Since 2017, New England Historic Genealogical Society has been an active participant in the city of Boston’s Open Newbury program. Held three Sundays in July, August, and September, the busy thoroughfare of Newbury Street is closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a festive promenade featuring local musicians, food trucks, sidewalk sales, and more. Attracting students, families, tourists, and Bostonians alike, each event brings thousands of visitors to our tent outside 99-101 Newbury Street and affords us an incredible opportunity to engage a different audience and inspire a new generation of family historians. Our most popular activity has been our Map of Ancestors in which individuals are encouraged to place a pin on a map to show their ancestral homelands. The enthusiasm, pleasure, and pride from participants is palpable and demonstrates a shared, human interest in the past, family, and heritage.
