Are you currently an Illinois resident with a burning desire to understand your own past a bit better? There is absolutely no better place to get started on a family tree search than among the Illinois family history centers situated throughout the state! The offices are managed by the Illinois LDS Family Search and are regarded as branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. However, most of the establishments are accessible to the public & offer free resources, such as print materials, microfilm and computer research. Wherever your groundwork for your family tree starts, you will find the facts you will need at an Illinois family history center close to you.
If you have any questions or comments about family history centers, please send a message to contact@ldsfamilysearch.net.
Buffalo Grove Family History Center
3075 N. Buffalo Grove Road
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
(847) 913-5387
Wed-Thurs 10am-2pm & 6:30pm-9pm, Sat 10am-2pm
We regularly close the first Saturday in April, the first Saturday in October, Thanksgiving week and between the Christmas and New Year holidays. We are also closed for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In case of severe weather or to confirm that we are open, please phone ahead
Centralia Family History Center
Calament & Airport Rd
Centralia, Illinois 32801
(619) 532-3482
Tue 10AM-1PM, Th 10AM-4PM, 7PM-9PM, Sat 10AM-2PM
Champaign Family History Center
604 W Windsor Rd
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 352-8063
W,Th 9:30am-2pm, 7pm-9pm; Fri 9:30am-12:30pm, Sat. 9:30am.-2pm
Chicago Heights Family History Center
402 Longwood Dr
Chicago Heights, Illinois 60422
(708) 756-1280
Tues-Thurs, Sat., closed August
Decatur Illinois Family History Center
3955 Lourdes Ln
Decatur, Illinois 62526
(217) 875-9396
Tue 10AM-3PM, Thu 6PM-9PM, Sat 10AM-3PM, Sun 6PM-9PM (members only)
Alton Illinois Family History Center
6500 Humbert Rd
Godfrey, Illinois 62035
(618) 466-8179
Tue 10 am-2pm & 6pm-9pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Jacksonville Illinois Family History Center
1053 E Vandalia Rd
Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
(000) 245-8113
Tue & Wed 6p-9p
Litchfield Illinois Family History Center
12368 Roberson
Litchfield, Illinois 62056
(217) 324-2396
Tue 10AM-4PM, 6PM-9PM, Thu 10AM-4PM, Sat 10AM-4PM
Macomb Family History Center
2000 W Adams
Macomb, Illinois 61455
(309) 836-3201
1st and 3rd Wed 7-9pm (as of 12/1996)
Notes: small facility
Naperville Family History Center
1320 Ridgeland Ave
Naperville, Illinois 60563
(630) 505-0233
Tues-Thur 9-9; Fri-Sat 9-4
Notes: http://www.spingola.com/fhc.html
Peoria Illinois Family History Center
3700 W Reservoir Blvd
Peoria, Illinois 61615
(309) 682-4073
Tue & Thur, 9am-4pm & 6pm-9,am; Sat, 9am-1pm
Notes: Director, Charles Rogers
Quincy Illinois Family History Center
210 Cardinal Terrace
Quincy, Illinois 62301
(217) 224-2739
Tue 6-9p Wed 9-12a; 6-9p Thu 6-9p Sat 9-12a
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
620 N Alpine Rd
Rockford, Illiinois 61107
(815) 399-2660
Mon 1-4 PM, Tues and Thurs 6:30-9:30 PM, Wed and Fri 10 AM-4 PM, Sat 9 AM-1PM
Schaumburg Illinois Stake Center
1320 W Schaumburg
Schaumburg, Illinois 60193
(847) 885-4130
Tue,Wed,9a-4p-,7-930pm,Thu 9am-930pm,Sat 9am-4pm
Springfield IL Family History Center
3601 Buckeye Dr
Springfield, Illinois 62707
(217) 529-7930
Tue 6PM-9PM, Wed 9AM-3PM, 6PM-9PM, Sat 9AM-3PM, Sun 6AM-8PM (members only)
Sterling Illinois Family History Center
2709 16th Ave
Sterling, Illinois 61081
(815) 625-1229
Tues and Thurs 2:30-8:30 PM, Sat 10 AM-4 PM
Foxcroft FHC
177947 Rte 37 S
West Frankfort, Illinois 62896
(618) 937-4755
Tues & Thurs 9A-2P and Wed 6:30P-8:30P
Wilmette FHC
2801 Lake Ave
Wilmette, Illinois 60091
(847) 251-9818
Tue, Wed, Thur 10AM-3PM, 6:30PM-9:30PM, Sat 9AM-1PM
Notes: East of I94, a good helpful place where patrons give info also.
