The Municipal Archives holdings document the history, development, and activities of the agencies and elected officials of the City of Seattle. Strengths of the records include those documenting engineering, parks, urban planning, the legislative process and elected officials. Holdings include over 6,000 cubic feet of textual records; 3,000 maps and drawings, 3,000 audiotapes; hundreds of hours of motion picture film; and over 1.5 million photographs of City projects and personnel.
The moving image collection in the Archives includes films created by city departments, primarily Engineering, City Light, and the Fire Department, but also films created outside the City. Topics include: public works construction and maintenance, public safety topics like fire prevention, and city scenes from various periods. Both finished products and outtakes are included.
The Archives is open to the public.