Tacoma Washington Family History Center

We Are Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am - Noon, 6pm - 8pm. Walk In Service Now.  No Appointment Needed!
''' Temporarily - The Portal with Premium Sites and Restricted Records access has been taken down by Family Search to be soon replaced by a new improved portal connection - "sometime in the next 90 days" (announced June 2, 2021). Check in with the Tacoma Family History Center or visit our Facebook page for current information. '''

We are able to assist you in your Family History Search, Organization and can teach you to use Family Search and other software when available.

Meanwhile, we can show you the Tacoma-Pierce County Records Reconstitution Project and help you get started helping to make Pierce County Family History Records more available for all heritages. Something you can do in the Center, at home, on computers and tablets or on your phone.

Please social distance, come healthy only, no masks needed for those who are vaccinated. We will add more hours as patron and worker numbers continue to increase.
 NOTICE:  During inclement weather, or other emergencies:  Always call the Family History Center (253) 564-1103, to see if we have remained open.  If no one answers the phone, we are closed.









LOCATION:   1102 S  12th St, Tacoma, WA


 * Family History Center is located in the building at the corner of 12th and Pearl St.
 * Family History Center entrance is on the south side of the building facing 12th St. up the short set of stairs, on the right.
 * Entrance is marked by a small sign "Family History Center" near the steps.

HOURS:


 * Tues 10am - noon, 6pm - 8pm   Wed -10am - noon, 6pm - 8pm Thurs  10am - noon, 6pm - 8pm  - Sat, Sunday, Monday  Closed
 * See the schedule on the top of the page for current "by appointment only" in person schedule while we gradually work our way back to being open our regular hours - perhaps by Fall 2021.
 * Call in case of inclement weather
 * Holidays: Closed all Major Holidays: Closed Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day, Labor Day weekend, the first Saturday in April and October,  Thanksgiving week (Nov 23-30, re- opening Tuesday, Dec 1, 2020), the last two weeks of December (Dec 20- 31, 2020 and open on our regular schedule following New Years Day, on Tues, January 5, 2021.
 * Access our help from home, as well as at the Family History Center, by calling the Center phone number (253) 564-1103 during open hours.

FACILITIES:


 * 11 large touch-screen computers which patrons can use to access Family Search, online databases, and the FHC Portal
 * Conference room--table with big screen for group instruction
 * Quiet place to do research
 * Helpful, skilled staff to help patrons

CONTACT:


 * Language: English
 * Phone:       253-564-1103
 * E-mail:       WA_Tacoma@familyhistorymail.org
 * Co-Directors:   Mary and Gaaren Anderson
 * Asst Director:  Jim Brown

PROGRAMS:


 * Individualized help for patrons, to assist with their research and indexing. The center is staffed by volunteer members of local congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as genealogy enthusiasts from the community who are not members of the church. Staff members are not paid for their services. More experienced volunteers may be able to assist patrons with specific research challenges.
 * Instruction--Tacoma Family History Center staff can show you how to use the center’s resources. To make your visit most effective, collect and organize the information you already have. Bring as much information as you have about the ancestor you wish to research, including available birth, marriage and death information. TFHC staff can help you use that information to begin creating a family tree using free to you software.
 * Group Trainings for youth and other ward organizations in training their people.
 * Weekly newsletter, informing staff, ward and stake leaders, and other interested parties of progress and events
 * Community Outreach--We coordinate with other community-based organizations, such as genealogical societies.

RULES:


 *  No food or drink are to be brought into the into the Family History Center itself.  There is a drinking fountain available in the hallway and we ask that patrons eat before coming in, in your car, or in the room next door. Thank you.


 * We are not at this time a Discovery Center. Please bring only children who are old enough to do Family History work. Childcare is not provided.

DATABASES AND SOFTWARE

Family History Center Portal: This Center has access to the FHC Portal page which gives free access in the Center to premium Family History software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. We have 11 computers which access the portal (premium sites). We also have a room with additional counter space for laptop use with charging plugs and access to the Internet.

 We have minimal microfilm and microfiche access and readers. Family History Centers no longer order films. 
 * 1.1   19th Century British Library Newspapers
 * 1.2   Alexander Street Press - American Civil War
 * 1.3   American Ancestors
 * 1.4   Ancestry - Institution Version
 * 1.5   ArkivDigital
 * 1.6   FamNet
 * 1.7   Find My Past
 * 1.8   Fold3 - formerly Footnote
 * 1.9   Geneanet
 * 1.10 Kinpoint - Premium
 * 1.11 MyHeritage - Library Edition
 * 1.12 Newspapers.com
 * 1.13 Paper Trail
 * 1.14 Puzzilla - Premium Services  Family Search online and many other online genealogical databases