The Fred Rogers Archive preserves over 22,000 items from Fred Rogers' personal and professional life. The Archive is essential to the work of the Fred Rogers Institute, and is a source for research into children’s television, early childhood development, and Fred Rogers’ unique role in bridging both fields. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers may request access provisions to study Fred’s life and legacy. Please complete the form below to reach out to our Archivist. Below, you can explore a sampling of the Archive - you're sure to find a treasure!
Alexander Rogers was one of Fred Rogers' favorite people. Fred was elated to become a grandfather and found that role to be one of life's greatest gifts. This photo shows Fred and Alexander interacting while reading a book. Fred often spoke about his pleasant memories of his parents reading to him when he was a child.
Mister Rogers would sometimes play with masks on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He said that sometimes, when you're uncomfortable or shy, you might feel like putting on a mask. In this photo, Fred is sitting in his office at WQED.
David Newell played Mr. McFeely for the entire run of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He explains that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was filmed like a live show, with very long takes. Although Fred was not always comfortable in front of the camera, he would light up when Mr. McFeely came to the door.
One of Fred Rogers' famous quotes is, "The child is in me still—and sometimes not so still." Our childhoods—our pasts—are part of us. Fred called himself an "emotional archaeologist" because he was interested in the origins of people's reactions to all types of situations.
Chuck Aber was a frequent neighbor on the television program, both in Mister Rogers' real world and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. In this oral history, Aber remembers rehearsing for the television operas, specifically "Josephine the Short-Neck Giraffe" and "Spoon Mountain."
Fred Rogers first sketched out the idea for this story in 1950. Josephine is a giraffe with a short neck who is desperate for her neck to grow so she will look like her parents and other giraffes. In 1989, Fred produced the story as an opera for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
The series of "Thoughts for the Week" offers us insight into Fred Rogers' goals with each week of programs he produced. During this week, Mister Rogers talks about moving quickly versus moving slowly. He points out that people with the same name are still different people.
Chef Brockett introduces Mister Rogers to two people who perform pantomime. The coach, Tim Scanlon, is deaf. Mister Rogers asks him to recite and mime a poem that most children would know. Mister Rogers wonders how his two new neighbors teach people pantomime, and they demonstrate by making an invisible banana split.
Mister Rogers and a translator meet Tatiana Vedeneeva, the host of Good Night Little Ones. She shows them the television studio where she films her children's program. Mister Rogers plays the piano and meets the crew. Daniel Tiger even overcomes a bit of shyness to meet one of the puppets.
If you have an item you believe belongs in the Fred Rogers Archive, please let us know! The items in the Archive must be directly related to Fred Rogers and his production company. We do not accept self-created items such as creative, journalistic, or research writings, or artwork. We do not purchase items to include in the Archive or sell memorabilia from the Archive.