Researching in Dallas County

Special Interest Groups & Education Classes

If you are traveling far to do research in Dallas County, we want your trip to be enjoyable as well as successful. Below are links to popular local attractions, as well as websites that can help you find a hotel near your research destination.

We hope that while you are here, you will take advantage of the opportunities to visit DGS by attending some of its regular activities and events. Special interest groups meet--usually on Saturdays, but also during the week. Wander through the webpages for the SIGs (buttons on the right) and for the Special Events (on the left). Currently, all our events are held at the J. Erik Jonsson Library, 1515 Young St., Dallas, TX 75201.

Local Research Attractions

Dallas Public Library is the Star of the South for genealogy. The Central Library (J. Erik Jonsson Library) has multiple floors of books, map, and microfilm. Enough to keep you coming back for years. The following is a partial description of what you can find there.

Genealogy Section (8th Floor). The holdings include more than 103,000 publications and more microfilm holdings than many state archives. One of the top 10 genealogy libraries in the U.S. according to Family Tree Magazine. Library staff is among the most knowledgeable you'll find anywhere, including Lloyd Bockstruck, FNGS.

Texas and Dallas History & Archives (7th Floor) is the official repository for Dallas County Records. It also has old maps of Texas, city directories, newspapers, high school annuals, church records, funeral records, and more.

History & Social Sciences Section (8th Floor) has books related to the history of Dallas and Texas, as well as the rest of the world.

City of Dallas Visitors Webpage gives great information to new visitors to Dallas.

Dallas Historical Society, located at historical Fair Park near downtown Dallas, it has continuing programs on the history of Dallas. This is a good place to search for maps, manuscripts, and other research aids.

A little known gem of a genealogy library is maintained by the Jane Douglas Chapter of DAR. Located at Fair Park. You can combine a trip to this library with the visit to the Dallas Historical Society.

A 40-minute drive north along I-35 from downtown Dallas will take you to the University of North Texas. The UNT Library System is designated a major research library by the U.S. Department of Education. Of interest to genealogists, within its holdings, there are newspapers on microfilm that date to 1702. In addition to newspapers published throughout the United States, they have newspapers from the following countries: Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, China, India, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Peru, Egypt, Germany, and Russia. UNT library was selected in April 2008 to be the official repository for the holdings of the Texas State Historical Association.

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Hotels

www.Hotels.com

Enter "1515 Young St, Dallas, Texas " to find hotels close to the Dallas Public Library.

Enter "509 Main St. Dallas, Texas 75202" to locate hotels close to Dallas County Records Building.

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Restaurants

Dallas has a Texas tradition towards food. You won't go hungry.

Fine restaurants abound in Dallas. Dallas is ethnically a diverse city with, perhaps, hundreds of restaurants that feature ethnic fare. Thus, it is difficult to choose just a few to recommend. Call ahead to the research facility; ask about eating establishments within walking distance of that facility.

If you are just looking for fun places to try...well, trendy Deep Ellum near downtown Dallas offers great food and awesome atmosphere. It is a revitalized area of Dallas so if the old streets concern you, go north.

Several gourmet restaurants are located on the north side of downtown Dallas, along or near McKinney Ave. A pricy district.

Still traveling north, Addison (an "intraburb" of Dallas) is widely known for its restaurants, some franchises, some locally owned. However, you will need your car to get to them from downtown Dallas.

Fast food and franchise restaurants are everywhere. The J. Erik Jonsson Library has three eateries across the street from it. And, if you don't mind a good walk, you'll find even more places to eat on Main and Commerce Streets.

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Other Attractions in/around Dallas