In this lecture, attendees will explore a strategic roadmap for navigating the vast archival landscape of the nation’s second-largest state. The session provides a methodical overview of both premier and overlooked repositories, demonstrating how to use the Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO) system and the Portal to Texas History to plan efficient research trips. Participants will learn the functional differences between major centers—such as the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research—and specialized regional collections like the National Archives at Fort Worth and various university archives. By examining the specific strengths of these diverse institutions, researchers will gain the technical skills necessary to locate rare primary sources and manuscript collections essential for a reasonably exhaustive search of Texas ancestors.