Visit the archive

Are you a researcher wanting to access Roald Dahl material?

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, located in Roald Dahl’s hometown of Great Missenden, has a small Reading Room which bona fide researchers may visit by appointment only. Here you can study original documents from the archive, use digital copies, or watch audio-visual footage on Roald Dahl and his work.

We recommend that you search our online collections database before arranging a visit to the Reading Room using the information below. We also recommend that you try and find out as much as possible about Roald Dahl from secondary sources. If you contact us, we can provide information about these sources, many of which are available in our Reading Room.

Making an appointment to visit

The archive will not be open for enquiries until November 2023 at the earliest. Please check back nearer the time for updates.

1. Contact the Roald Dahl Museum archivist: collections@roalddahlmuseum.org

2. Provide us with a letter of recommendation from a referee supporting your study, for example, a university tutor or publisher.

We make a daily charge for researchers who come to use the facilities in the Reading Room. A Reader’s ticket also entitles you to free entry to the Museum galleries if they are open on the day of your visit – it is the same price as an adult entry ticket.

Agreeing to the Reading Room rules

In common with many other archives and specialist libraries, we ask all researchers to sign a declaration saying that they agree to abide by our rules. This also includes a statement that copyright material is made available only for private study and must not be published in any form without permission.

• No bags or coats are allowed in the Reading Room.
• No pens are allowed in the Reading Room – notes must be made in pencil.
• No food or drink is allowed in the Reading Room.
• Original documents must be handled carefully and appropriately, as directed.
• No cameras or scanners may be used, at the request of the copyright holders.
• Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the Museum site.