The El Cerrito Historical Society was founded in 1975 and they have been in its current location at City Hall since 2011. The society was founded to focus on the history of El Cerrito. They meet monthly and publish the print newsletter, The Forge, and the digital newsletter, Sparks.

Many of their resources have been digitized and placed online on their website. These include photos, historical narratives, historical buildings, places of interest, and their newsletters. Many items not on the website have been digitized and they plan to digitize more for the website. They actively seek out older residents to conduct oral histories. They also welcome donations of photos and other materials pertaining to the history of El Cerrito.

Some of the archival materials they have available include:

Photographs
El Cerrito High School yearbooks going back to early years (not complete)
Scrapbooks (PTA, Service organizations, etc.)
School class photos
Vertical files (family names, obituaries, and subject files)
Service organization records
Newspapers (limited bound issues of the El Cerrito Journal)
Property records in address order (great for house histories)
City records (tax assessment, license, and city court dockets)

Currently, researchers need an appointment to visit their archives. Many of the items can be easily accessed through their cataloging software at the office. Other collections have not yet been cataloged but are accessible. Contact them with your research needs.