This Vault In Utah Holds The World's Largest Collection Of Genealogical Records
By Courtnie Erickson|Published February 28, 2023
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Courtnie Erickson
Author
From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.
There are secrets, documents, and even recipes that businesses, organizations, and other entities keep locked up and protected. We would even bet that you likely have an object of some kind that you lock up like important paperwork, money, jewelry, or even a family heirloom. In the mountains near Salt Lake City is one of the most secure vaults in the world — the Granite Mountain Records Vault — and what it holds is absolutely priceless.
The Granite Mountain Record Vault is tucked away in Little Cottonwood Canyon. This massive vault in Utah is home to the world’s largest collection of genealogical records.
The vault is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is one of the most secure vaults in the world. While you cannot visit this vault in person, it is still fun to learn all about this remarkable feature in Utah’s mountains.
There are very few images of this vault, not for secrecy but to ensure the security and protection of the documents kept inside. The vault has extensive measures in place to protect all items from fires, earthquakes, disasters, and even intruders. The vault also preserves documents and other items by maintaining a constant temperature and humidity percentage.
The vault was created in 1965 to preserve the many priceless documents of the church including its massive family history collection. The vault is located approximately 600 feet in the mountain.
Inside this massive vault, there are more than 3.5 billion images that are found on microfilm, microfiche, and digital media. The Church is currently working to digitize many of these images and other documents to make them accessible on FamilySearch.
While you may not be able to step inside this vault in Utah and see what’s inside, it’s remarkable knowing a location containing such a massive and important collection is located within the Beehive State.
Do you want to learn even more fun facts about Utah and some of our state’s interesting history? Check out our collection of articles that will make you appreciate the Beehive State even more.
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