You could be 10, 43, or 85. You could be a beginner or an expert. But if you love genealogy, you need to visit the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). You will love it.
My dad took me to NEHGS for the first time when I was 10. I was a total beginner. The only thing I could have been an expert at back then was watching SpongeBob.
NEHGS's staff took my interest in genealogy and blew it wide open. I spent the next three days working with them. We looked at vital records on microfilm. I learned how to use Ancestry.com. I got to talk to other people fascinated by genealogy. It is one of the earliest experiences of losing time I can remember — I blinked, and six hours passed.
Your visit will transform your genealogy game. You will meet incredible people and experts excited to help you. You will have access to collections of records you would not otherwise. NEHGS's microfilm records gave me invaluable vital documents. Most were not available on any online databases at the time and most still are not a decade later.
You will find yourself surrounded by fellow genealogists of all levels and ages. I vividly remember this moment — sitting at a computer using Ancestry. On my left was a dad — about 45 — doing the same. On my right was a woman who said she was a grandmother and 85, building her tree on Ancestry. We were each deep in thought, trying to crack our mysteries. I felt like I had found my people! And we made tons of discoveries in only two days.
I am sure you will have a similar experience if you visit, too!
Jack Palmer is a History and Psychology double-major at Duke University. I’ve done genealogy research since I was 10 and love writing about it for family, friends, and anybody else who might enjoy a blast from the past.