Vehicles
Motorcycles, powertrains, and related parts and accessories
H-D Archives
The corporate archives team preserves over a century of Harley-Davidson’s legendary history. Housed at the H-D Museum in Milwaukee, the collection includes motorcycles, photographs, documents, and artifacts that showcase the brand’s evolution and global impact. Beyond museum exhibits, the archives support the Motor Company today, inspiring everything from marketing to new product development.
What’s in The Archives Collection
Audio & Video
Radio and TV ads, interviews, and home movies
Clothing
Early H-D apparel, club uniforms, jackets, and riding gear
Artifacts
Patches, pins, trophies, toys, and artwork
Photographs
Racing, rallies and events, products, factory work and touring
Documents
Posters, advertisements, drawings, correspondence, catalogs
The Legendary Motorcycle Collection
A New Idea
As the 1919 Chicago Motorcycle Show approached, the founders of Harley-Davidson planned to do something different. In addition to the newest motorcycles and bicycles for sale, they wanted a historical display of H-D motorcycles going back to the earliest years of production. After only 16 years, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company was proud of its history and innovation.
Annual Collecting
From then on, one motorcycle per year was pulled and stored for a historic vehicle collection. Nearly all models were in original condition—many straight off the production line—giving the Harley-Davidson Archives an unmatched collection of original/unrestored motorcycles.
Making it Official
Over the years, the motorcycles were stored and displayed in various locations belonging to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. In the 1990s, the Harley-Davidson Archives was officially organized to care for vehicles and other related historic records and artifacts. In 2008, the Harley-Davidson Museum opened, and for the first time, put the vast collection on display for the public to enjoy.
Carrying the Tradition
Continuing a tradition started over a century ago, Harley-Davidson archivists and curators still collect one new production motorcycle per year. Other motorcycles considered for the collection are evaluated for traits such as rarity, historical significance, and the stories they can tell.
New Acquisitions – Janda Scrapbook
Catch a Glimpse of the H-D Archives
The Archives are the heart of the H-D Museum. While only a fraction of the collection is on display, visitors can peek into the Archives to see where thousands of historic motorcycles, artifacts, and documents are preserved. Cross the bridge—currently home to the Ezy Ryders special exhibit—and look through the glass doors to watch staff carefully catalog and protect the company’s history. On the third floor, hundreds more motorcycles line the racks in “The Vault,” offering a rare glimpse into H-D’s legendary legacy.
Step Inside the Archives & Vault – Reserve Your Spot
Beyond the Gate Tour
This 90-minute guided tour is ideal for guests looking for a deeper experience and a visit to the Motorcycle Vault. Beyond the Gate Tours are offered to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. (10-40 guests), and available for private bookings.
Book Guided Tour
VIP Tour
Celebrating a special occasion or special person? The 2-hour VIP Tour is the top of the line in our tour portfolio! Guests will receive a guided tour of the museum, a visit to the Motorcycle Vault, and a chat with a curator or archivist. Plus, each VIP tour guest receives a special commemorative challenge coin and a 10% discount at the Harley-Davidson® Shop. (2-10 guests) Also available for private bookings.
Book Guided Tour
The founders of Harley-Davidson left us at least two gifts. The first was starting what evolved into the world’s most recognized motorcycle company. Their second gift was a tradition of saving and preserving key motorcycles over time, along with records, photographs, film, and the rest of our history. Not every company creates such a record of its own history, but the founders of H-D did, and they got an early start.
- Bill Jackson , Manager of Archives & Heritage Services
Stories That Shaped Harley-Davidson
Early Years of Harley-Davidson
Step back to 1903 and learn how four young visionaries built their first motorcycles inside a small Milwaukee shed laying the foundation for a global legend.
Read the Story
Bar & Shield
Discover the origins of the most enduring Harley-Davidson symbol and how the iconic Bar & Shield logo became a badge of freedom recognized worldwide.
Read Story
1908 Chicago Ride
Relive the story of Harley-Davidson and its early endurance triumph in Chicago, a test that proved the reliability of H-D motorcycles and earned riders’ trust.
Read Story
York Factory
Explore the history of the Harley-Davidson York, Pennsylvania Factory and discover how it became a cornerstone of the company’s legacy, producing motorcycles that carried the brand’s spirit through generations.
Read the Story
FAQS
Find out more about the Harley-Davidson Corporate Archives.
No. The Harley-Davidson Archives is a private, corporate archives and not open to researchers.
If you wish to offer an item to the permanent collection of Harley-Davidson, please e-mail [email protected] with a detailed description of the item(s), photograph(s) of the item(s), and your complete contact information, including phone number. Your submission will be reviewed by the Archives and Curatorial staff of Harley-Davidson. If we are interested in the item for the Harley-Davidson Archives, you will be contacted for further information. The Archives does not accept unsolicited donations.
The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee is home to the archives collection. You can see many of the motorcycles in the collection in The Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection book by Randy Leffingwell and Darwin Holmstrom. For non-motorcycle collection items, check out The Harley-Davidson Story: Tales from the Archives by Aaron Frank. The Archives does not have an online catalog of its collection, but you can explore some of its history and artifacts digitally through the Harley-Davidson Museum on Google Arts and Culture. You can also get a glimpse of the collection by booking a Beyond the Gate or VIP Tour.
As an active corporate repository, the Archives is continually collecting internally from the Motor Company, as well as through auctions, private sales and donations.
Documentation and details around Harley-Davidson production vehicles are very limited or non-existent. Any questions you may have about your motorcycle can be addressed by calling Harley-Davidson Customer Service at (800) 258-2464 or (414) 343-4056.
Although the Archives is not open to the public, Harley-Davidson Museum visitors can view some of the archival workspaces while exploring the museum. Guests can book a Beyond the Gate Tour or VIP Tour to get behind the scenes.
In addition to supporting H-D Museum exhibits and experiences, the Harley-Davidson Archives team collects, documents, and preserves Harley-Davidson history. The archives are a resource for Harley-Davidson Motor Company business and a repository to safeguard the company heritage. The archivists work to maintain and grow this vast collection so that it is accessible and useful to the company — as well as enjoyed by museum guests — now and in the future.
Explore the Harley-Davidson Corporate Archives, home to over a century of the brand’s history. Located at the H-D Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the archives preserve motorcycles, artifacts, photographs, and documents that tell the story of Harley-Davidson, its employees, and motorcycle culture worldwide. While only a portion of the collection is on public display, museum visitors can catch a glimpse behind the glass doors, see the workspaces where history is cataloged, and view the famed “Vault” of stored motorcycles. The archives not only support museum exhibits but also inspire the Motor Company’s marketing, product development, and research initiatives.