Illinois Genealogy Resources
Every time you talk about Illinois, Chicago is usually the first thing that comes to thought. Chicago’s history is rich. Home to the Prohibition Era’s most infamous gangster, Al “Scarface” Capone, & “Great Fire” in 1871, along with modern-day history makers–the six-time NBA world champion Chicago Bulls, as well as the iconic “Oprah Winfrey Show,”–it’s no surprise that this fantastic city gets most of the attention. However, Illinois has a much deeper history that goes back to when nomadic Paleo-Indians (it’s original name was Illiniwek) & their descendants researched the area–long before the very first Europeans, Frenchman Jacques Marquette & Louis Jolliet came in 1673. In 1717, the region grew to be part of French Louisiana, yet England received the territory from France in 1763 & Virginia began to take control in 1778. Illinois was initially folded into the Indiana territory in 1800, & attained US Territory status in 1809 before becoming recognized to statehood in 1818. Three U.S. presidents–Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Ronald Reagan–all hailed from Illinois. The genealogical curriculum vitae for this “Prairie State” is equally as impressive. Statewide registration of births & deaths started in 1916, yet Illinois legislation required counties to document important documents starting in 1877. Marriage documents are organized at the county level. If you’re monitoring your own forefathers in the “Land of Lincoln” you’ll discover a multitude of family history resources in the state’s numerous libraries & world-class online databases.
Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
605 W. Jefferson St.
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
217-782-6553
Website
Illinois Bureau of Tourism
620 E. Adams St., 4th Floor
Springfield, IL 62701
(800) 406-6418
Website
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 567-8500
Website
NARA Great Lakes Region
7358 Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629
(773) 581-7816
Website
Illinois State Historical Society
P.O. Box 1800
Springfield, IL 62705
217-525-2783
Website
Illinois State Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 10195
Springfield, IL 62791-0195
(217) 789-1968
Website
Illinois State Archive
Norton Building
Capitol Complex
Springfield, Illinois 62756
217-782-4682
Website
Illinois State Library
Gwendolyn Brooks Building
300 South 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62701-1796
217-785-5600
Website
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
30 Ramey St.
Collinsville, IL 62234
(618) 346-5160
Website
Augustana College Special Collections
639 38th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201
309-794-7206
Website
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
312-642-4600
Website
The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312-943-9090
Website
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
321 Bonnie Lane
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-690-9410
Website
Danville Public Library Archives
319 N. Vermilion St.
Danville, IL 61832
217-477-5228
Website
Curt Teich Postcard Archives
27277 N Forest Preserve Rd
Wauconda, IL 60084
847-968-3381
Website
Chicago Jewish Archives
610 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
312-322-1700
Website
Chicago Public Library Harsh Research Collection
9525 S. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60628
312-747-6900
Website
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
112 N. Sixth Street
Springfield, IL 62701
800-610-2094
Website
Fort de Chartres
RR 2
Prairie du Rocher, IL 62277
(618) 284-7230
Website
Augustana College Swenson Swedish Immigration Center
639 38th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201-2296
309-794-7204
Website
Lewis and Clark State Historic Site
1 Lewis and Clark Trail
Hartford, IL 62048
(618) 251-5811
Website
Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Springfield, IL 62702
(217) 782-2717
Website
Naper Settlement
523 S. Webster St.
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 420-6010
Website
The Ronald Reagan Trail
The Ronald Reagan Trail
Henry, IL 61537
(309) 364-3289
Website
Ulysses S. Grant Home
500 Bouthillier St.
Galena, IL 61036
(815) 777-3310
Website
Vandalia Old State Capitol
315 W. Gallatin St.
Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-1161
Website
Illinois Genealogy Websites
Federal Township Land Plats of Illinois, 1804-1891
Genealogy in the Illinois State Archives
Illinois Genealogy on Geneasearch