The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is May 2026)
Practical solutions for real genealogy research problems. Explore the new Field Guides
The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.
There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.
As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit.
Types of Information Available in Digital Archives
- Scrapbooks
- Diaries
- Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
- Letters
- Oral Histories
- Maps
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- Corporate Collections
- Local Community and County Histories
- Photographs and Postcards
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Government Publications and Documents
- And yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes
The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below:
Maryland Historical Archives
- Access Genealogy – Maryland
- Allegany County Library System
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Maryland
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Annapolis Maritime Museum Archives
- Anne Arundel County Public Library
- Archives of Maryland Online
- B&O Railroad Museum Archives
- Baltimore City Archives
- Bowie State University Archives & Special Collections
- Chronicling America – Maryland
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
- College of Notre Dame of Maryland Digital Collections
- Cyndi’s List – Maryland
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Maryland
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Maryland
- Digital Public Library of America – Maryland
- Dorchester County Central Public Library
- Enoch Pratt Free Library
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Maryland Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Maryland
- FindAGrave
- Frederick County Artz Public Library
- Frostburg State University Digital Collections
- Genealogical Society of Allegany County
- Genealogy Trails – Maryland
- Google Books – Maryland
- Goucher College Digital Collections
- Harford County Public Library
- HathiTrust – Maryland
- Hood College Digital Collections
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Interment.net – Maryland
- Internet Archive – Maryland
- Jewish Museum of Maryland – Collections & Archives
- Johns Hopkins University – Digital Collections
- Johns Hopkins University Special Collections
- Kent County, Chesapeake Heartland Digital Archive
- LDS Genealogy – Maryland
- Library of Congress – Maryland Local History Guide
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Linkpendium – Maryland
- Loyola University of Maryland Digital Collections
- Maryland Center for History and Culture
- Maryland Center for History and Culture – Collections
- Maryland Department of Health – Vital Records
- Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage
- Maryland Genealogical Society
- Maryland Historical Society
- Maryland Historical Trust Library
- Maryland Institute, College of Art Digital Collections
- Maryland Public Libraries – SAILOR
- Maryland State Archives
- Maryland State Archives
- Maryland State Archives – Guide to Government Records
- Maryland State Archives Online Exhibits
- Maryland State Law Library
- Maryland State Library Agency
- Maryland State Library Genealogy Resource Center
- McDaniel College Digital Collections
- Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society
- Morgan State University Digital Collections
- Mount Saint Mary’s College Digital Collections
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at College Park
- National Archives at Philadelphia
- National Archives I
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Maryland
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Patriot and Grave Registry
- Prince George’s County Genealogical Society
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives
- Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County
- Salisbury University Digital Collections
- Salisbury University Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture
- Sanborn Maps – Maryland
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- St John’s College-Annapolis Digital Collections
- St Mary’s College of Maryland Digital Collections
- St. Mary’s County Library
- Talbot County Free Library
- The Official Land Records Site
- Towson University Digital Collections
- United States Naval Academy Digital Collections
- United States Social Security Death Index
- University of Baltimore Digital Collections
- University of Maryland – Baltimore County Digital Collections
- University of Maryland – Baltimore Digital Collections
- University of Maryland – College Park Digital Collections
- University of Maryland – Eastern Shore Digital Collections
- University of Maryland Libraries – Special Collections & University Archives
- US GenWeb – Maryland
- US GenWeb Archives – Maryland
- Washington College Digital Collections
- Washington County Free Library
- Washington National Records Center
- WHILBR: Western Maryland’s Historical Library
- Worcester County Library