the designated area.
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Researchers are responsible for the protection of any material made available to them in the reading room. Researchers may not remove materials from the reading room for any purpose or rearrange the order of materials in folders or boxes.
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Researchers must examine one folder at a time; the folder must remain flat on the table.
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Manuscripts may not be leaned on, written on, folded anew, traced, fastened with rubber bands, or handled in any way likely to damage them.
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Only pencils may be used for notetaking. Pencils and notebook paper will be provided upon request. Typewriters, computers, word processors, and tape recorders may be used at the discretion of the reading room supervisor. The Rockefeller Archive Center does not permit digital scanning of its documents.
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All papers will be examined when the researcher leaves the reading room.
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Food, drink, tobacco items, and chewing gum (but not lozenges), are prohibited in the reading room. Eating and drinking are limited to the researcher's lounge on the ground floor. Smoking is prohibited in the building.
All personal belongings should be placed in lockers. Researchers may bring into the reading room pencils, paper, notes, and a laptop computer. Handheld scanners are not permitted. The volume on computers should be turned down to the minimum.
The cost of photocopying archival material at the Rockefeller Archive Center is as follows:
.40/page for 1-1000 copies
.55/page for 1001-5000 copies
.70/page for 5001 copies and over
NOTE: Photocopies made for off-site researchers are charged at .70 per page for all copies. The number of copies made for off-site researchers is limited to 100 during a twelve-month period. All archival material is copied by an Archive Center staff member, and photocopying may take up to six weeks to be completed.
The making of a reproduction does not imply permission to publish any part of it in any form; a separate application is necessary to obtain such permission. The Rockefeller Archive Center may decline to copy documents that may suffer damage as a result of photocopying.
See Reproduction Costs for information regarding permission and duplication fees of photographs, slides, etc.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to make his or her own accommodation reservations.
Since public transportation is not available directly to the Archive Center, it is strongly recommended that researchers have a car available when staying at any of the Westchester County hotels listed below. Approximate driving time to the RAC (depending on traffic conditions) follows each hotel.
NOTE: Please telephone the hotel for current rates. Since rates are subject to change without notice it is necessary to telephone the hotel to obtain a rate when planning each new trip to the Center. When you make your reservation ask for the lowest rate available during your stay, since special promotional rates may apply. Some hotels also may offer discounts for AAA and AARP members.
Hotels/Motels in the Sleepy Hollow Areas
DOUBLETREE HOTEL TARRYTOWN (http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/TERHIDT-Doubletree-Hotel-Tarrytown-New-York/index.do) (Ten-minute drive)
455 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591 Tel: (914) 631-5700
COMFORT INN AND SUITES (www.comfortinn.com) (Ten-minute drive)
20 Saw Mill River Road (Rt. 9A), Hawthorne, NY 10532 Tel: (914) 592-8600
TARRYTOWN HOUSE ESTATE (www.tarrytownhouseestate.com) (Ten-minute drive)
East Sunnyside Lane and Broadway (Rt. 9), Tarrytown, NY 10591 Tel: (914) 591-8200; (800) 553-8118
EXTENDED STAY AMERICA (www.exstay.com) (Ten-minute drive)
118 Tarrytown Road (Rt. 119), Elmsford, NY 10523 Tel: (914) 347-8073; (800) 398-7029
HAMPTON INN (www.hamptoninn.com) (Ten-minute drive)
200 Tarrytown Road (Rt. 119), Elmsford, NY 10523 Tel: (914) 592-5680
HOLIDAY INN CROWNE PLAZA (www.crowneplaza.com) (Fifteen/twenty-minute drive)
66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 Tel: (914) 682-0050
LA QUINTA INN & SUITES (seven-minute drive) 540 Saw Mill River Road (Rt. 9A), Elmsford, NY 10523, Tel: (914) 592-3300; (800) 642-4271
MARRIOTT COURTYARD (www.courtyard.com) (Ten-minute drive)
475 White Plains Rd. (Rt. 119), Tarrytown, NY 10591 Tel: (914) 631-1122
SPRING HILL SUITES by MARRIOTT (www.tarrytownspringhill.com) (Ten-minute drive) 480 White Plains Rd. (Rt. 119), Tarrytown, NY 10591 Tel: (914) 366-4600
WESTCHESTER MARRIOTT (www.marriot.com) (Ten-minute drive)
670 White Plains Rd. (Rt. 119), Tarrytown, NY 10591 Tel: (914) 631-2200
Bed & Breakfasts in the Sleepy Hollow Area
(These three locations have been recommended by RAC researchers:)
Croton-on-Hudson, NY: Alexander Hamilton House (914) 271-6737
OSSINING, NY: Maureen Morgan, (914) 762-5512
Long-Term Rentals
Homestay, Inc. Tel: (914) 941-4347; e-mail: info@homestayny.us. For a fee, this organization will arrange house stays in private homes on a monthly basis in Westchester County and several parts of New York City.
