NGS Announces 2028 Family History Conference Location and Dates

NGS Chooses Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the 2028 Family History Conference

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) eagerly announces that it has selected the location for the 2028 NGS Family History Conference. Our event will be held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 17-20 May, at the Benton Convention Center. North Carolina offers a beautiful place to gather with remarkable opportunities for research. No matter your skill level or background, Winston-Salem will provide a unique learning experience and a community of people for connection and support. NGS looks forward to the role the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) will play in welcoming genealogists and family historians with help from the Forsyth County Genealogical Society (FCGS) in Winston-Salem. “We are thrilled to partner with NCGS and work alongside FCGS to bring our conference to such a compelling destination, and we appreciate the assistance from Visit Winston-Salem. With its deep history, importance in American migration, exceptional research collections, and rich cultural heritage, North Carolina offers countless ways to explore the people, places, and stories of the past,” said Matt Menashes, CAE, NGS executive director. The Great Wagon Road, which passed through what is now Winston-Salem, was the major highway of the day for settlers migrating from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other areas. North Carolina became a crossroads for migration: some people settled permanently, some remained for only a few years or generations, and others continued to the Deep South, the Midwest, and beyond. “NCGS is excited to be the local host for the NGS 2028 Family History Conference in Winston-Salem. North Carolina has a long history going back to indigenous peoples and the first European inland settlement in North America at Fort San Juan in 1567. If you have pre-Civil War U.S. ancestry, free or enslaved, there is a good possibility that they lived in or passed through North Carolina, whether you know it or not,” said David M. McCorkle, NCGS president. “Plus, our state is excellent for anyone researching ancestors with extensive and easily accessible public and private archives, and very few restrictions on record access.” What You Can Explore in Winston-Salem and North Carolina Many people live within an easy travel distance of Winston-Salem, and research resources give genealogists and family historians plenty of reasons to make a trip for the conference in 2028. Places and topics of interest include (but are not limited to):  Old Salem Historic District - The Old Salem Visitor Center, Moravian Archives, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, St. Philips African Moravian Church, and other sites preserve and share the stories of Moravian, Black, and Indigenous peoples and of the American South. Libraries and Institutions - Winston-Salem is home to the North Carolina Room at the Forsyth County Public Library, Bethabara Park, Reynolda Historic District, and Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library. In Raleigh, the State Archives of North Carolina keeps centralized archives of most original county records and all state records. The Library of North Carolina and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also provide great research opportunities. Religious History - Religious freedom was an attraction to those who settled in North Carolina. The Winston-Salem area offers the chance to explore the Moravians who founded Bethania in 1759. Other religious traditions represented in the state include Quakers, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians. Occupations and Industries - From textiles to tobacco, discover historical contexts for understanding ancestors’ lives and additional avenues for genealogical research. Save the Date and Get Excited An inviting destination, Winston-Salem combines the amenities of a larger urban area with the more accessible atmosphere of a smaller city. The Benton Convention Center is centrally located downtown within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, and shops. Check out Winston-Salem and get excited for this conference. History traveled through North Carolina. In 2028, genealogists will too. Plan to join us 17-20 May 2028 to learn, connect, explore, and perhaps uncover an unexpected North Carolina chapter in your own family story while in Winston-Salem. Look Forward to 2027 Don't miss out on the next conference. Watch for registration to open for the NGS 2027 Family History Conference, 19-22 May, in Madison, Wisconsin, later this year! Visit the Family History Conference Website

Images courtesy of Visit Winston-Salem