Salem Ancestry Days is This Weekend

Salem Ancestry Days set for April 29 – May 2, 2022

Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate their ancestral and immigrant connections to Salem, Massachusetts during the second annual Salem Ancestry Days celebration, which will be held April 29 through May 2, 2022. The weekend will feature lectures, tours, research opportunities, and information on the people who connect us all to Salem.

For centuries, Salem has been a destination for emigrants, immigrants, and travelers. The community is a landing point and a starting point for families who are starting their American journey or changing their family’s trajectory. Through collaboration with the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, Essex National Heritage Commission, American Ancestors by New England Historic Genealogical Society, and the City of Salem, the Ancestry Days celebration intends to be a gathering point for descendants of Salem’s families as well as a research opportunity for people who want to learn more about their family history.

On Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the first-ever Salem Ancestry Days Exhibitor Fair will take place on the second floor of Old Town Hall. The exhibitors, including American Ancestors by New England Historic Genealogical Society, Salem Historical Society, and Essex Society of Genealogists, will feature items relating to genealogy, the immigrant experience, and Salem history.

This year’s festival is set to include a mix of in-person and virtual events, pre-recorded and live lectures on local history and how to begin to research your own ancestry, guided walking tours, and more. Participating organizations will be identified with Salem Ancestry signs. Events are listed below and on SalemAncestry.org:

Friday, April 29

Chat with a Genealogist
Grand Army of the Republic Hall & Museum: Open House (Lynn)
Ancestry Weekend at Witch Pix
Salem Witch Trials Ancestors & Descendants
Exhibit: Let None Be Excluded: The Origins of Equal School Rights in Salem
Live Tour of PEM’s Let None Be Excluded Exhibition
The Photo Detective Road Show (Virtual)
Tour of Historic St. Peter’s Church
Researching Black Ancestry in Essex County: Resources & Methods (Virtual)

Saturday, April 30

Friends of the Broad Street Cemetery – Cemetery Tour
Chat with a Genealogist
Grand Army of the Republic Hall & Museum: Open House & Film (Lynn)
Become a Family History Detective
Exhibitor Fair, Old Town Hall
Exhibit: Let None Be Excluded: The Origins of Equal School Rights in Salem
Genealogy and Deeds: What Land Records Can Tell Your About Your History
Ancestry Weekend at Witch Pix
Salem Witch Trials Ancestors & Descendants
Tour of Historic St. Peter’s Church
If These Stones Could Speak
Salem With the Daniels Family, 17th Century
Connecting Salem Arts Association to the History of Our Derby Street Location
The Irish Experience at Phillips House
Tabernacle Congregational Church Open House
Getting Started in Family History: A Genealogy 101 Talk Presented by American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society

Sunday, May 1

Friends of the Broad Street Cemetery – Cemetery Tour
Become a Family History Detective
Exhibitor Fair at Old Town Hall
Exhibit: Let None Be Excluded: The Origins of Equal School Rights in Salem
Genealogy and Deeds: What Land Records Can Tell Your About Your History
Ancestry Weekend at Witch Pix
Salem Witch Trials Ancestors & Descendants
Ancestor Stories: Authors Discuss their Family Connections to the Salem Witch Trials (Virtual!)
Salem with the Silsbee Family, Salem’s Maritime Age
Connecting Salem Arts Association to the History of Our Derby Street Location
Tabernacle Congregational Church Open House
Getting Started in Family History: A Genealogy 101 Talk Presented by American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society
A Genealogy 101 Talk Presented by American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society
“The White Family: Love, Ambition, and Sorrow” Walking Tour

Monday, May 2

Artifacts Illuminating Ancestors
Ancestry Weekend at Witch Pix
The Struggle for Soviet Jewry and the Making of a Local Emigre Community

The Salem Ancestry Days website includes event information as well as resources to help people research their family connections to Salem, and information on some of Salem’s significant families. Learn more at SalemAncestry.org and click here for a printable PDF of a map of event locations.

About Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a destination recognized around the world for its rich history, which includes the tragic Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the glorious maritime era that left its indelible mark on Salem through architecture, museums, and artifacts, and for its month-long celebration of Halloween. Today, an estimated 1.8 million people visit Salem annually, generating nearly $140 million in tourism spending and supporting 1,000 jobs.

About Destination Salem

As the destination marketing organization for the City of Salem, Destination Salem cooperatively markets Salem as one of Massachusetts’ best destinations for families, couples, domestic, and international travelers who are seeking an authentic New England experience, cultural enrichment, American history, fine dining, unique shopping and fun. For more information, visit Salem.org.

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