FamilySearch, Genealogy database and research center in Salt Lake City, United States
FamilySearch is a genealogy database and research center in Salt Lake City that provides millions of digitized documents from archives across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The collection includes baptism registers, court records, military files, wills, and photographs from different centuries, all digitized and indexed by volunteers.
The organization originated from the Genealogical Society of Utah, founded in the late 19th century and dedicated to preserving family histories. The shift to a digital platform occurred in the late 1990s, enabling worldwide access to archives that were previously available only in physical form at libraries.
The name reflects the search for family roots, an activity that draws people from every continent who want to trace their lineage and understand where they came from. Visitors see how personal stories preserved in parish registers, passenger lists, and old newspapers connect generations across time and geography.
Those searching online can access most records from home, while the physical library in Salt Lake City offers additional help from staff and access to microfilm collections. The website allows filtering by region, time period, and document type to simplify the search process.
Many of the oldest microfilm rolls were stored in underground vaults built into the mountains outside Salt Lake City to protect them from fire and deterioration. These vaults also contain original recordings of documents destroyed by wars or natural disasters, existing today only in these preserved copies.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
