Minneapolis Minnesota FamilySearch Center

The Minneapolis MN Family History Center located at 2801 N. Douglas Dr. in Crystal MN in the lower level of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serves all of Minneapolis and Northwestern, Southwestern and Western Suburbs. We have about 40 Volunteers trained to help over 3,000+ patrons who visit the Center each year. The Center is dedicated to providing educational classes/workshops, one-on-one assistance and genealogical resources.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 2801 Douglas Dr Crystal MN 55422-2403 United States
 * We are located in the lower level of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Park in the lower parking lot and enter through the doors located there


 * Language:English

Phone:


 * 1-763-544-2479

E-mail:


 * MN_Minneapolis@ldsmail.net

Open Hours:


 * Mondays: 9am - 3pm
 * Tuesdays: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
 * Wednesdays: 10am - 1pm and 6:30pm - 9:30pm
 * Thursdays: 10am - 1pm and 6:30pm - 9:30pm
 * Saturday: 9:30am - 12:30pm

Holiday Schedule 2015:

All Major Holidays as well as:


 * April 4th 2015 LDS General Conference
 * June 29th-July 12th 2015
 * Oct 3rd 2015 LDS General Conference
 * November 24th-28th 2015
 * December 21st 2015-January 2nd 2016

Calendar and Events

Join us for one class each Thursday evening 7:30-9:00 and a few Wednesday morning classes at 10:30-11:30 (see schedule below)

 * 26 Feb: "Merging and Un-Merging in Family Search" - Judy Martin
 * 5 Mar: "Better Search Techniques for Ancestry &amp; Family Search" - Kim Ashford
 * 12 Mar: "Where Can I Look Next? - Using Family Search Wiki" - Larry Heyn
 * WED 18 Mar: "Attaching Sources and Tagging in Family Tree" - Cindy Clark
 * 19 Mar: "Using Tablets and Phones with FamilySearch" - Don Clark
 * 26 Mar: "Workshop: Adding Photos, Documents &amp; Stories to Family Tree" Jennifer Fritzler &amp; Phil Dailey
 * 2 Apr: "Sharing Stories: Getting the Whole Family Involved in Family History" - Kim Ashford
 * 9 Apr: "African American Families" - Lois Mackin
 * 16 Apr: "How to Use Geo Mapping in RootsMagic" - Phil Dailey
 * WED 22 Apr: "Enhancing Your FamilySearch Family Tree With Memories: Adding Phots, Documents, &amp; Stories" - Cindy Clark
 * 23 Apr: "Beginner's Class - Introduction to FamilySearch Family Tree" -Sue Ellen Hodgson
 * 29 Apr: "Adding Women to Your Family Tree" -Jennifer Fritzler
 * 7 May: "Beginning DNA- Genetic Genealogy" -Jennifer Fritzler rescheduled for 18 June
 * May 14: 7:30-9:00 pm Beginning German – Focus on City of Origin Larry Heyn will be rescheduled
 * Wed 20 May: DAY CLASS – Intro to Family Search Family Tree -Cindy Clark am
 * 21 May: "Roots Magic: Inputting Photos &amp; Documents" -Phil Dailey
 * 28 May: "Planning a Family Reunion" - Creating Memories -Jim &amp; Kathy Ostvig
 * 4 June: "Preparing a Personal History" - Marci Stoffer
 * 11 June: "Pursuing Death Records Beyond the Cemetery" - Kim Ashford
 * Wed 17 June: "Descendancy Research - How to Find Names and Prepare for Temple Work" - Cindy Clark
 * 18 June "Beginning DNA- Genetic Genealogy" -Jennifer Fritzler
 * 25 June "Using Naturalization Records" -Linda Erickson
 * Closed for Summer Break
 * Wed 15 July "Sourcing and Tagging in Family Tree" - Cindy Clark
 * 16 July "Finding the Home Town of your German Ancestor" - Larry Heyn
 * 23 July "Finding Cousins with Descendancy Research" -Rich Bessette
 * 30 July "2 part class: 1) Creating Sources in RootsMagic and 2) Sharing Data Between Website Trees and Desktop Programs" - Phil Dailey
 * 6 Aug "Indexing Workshop" Get ready for the WorldWide Indexing event! -Barb Van Heel
 * 13 Aug "Tips for Efficient Record Searches in FamilySearch" -Lois Spurlin
 * 20 Aug "What to Put in FamilySearch Life Sketch versus Memories" -Judy Martin
 * 27 Aug "Overview of FamilySearch Partners" -Jennifer Fritzler

Staff Training Meetings:


 * None are scheduled at this time. Staff are encouraged to attend Thursday night classes.

Collections

 * 750+ genealogy related books
 * 6000+ Microfilms/Microfiches
 * 250+ Maps
 * Gazetteers/Atlases

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. Including the following


 * Access Newspaper Archive
 * Alexander Street Press
 * Ancestry.com
 * ArkivDigital Online
 * Find-My-Past (UK)
 * Fold3 (Previously known as Footnote)
 * The Genealogist
 * Godfrey Memorial Library
 * Heritage Quest Online
 * Historic Map Works Library Edition
 * Paper Trail
 * World Vital Records


 * Genealogy database software

These genealogy programs can be used for free within the center:


 * RootsMagic
 * Legacy
 * Ancestral Quest
 * PAF
 * Family Insight
 * And others

Hardware and Equipment

 * 16 networked computer workstations
 * Paper copier
 * 10 microfilm/2 microfiche readers
 * 2 microfilm/fiche digital scanners
 * 2 flatbed scanners
 * Internet Access
 * Wireless Internet Access for Laptops

Archives and Libraries

 * Minnesota Historical Society and Archives - Link Is a source for many records from all over the state of Minnesota. They also have a bookstore and several classes offered.
 * Hennepin County Library - Link They have several databases that can be accessed through a library card. The Minneapolis Library also has a large historical collection. All branches have many resources of interest to researchers.

Genealogy Societies

 * Minnesota Genealogical Society - Link A society that specializes in Minnesota research. They also have their own library of research materials. They offer conferences, meetings and many classes throughout the year.
 * Germanic Genealogy Society - Link A society that specializes in Germanic research. They offer conferences, meetings, and many classes throughout the year. They also house their library at Concordia Library in St. Paul, MN.

Helpful Websites (free access)

 * 1) FamilySearch – Link
 * 2) FamilySearch Learning Center - Link
 * 3) FamilySearch UTube - Link
 * 4) FamilySearch Wiki - Link
 * 5) NewFamilySearch - Link
 * 6) USGenWeb - Link
 * 7) Genuki (UK and Ireland) Link
 * 8) Find A Grave - Link
 * 9) Google Search - Link
 * 10) Mocavo Search - Link
 * 11) Utah Digital Newspapers - Link
 * 12) BYU Idaho Special Collections - Link
 * 13) Cyndi’s List - Link

Volunteer at the Center
''Feeling lost in your Family History Consultant Calling? - Take advantage of our training program. Just want to learn more about Family History? - Those who serve always learn the most! Experienced family historians - We need your knowledge and skills.''

INTERESTED: Contact our Directors, Don Clark or Cindy Clark, at the Center ( 763-544-2479) or by email for an interview.