Washington State Archives / Legacy Washington

Washington State Archives and Legacy Project

Washington State Archives

Washington State Archives is charged with preserving and making available the important legal and historical public records of state and local government. The Archives is committed to increasing online access to our collections through an ongoing program to digitize our holdings. The Archives’ website provides access and preserves more than 270 million records. Researchers of all ages and experience levels, including students across Washington, have performed more than 5 million searches on the DA over the last year. 
 
Donations to the Archives during GiveBIG 2026 will go toward digitizing more records to place online, especially collections that support middle- and high-school students participating in Washington History Day.

Legacy Washington

As the oral history arm of Washington State Archives, Legacy Washington captures the stories of extraordinary people who've shaped Washington's history. Through innovative storytelling, books, and exhibits, Legacy Washington documents the contributions of State executive and judicial branches, the State's congressional delegation, and other citizens from all walks of life who have influenced events.

For GiveBig 2026, Legacy Washington asks your support for maintenance and expansion of our popular traveling exhibit services. Each year our traveling exhibits are displayed across the State of Washington at no charge to borrowing institutions. Subjects include veterans' stories, women in government, Washington's indigenous communities, marriage equality, tech innovators, groundbreaking artists, civil rights leaders and more.

Continued availability of these exhibits requires ongoing maintenance: replacement of worn panels, updating dated information, transport, duplication, and transferring them to more durable display media as needed. Your support helps keep these interpretive displays available for upcoming displays in schools, libraries, city halls and other public spaces.

Please visit Legacy Washington Traveling Exhibits page for more information on our displays.

Thank you!