The Westchester County Travel Guide, an annual publication which provides detailed information on what’s going on in Westchester is available at www.westchestertourism.com or by phoning the Westchester County Office of Tourism at (800) 833-9282 or (914) 995-8500.
Metro-North train time approximately 45 minutes from Grand Central Terminal to Tarrytown. See Transportation to the Center section of this document for more information on trains, and RAC van service and taxi service to the RAC from Tarrytown station. For those with cars, driving time to RAC from Manhattan approximately 40 to 60-plus minutes, depending on traffic.
BED & BREAKFAST NETWORK OF NEW YORK Tel: (800) 900-8134; (212) 645-8134
NYC & COMPANY (www.nycvisit.com/site-hotels.com) (CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU INFORMATION) Tel: (212) 484-1222.
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE (www.ihouse-nyc.org) Tel: (212) 316-8436; 500 Riverside Drive at W.122 Street, NY, NY 10027. Dormitory accommodation, mid-May through mid-August. Also, limited number of guest suites with air conditioning and color TV available year round. Suites telephone: (212) 316-8473. NYC bus available to Metro-North Rail station at W. 125 St.
VANDERBILT YMCA Tel: (212) 756-9600; 224 E. 47th St., NY, NY. Single rooms and Double room (with bunk beds); shared bathrooms. Very close to Grand Central Station.
The following have been recommended by past RAC researchers, whose comments follow each listing:
BED & BREAKFAST MONT MORRIS, 56 W. 120th Street, NYC. A very comfortable restored Harlem brownstone. Easy access to subway and 125th Street Metro-North station.
GAMUT REALTY GROUP, Tel: 212-879-4229 or 800-437-8353. Agency offering bed & breakfast accommodation and furnished-apartment accommodation on a nightly or long-term basis. Very good experience.
HABITAT HOTEL, 130 East 57th St., NYC Tel: (212) 753-8841. A clean, central location, reasonable rates, but noisy, since E. 57th Street is a main thoroughfare.
THE LEO HOUSE, 332 West 23rd St. (between 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC Tel: (212) 929-1010; Reservations: (800) 732-2438. Clean, quiet, reasonable in convenient location. Rooms with private bathrooms available. Nonprofit accommodation run by Catholic nuns.
The Rockefeller Archive Center and its staff are pleased to be open on selected Saturdays in order to accommodate researchers for whom that time is more convenient. The Center usually is scheduled to be open on the first Saturday of each month. Appointments are necessary. In the coming months, the Archive Center may be open on the following Saturdays: August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1, and December 6, 2008.
On Saturdays when it is open, the Rockefeller Archive Center operates with a reduced staff and shorter hours, resulting in several changes from weekday operations. These changes are described below. Please note that special appointments must be made for research on Saturdays.
Appointments for Saturday Research
The Rockefeller Archive Center may be open for research one Saturday each month for researchers who make appointments in advance. Appointments must be made with an archivist by noon of the previous Thursday. Any researcher who is at the Archive Center during the week before a scheduled Saturday opening also must make an appointment specifically for Saturday.
If no researcher has made an appointment by noon on Thursday, then the Archive Center will not be open on that Saturday.
Saturday Hours and Transportation
The Archive Center is open from 9:30 AM until 4:00 PM. Researchers must plan to arrive at the Center no later than 1:00 PM.
The Archive Center does not operate its shuttle service from the Tarrytown train station on Saturdays. However, taxis are readily available at the train station.
There are no stores or restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the Archive Center. Researchers without their own transportation should bring lunch or a snack.
To contact the Archive Center after 5 P.M. on Friday to cancel a Saturday appointment or to report a delay in arrival, a researcher should call the Archive Center (not send email) at 914-631-4505 and leave a message if the Center is not yet open.
Reading Room
The Archive Center staff will endeavor to have sufficient material ready for Saturday researchers at the beginning of the day, but subsequent retrievals of material may take more time than during the week because of the reduced staff. For maximum efficiency, a researcher should group requests for material into one initial request rather than scatter requests for individual boxes or folders throughout the day. No new retrievals will be made after 3:00 PM on Saturdays.
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