Founded in 1845, New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the country’s leading resource for family history research. We help genealogists of all skill levels improve their knowledge and understanding of their family and its place in history. Although our name says New England, we provide expertise and research in nearly all aspects of family history, from 17th-century colonial New England through twentieth-century immigration research.
We maintain our award-winning website, AmericanAncestors.org, as the online repository for more than 200 million searchable names covering New England, New York, and beyond.
NEHGS is a non-profit, member organization that is open to the public. Learn more about how you can support NEHGS. Both members and nonmembers are invited to visit our 8-story library and archive located at 99–101 Newbury Street in Boston. Nonmembers can spend the day researching for a fee of $15. Membership information can be found here.
While visiting our library, you’ll have access to a wealth of resources, including:
- Our staff of genealogists, who are ready to help you with your research requests and questions
- Access to more than 200,000 published genealogies, biographies, family and local histories, as well as many other helpful books, maps, atlases, and other printed materials. Search out full Library Catalog here.
- Access to more than 100,000 microfilm reels, including vital records, probate records, administrations, wills, city directories, and other primary resources for New England and eastern Canada
- Access to our special collections, which includes more than 28 million original artifacts, manuscripts, documents, family papers, records, photographs, diaries, journals, and other items that document more than 400 years of family and local history.
Our experts and their research have appeared in many major regional and national news outlets including CNN, ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The New York Times, BBC News, NPR, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and many other press and media outlets. We have also been featured in the popular television programs, “Who Do You Think you Are?,” “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr,” and “History Detectives.” Visit the NEHGS Press Room for more info.
If you’re new to genealogy, please visit our learning center to get started with your research today. Join can also join us for any number of lectures and programs both onsite in our Boston headquarters or in other locations nationally. If you have any research questions, you can email our staff via our “Ask A Genealogist” section.
NEHGS also publishes a number of books each year under our publishing imprint, Newbury Street Press.
Click here to learn more about the history of NEHGS.