Know Your Family History
Find Your Ancestors
Search over 3,000,000 records including: birth, death and marriage record indexes; newspaper clippings; photographs and other visual materials; and property records from National Register and State Register of Historic Places and the Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI).
Ask our staff
- Email us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org
- Call us at (608)264-6535
- Have a free consultation (via phone, Zoom, or in person) with Lori Bessler, Reference Librarian. Email us for an appointment.
Search Our Catalogs
Library Catalog
The Society's library and archival holdings are cataloged in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's library catalog.
Finding Aids
These finding aids (registers) describe archival resources held by 24 repositories throughout Wisconsin.
Webinars and Workshops
Don't miss our upcoming webinars, workshops, classes.
Area Research Centers
Use the Society's courier service to have Archives materials transferred to a research center near you. Learn More
Visit Us
Get expert advice in how to create a family tree or hunt for clues about an ancestor's past.
- Accessibility
- Hours
- Location and Directions
- Parking and Transportation
- Visiting the Library and Archives
Or call us at 608-264-6535
Guides and Instructions
Ready to begin your family history research? Use our guides and instructions to get started!
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About Our Collections
Learn more about our family history collections and the resources located in our Library, our Archives and online.
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Genealogy-Family History Book Award
Learn more about our family history collections and the resources located in our Library, our Archives and online.
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Related Resources
Click on the links below to learn more about these resources. All offer online materials plus many more physical materials in the Society's Library and Archives.
Wisconsin Local and County Histories
16,000 historical and biographical articles published between 1860 and 1940 from hundreds of Wisconsin local newspapers. All are available online.
Maps and Atlases in our Collections
The Society houses more than 25,000 maps and atlases in its Archives. More than 3,000 are available for viewing online.
Visual Materials in our Collections
The Society's Archives holds approximately 3 million images across more than 6,000 collections. Over 75,000 images are available for viewing online.
This is the oldest map in the Parker collection. It is based on the geography of Ortelius, who is considered to be the creator of the first modern atlas and the first to propose a theory of continental drift.