The National Archives at College Park (Archives II), a main campus of the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland will be closing its doors to the public, except for individuals with a vaguely defined “legitimate business need,” on July 7th.
The building mostly stores the federal government’s 20th century record holdings and receives current (21st century) holdings from government agencies, as they are created. The building also holds the nation’s collection of cartographic, moving images, sound recordings and photographs. About 80% of the records were open to the public.
The facility is being converted to a restricted-access federal facility, according to the following announcement, which was posted on June 24, 2025 and has since been removed.
National Archives at College Park (US National Archives II) in College Park, Maryland (NARA)“Restricted-Access Federal Facility, Effective July 7, 2025: Effective July 7, 2025, the National Archives at College Park, MD, will become a restricted-access federal facility with access only for visitors with a legitimate business need. It will no longer be open to the general public. Security officers will enforce these restrictions, and your cooperation is appreciated.”
Joe Biden nominated Colleen Joy Shogan to the position of Archivists of the United States in August 2022 and she was confirmed and sworn in by the Senate (as all Archivists of the US must be) in May 2023. She was the first woman to hold the office permanently.
Then President-elect Donald Trump announced on January 6, 2025, that he would be replacing Shogan and on February 7, 2025, it was reported that Shogan had been fired from the post of national archivist.
Marco Rubio has been Acting Archivist of the United States since February 16, 2025.