NARA holds thousands of records useful for genealogists, such as census records from 1790 to 1920, immigration records from 1820 to 1957 and naturalization records . NARA also has special collections for African Americans and Native Americans. For a complete listing of resources, see NARA's Genealogy Page . While NARA's main holdings are in Washington, D.C., the 13 regional facilities also have microfilms. Use the Microfilm Publication Search to locate the microfilms you are interested in.
Regional offices are in major cities such as Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and New York City.
First-time visitors may want to read Beginning Your Genealogical Research . This guide features common sense tips, a bibliography of research books and highlights of NARA's records. NARA educates the public through workshops and courses. Topics include an introduction to genealogy and how to research census schedules, military service records and passenger lists. Call the regional facilities for additional genealogy programs.