Did you know that Stan Lee has an archive AND it’s open to the public? Yes, it’s true, and yes, the collection is just as remarkable as you can imagine.

Any guesses as to what’s in this box?

We know because we spent a few days in July diving in and hunting for hidden treasure among the 196 boxes that comprise the Stan Lee Papers at the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center. Materials in the collection range from manuscripts and scrapbooks, to photos and comicbooks, to fan letters and correspondence with celebrities, to original artwork and beyond! Heck, the collection even includes Captain America View-Master slides from the 1970s. (Though, sadly, there’s no viewer to properly enjoy them with. Still, you have to admit that’s awesome.)

That label is pretty self-explanatory.

Tons of Amazing Spider-Man strips at our fingertips!

Oh, and that’s only the paper materials. We’d be remiss not to mention the boxes upon boxes of audiovisual items containing vintage TV interviews, speeches, news coverage, radio appearances, home movies, and even some conversations with familiar faces like Kevin Smith and William Shatner. These gems are housed on a plethora of mediums, many of them old school style, such as DVD, VHS, Betamax video, 35mm film, CD, cassette tape, and reel-to-reel audio. You can even find a few video games sprinkled in there!

Who wouldn’t want to watch 2 hours worth of Stan, circa the 1970s?

Intrigued? Here’s a handy inventory of the collection from the American Heritage Center’s website if you feel so inclined to peruse Stan’s papers. What are some items you’d choose to view? I, for one, still want to hear some of those Merry Marvel Marching Society records – on cassette tape.

As we mentioned, the Stan Lee Papers are open to the public. So, if you’re ever in the Laramie, Wyoming area, we highly suggest dropping in and paying the collection a visit. If you do plan on stopping by, you can also contact the archive in advance and they can assist you with any questions you may have; the entire staff is fabulous and very accommodating.

Another perk of visiting – check out this unusual architecture!

Why are we telling you all this? Well, as the headline states, we uncovered some marvelous relics from Stan’s luminous life during our visit, and we’re going to start sharing select ones online. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of a few of the items we stumbled upon. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more snaps from the #StanLeePapers.

Hop back in that time machine and reset the date to June 30, 1984.

Stan has always enjoyed fumetti (basically, photo comics).

Layouts from the Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip from the 1970s.

What an evening that must have been!

Even upside down, that face looks familiar.

And another shout out to the staff of the American Heritage Center for taking such good care of the collection and being so helpful!

What’s your most prized Stan or comic-related possession?