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!
Mister Rogers talks to his viewers about divorce. He says that even though it is an adult issue, it is an important matter that everyone can talk about. Mister Rogers pretends that the king, queen, and prince are having a picnic. In the park, the king and queen have a number of disagreements.
The episode that Fred intended this song for is about building things by hand. Mister Rogers puts together a go-cart and Bob Trow shows a pulley system. Mister Rogers talks about wanting something that his parents couldn't buy him, so he made it instead.
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.
Children may become anxious and stressed when they are faced with winning and losing. Thus, Fred Rogers devoted a week of the Neighborhood to "Games." Children need reassurance that they will always be loved, no matter the outcome of the game they are playing.
Andre Watts plays the first piece of music he learned on the piano. Watts describes how playing the piano when he is sad helps him to feel better, physically and mentally. Mister Rogers wonders if Watts ever made mistakes while he was learning.
Itzhak Perlman lets Mister Rogers look carefully at his violin. Mister Rogers asks him to play "Yankee Doodle." Perlman tells how difficult it is to even produce a sound on the violin when you first start playing.
The first time Mister Rogers sang this song, he was remembering a time when he was angry with a friend. His negative emotion scared him and he needed to talk about it with a caring adult. This song acknowledges that fear is closely entwined with anger.
When Fred Rogers would write or speak about books and reading, he always mentioned his childhood librarian, "Aunt" Sara McComb. Fred learned to love reading at a young age because Aunt Sara shared her appreciation of books with the children at the library.
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.
