Paradise Valley Arizona Family History Center

''The Paradise Valley Family History Center is available to serve the community free of charge. The Center is open to the public and everyone is welcome.''

''We are located on the southeast corner of Shea Blvd and 36th Street. The entrance is found on the southeast corner of the building. Please see the yellow sign, pointing to the doorbell. Temple and Family History Consultants will be available for assistance. ''

Language: English

''Computers are free for public use in doing family history research through the familysearch.org portal. The familysearch.org portal offers online access to familysearch.org along with free access to many paid family history research websites. Microfilms and Microfiche may be rented from familysearch.org for a minimal fee and can be sent to our Center to be viewed for free on the Center's film machines on a first come, first served basis.''



Center Contacts and Hours

 * 3601 E Shea Blvd; Phoenix, AZ 85028 United States
 * Location Map

Phone: 602-953-8160 (center) or 480-363-5159 (Frank Harrison)

E-mail: AZ_ParadiseValley@familyhistorymail.org

Open Hours:

 * Wednesday 9 am - 12 pm
 * Thursday  9 am - 12 pm

Holiday Schedule
Closed major holidays and summer vacation

Photo Party Family Nights:
Individual and group appointments are available by appointment.

Bring your family photos and documents to the PV Family History Center and scan them directly to your FamilySearch.org family tree in one step through the Center's direct link. We will show you how to label, tag, and link your photos and documents to the people on your family tree.

Group Activities for 8 - 12 year olds:
Activites for Achievement Day Girls and Cub Scout Groups by appointment. Pick from one of the following three following activities:


 * Family Heritage Crests: Design and decorate "Shrinky Dink" family shield crests for a necklace charm or a neckerchief slide.
 * Heritage Game Day: Play a Family History Catch Phrase game and Family History Relay game.  Decorate Pioneer cookies.
 * Family Tree Mobiles: Make and decorate a hanging mobile of the people and animals in your family.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and many websites that generally charge for subscriptions. Use of these sites constitutes about $700 in savings per year!

Our Patron Resources
2 computer labs, 1 micofilm room, 1 classroom with 


 * 7 desktop computers with FamilySearch Center Portal Internet Access
 * 2 printers (One is also a scanner/copier which will connect directly to your familysearch.org account.) 
 * 3 microfilm machines
 * 1 microfiche reader
 * Internet Access with FREEaccess to Premium Online Portal websites, including Ancestry.com, Find My Past, My HeritageLibraryEdition.com, Newspaperacrchive.com, DigitalNewspapers.org, Fold3.com and much more.
 * Temple and Family History Consultant volunteers to assist you.

Planning a Successful Visit
''If you are planning a visit to our center to begin your genealogy, write down and bring what you know about the family you wish to research such as their names, dates, and places. Decide on one research goal for each visit. Come early for a microfilm machine. ''

Resources in the Local Area
Mesa FamilySearch Library Website: Mesarfhc.org

Arizona Births and Deaths Online: Genealogy.az.gov

Other Links
FamilySearch: Familysearch.org

Family History Research Wiki: Familysearch.org Wiki

Family History Centers Location Finder:' Familysearch.org/locations '

The Family History Guild will give you tutorials in using Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage. and Find My Past. A great way to get started. thefhguide.com Online Genealogy Records by Location
 * Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.