Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: Comprehensive materials for anyone interested in their family history.

Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania: Great for local genealogy. Some resources are for subscribers only.

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia: Dedicated to Jewish genealogical research.

Library of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: One of the best places in the Philadelphia area for genealogical research.

National Archives - Mid-Atlantic Branch: This center provides access to a host of Federal records such as military pension data.

Pennsylvania Department of Vital Records: Get access to birth, marriage and death records.

Pennsylvania State Archives: Research center for Pennsylvania history.

The Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center: Contains Catholic marriage and baptismal registers before the year 1900. Other resources include Catholic newspapers, parish histories and manuscripts published mainly between 1840 and 1910.

Philadelphia City Archives: Provides access to city documents dating back to the founding of the city in 1683.

Philadelphia Department of Records: This department provides access to city records such as property information and police and fire reports.

Philadelphia Orphans court: This is the caretaker of Philadelphia orphan information. They also maintain marriage licenses dating back to October 1885.

Temple University's Urban Archives: A great source for local history. Among their many resources, they have the old Philadelphia Bulletin fully indexed.