In order to encourage the study of Iron Range history, the Iron Range Research Center identifies, collects, processes, catalogs, preserves, displays, and makes easily accessible the historically significant written, oral, and visual records of Minnesota’s Iron Range.

The Iron Range Research Center has proven to be immensely popular with genealogists, both amateur and professional, and has established itself as one of the premier destinations in the upper Midwest for genealogical research. For those with an interest in the local history of the Iron Range, the library contains numerous published resources and the archives contain thousands of cubic feet of unpublished materials, including government records, personal papers, and the records of numerous businesses and social organizations.

The Iron Range Research Center is open 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Researchers do not have to pay a Minnesota Discovery Center admission fee to use the collections. Photo copying facilities are available. The majority of our genealogical resources are available in the reading and microfilm rooms. Access to the archival manuscript, photograph and map collections requires assistance from the Archivist. Researchers intending to utilize the archival collections are advised to call ahead and make an appointment to ensure his availability.

Learn more about our archives, library and genealogy resources.