Massachusetts Archives and Libraries

United States Massachusetts  Archives and Libraries

For detailed information about Massachusetts research, see the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide page.

The following archives, libraries, and societies have major collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers.

Massachusetts State Archives at Columbia Point 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 Phone: (617) 727–2816 E-mail: [mailto:archives@sec.state.ma.us archives@sec.state.ma.us ] Its online searchable collections include:


 * The Massachusetts Archives Collection Database (1629-1799) serves as a searchable, descriptive index and catalog for documents of eighteen volumes of the Massachusetts Archives Collection.
 * Index to Passenger Manifests (1848-1891)
 * Index to Vital Records (1841-1910)

National Archives—New England Region (Boston) 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02452-6399 Phone: (781) 663-0130 Fax: (781) 663-0154 E-mail:[mailto:waltham.archives@nara.gov waltham.archives@nara.gov ]

National Archives—Northeast Region (Pittsfield) 10 Conte Drive Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230 Phone: (413) 236-3600 Fax: (413) 236-3609 

Peabody Essex Museum East India Square Salem, MA 01970-3783 USA Phone: (978) 745-9500, (866) 745-1876 For the Hearing Impaired: (978) 740-3649

State Library of Massachusetts State House, Room 341 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133 Phone: (617) 727–2590 Fax: (617) 727–5819

Boston Public Library 700 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02116 Phone: (617) 536–5400 Fax: (617) 536–4306 E-mail: [mailto:info@bpl.org info@bpl.org]

Two important inventories of Massachusetts records are:


 * Historical Records Survey. Preliminary Edition of Guide to Depositories of Manuscript Collections in Massachusetts. Boston, Massachusetts: Historical Records Survey, 1939. This work lists major manuscript collections and their locations.


 * Wright, Carroll D. Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records of Parishes, Towns, and Counties. Boston, Massachusetts: Wright and Potter, 1889. and  and  Gives a brief description of the town records that existed in 1889 and which may still be available.

Web Sites
Look for computerized research tips and information about ancestors from Massachusetts in local, state, national, and international sources. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Most of the information is available at no cost.

Addresses on the Internet change frequently. The following sites are important gateways linking you to many more sites:

US GenWeb A cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for each county, state, and nation.

Roots–L A quality list of sites and resources that includes a large, regularly updated research coordination list. FamilySearch™ The Family History Library and Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch™. FamilySearch is a collection of computer files containing several million names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your research. Some of the records come from compiled sources; some have been automated from original sources.