5 genealogy centers make it easy to research family history on vacation

While on a camping trip with her husband to Salt Lake City, Lori Erickson decided to visit the famous genealogy center called FamilySearch Library. “That first ignited my interest in my

Scandinavian roots,” she says. After her mom died in 2020, Erickson at 59 wanted to learn more about her relatives. “I had a sense for wanting to pass down a record to my kids.” She decided

to write a book about her Norwegian ancestry, _The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestors, Stories, and the Spirits We Inherit_. While researching her heritage, she visited the Norwegian

American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library in Madison, Wisconsin. Even though her book was published, she still had a lingering question about her great-grandfather’s daughter who

remained in Norway (for unknown reasons) when he went to America. She attempted to research this mystery during a group trip for travel writers at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy

Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Now 63 and living in Iowa City, Iowa, Erickson says her research experience at three different genealogy centers has helped her to feel grateful. “I got a deep

sense of the fact that life was usually very hard, even for the wealthy,” she says. She also gained a new appreciation for cultural traditions and a better understanding about her ethnic

background. Learning about your ancestry is popular because of DNA testing kits, and according to a 2022 Ancestry.com survey, 66 percent of respondents say they want to know more about their

family history. An Ipsos poll found that people who are considered Gen X (ages 44-59) and boomers (age 60-plus) are more interested in ancestry than younger generations. One way to combine

this popular hobby with travel is to visit destinations with large genealogy centers that are free or inexpensive to use. Consider the following locations to help round out your family

history. FamilySearch Library has more than 1 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records. Alamy Stock Photo FAMILYSEARCH LIBRARY LOCATION: Salt Lake City ADMISSION: Free APPOINTMENT

NEEDED: No OFFERINGS: As one of the largest genealogy centers in the world you can search more than 1 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records. You also can access records of more

than 8 billion people from over 100 countries. If you have a question, you can ask the expert research consultants for assistance. HISTORIC FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES: “The Great Salt Lake and

Antelope Island Tour explores the history and ecology of the Great Salt Lake,” says Ryan Mack, vice president of communications at Visit Salt Lake. Some other historical sites are This is

the Place Heritage Park and Historic Temple Square.