If you’ve ever wanted to trace your family roots, create a family tree or find out more about your ancestors, the following genealogy resources in Indianapolis and nearby Fort Wayne are great places to start. These Indiana resources can aid your research efforts by providing print records and/or free online access to the best genealogy data bases for tracing your family history. Happy hunting!
- Indiana State Library Genealogy Collection
Location: 140 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis 46204
Phone: (866) 683-0008
Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Thu, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Parking: Commercial parking within walking distance of the library is available, as well as metered parking on most downtown streets, including Ohio Street and Senate Avenue. (Meters are free on Saturdays.)The Genealogy Collection, one of the largest in the Midwest, includes 40,000 printed items (family histories, indexes to records, how-to books, cemetery transcriptions, family history magazines, and more), as well as microfilmed federal census records, Indiana county records, passenger lists, and military pension information. The collection includes hundreds of CDs with family history information. The emphasis of the collection is on Indiana and bordering states, as well as eastern and southern states.
The State Library subscribes to numerous online resources that are only available within the library, including Ancestry Library, HeritageQuest, FirstSearch, and New England Ancestors.org.
- Indiana State Archives
Address: 6640 E. 30th St., Indianapolis 46219
Phone: (317) 591-5222
Email: arc@icpr.in.gov
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.The Indiana State Archives provides access to all its collections, subject to laws regarding confidentiality and preservation of records. Records of historical value are collected from all branches of Indiana state and local government, including governmental history; census and naturalization records for families; selected medical, military and criminal records; records of land ownership; maps; blueprints; and photographs.
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Address: 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 421-1200
Email: ask@acpl.info
Hours: Mon-Thu, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri-Sat, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun, noon-5 p.m.
Parking:$1 per hour; maximum of $7 per day (free to valid library card holders)The library’s renowned collection includes more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche. Patrons also have access to major online databases, including Ancestry.com, Footnote.com, HeritageQuestOnline.com, NewEnglandAncestors.org, Origins Network: British, Irish & Scots, ProQuest Obituaries, and WorldVitalRecords.com.
The library suggests preparing for your visit ahead of time by using its online catalog to plan and optimize your research time in the department.
For detailed information on conducting genealogical research and other available resources, visit About.com’s genealogy site.
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