Located at the Dominican Monastery at Ptuj, the Historical Archives of Ptuj collects and keeps records of the archives of organisations and institutions of local and regional interest. Its remit includes the state administrative units (territorial divisions other than municipalities used in state governance) of Ormož and Ptuj. Founded in 1955, the Historical Archives of Ptuj houses documents dating from 1338 to 1867; manuscripts dating from 1440 to 1965; the Museum Society Collection dating from 1605 to 1961; records of the Lords of Ptuj Castle since 1431; records of the Minorite Monastery in Ptuj dating from the 14th century; records of the Municipalities of Ptuj and Ormož and of their predecessors dating from the 14th century to 1945; records of the District Board of Ptuj and the District Courts of Ptuj and Ormož since the 19th century; records of schools since the second half of the 19th century, of savings and loan banks since 1900, and of societies since 1918; and records of the district people's committees and various town, local and municipal people's committees, political organisations and some businesses from the period since 1945. The archives house around 2,800 linear metres of archival and documentary material. Published guides include Vodnik po fondih in zbirkah, Zgodovinski arhiv Ptuj ('Guide to Records and Collections, Historical Archives in Ptuj', 1985). Published inventories of records include Mestni odbor Osvobodilne fronte Ptuj 1945-1983 ('Town Committee of the Liberation Front of Ptuj 1945-1983') by N Jurkovič; Okrajni premogovniki Ptuj 1947-1959 ('The District Coal Mines of Ptuj 1947-1959, 1983') by B Oblak; Varia 1634-1983 (1984) by N Jurkovič; and Kreditne zadruge ormoškega področja 1906-1948 ('Loan Co-operatives of the Ormo Area 1906-1948', 1986) by B Oblak. Exhibition catalogues include Vino in trta skozi čas ('Vine and Wine Through Time', 1991). Articles on archival work are published in the local newspaper in order to expand the circle of visitors. Research is conducted regularly in the archives of Graz, Vienna and Varaždin. In the late 1990s the Historical Archives of Ptuj organised an International Colloquia on the Working Community of Middle European Archival Societies and an International Symposium on Municipal Documents from the 14th and 16th centuries. An exhibition on Janez Puh was organised in co-operation with Austrian archives. A lecturing room for 25 people is available.

See also the nearby Minorite St Petrus and Paulus Monastery Archives and Library, Ptuj.