Minnesota Genealogy & LDS Family History Centers

Minnesota is a popular place for tracing family roots, with many clans living in this state for generations. If you are a Minnesotan anxious to learn more about your family's origins, you can find the research material you need at one of the many Minnesota family history centers located throughout the state. These facilities are actual offshoots of the Family History Library located in Salt Lake City, the largest genealogy library in the world. The centers are operated by the Minnesota LDS churches, but you don't have to be a church member to gain free access to the extensive collection of genealogy resources.

If you have any questions or comments about family history centers, please send a message to [email protected]

Minneapolis Family History Center
2801 N Douglas Dr
Crystal, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States
Phone: 763-544-2479
Hours: M 9am-3pm; W-Th 10am-1pm; T,W,Th 6:30pm-9:30pm
Closed: 2010 Closings: July 19-30; Nov 24-25; Dec 20-Jan1 2011
Attention: Call the center during inclement weather

Detroit Lakes Family History Center
Hwy 34 & Pelican River Rd
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56501
(218) 847-3260
Wed & Thu 12p-3p

Duluth Family History Center
521 Upham Rd
Duluth, Minnesota 55811
(218) 728-5278
Tue 5-9pm Wed 1-9pm Sat 9am-5pm

Faribault Minnesota Family History Center
1814 NW 2nd Ave
Faribault, Minnesota 55021
(507) 332-2121
Weekdays

St Paul Family History Center
2140 N Hadley Ave
Oakdale, Minnesota 55128
(651) 770-3213
Tue, Wed 6:30-9:30PM, Thur 9AM-3PM, Fri 10AM-2PM

Rochester Minnesota Family History Center
2300 Viola Rd NE
Rochester, Minnesota 55906
(507) 281-6641
Tue, Wed, Thu 9am-3pm & 7pm-9:30pm

Minnesota Genealogy Resources

Early settlers in Minnesota included fur traders, missionaries and soldiers who arrived in the early 1800s. This "Land of 10,000 Lakes" (some actually put the number at 15,000 or 20,000) was once part of the Louisiana Purchase. The US government created the Minnesota Territory in 1848, and Minnesota was admitted to statehood in 1858. Statewide registration of birth records began in 1900; death records in 1908; and marriages in 1958 (held at the county level). The state's population hails from diverse ethnic backgrounds: German, Scandinavian, French Canadian, Irish, and Czech, among others. Although best known for its Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul), famous Lake Wobegon, and sprawling Mall of America, this "North Star" state also offers a bounty of resources for those tracing their ancestors.

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of the State Registrar
Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164
(651) 201-5970
Website

Minnesota Office of Tourism
500 Metro Square, Suite 100
121 Seventh Place E.
St. Paul, MN 55101
(888) 868-7476
Website

American Swedish Institute
2600 Park Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 871-4907
Website

Immigration History Research Center
University of Minnesota
311 Andersen Library, 222 21st Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 625-4800
Website

Iron Range Research Center
Minnesota Discovery Center
801 SW Highway 169, Suite 1
Chisholm, MN 55719
(218) 254-7959
Website

Minnesota Genealogical Society
5768 Olson Memorial Highway
Golden Valley, MN 55422
(763) 595-9347
Website

Minnesota Historical Society
345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 296-6126
Website

National Archives Records Administration
Central Plains Region
2312 E. Bannister Road
Kansas City, MO 64131
(816) 268-8000
Website

National Archives Records Administration
Great Lakes Region
7358 S. Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629
(773) 581-7816
Website

Norwegian-American Historical Association
1510 St. Olaf Ave.
Northfield, MN 55057
(507) 646-3221
Website

University of St. Thomas Special Collections
LL09 O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library
2115 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
(651) 962-5467
Website

Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, Inc.
P.O. Box 16225
St. Paul, Minnesota 55116-0225
Website

Minnesota Genealogy Websites

Ancestor Hunt--Minnesota

Bureau of Land Management

Cyndi's List--Minnesota

FamilySearch Wiki--Minnesota

Linkpendium: Minnesota Genealogy and Family History

Minnesota Digital Library: Minnesota Reflections

Minnesota Research Resources and Links of Interest

Minnesota GenWeb Project

Minnesota Historical Society Organizations Directory