Boston Passenger Lists Quick Guide 1820-1963

by Joe Beine


Boston, Massachusetts Passenger Lists 1820-1963 : Finding Boston Immigration Records

This page lists research material for locating Boston, Massachusetts passenger arrival records from 1820-1963. Included are online records and indexes, and microfilmed records and indexes.

Boston Passenger Lists and Indexes Online
  • Boston Passenger Lists at Ancestry (fee-based):
    • Boston Passenger Lists Online Database, 1820-1963 (index and images) (with gaps); requires payment - part of an Ancestry subscription; includes digitized images of the passenger lists from the microfilm
      • Note: 1855-1856 and April 1874-1882 are missing from this database. For those years try the online Massachusetts State lists and indexes listed below.
      • This database includes some airplane arrivals in the later years -- see the list in the microfilm section below.
  • Boston Passenger Lists at FamilySearch (free with registration):
    • Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 (with gaps); includes digitized images from NARA microfilm publication M277: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1820-1891. Covers Sept. 22, 1820 to July 29, 1891. There are gaps in these records for 1855-1856 and April 1874-1882. For those time periods, see the Massachusetts State Lists index below.
    • Boston Passenger Lists, 1891-1943 includes digitized images from NARA microfilm publication T843: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943. Covers Aug. 1, 1891 to 1943.
  • Alternate Resources:
    • Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940 at FamilySearch (free with registration) includes these there indexes:
      • Book Indexes to Boston Passenger Lists, 1899-1940; from National Archives (NARA) microfilm publication T790
      • Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, July 1, 1906-Dec. 31, 1920; from NARA microfilm publication T617
      • Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, January 1, 1902-June 30, 1906; from NARA microfilm publication T521
    • Massachusetts, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1921-1949 at FamilySearch (free with registration) from NARA microfilm publication A3453

Boston Passenger Lists and Indexes on Microfilm

Microfilm Passenger Lists:
  • Microfilm Information: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, MA; 1820 to July 29, 1891 National Archives Publication M277.
  • Microfilm Information: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, MA; August 1, 1891 to 1943 National Archives Publication T843.
  • Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1917-1943. National Archives Microfilm Publication T938.
  • Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, January 1944 - November 1954. National Archives Microfilm Publication A3604.
  • Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, February 1945 - November 1954. National Archives Microfilm Publication A3607.
  • Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels and Airplanes Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1954-1963. National Archives Microfilm Publication A3606.
  • Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1957-1963. National Archives Microfilm Publication A3608.
  • The above seven microfilm publications have been digitized and are included in Ancestry's "Boston Passenger Lists Online Database 1820-1963." See the first link listed near the top of this webpage.
  • The first two microfilm publications listed above have been digitized by FamilySearch. See the FamilySearch section above.
Microfilm Indexes:



US Ports of Arrival and Their Available Passenger Lists 1820-1957

Finding Passenger Lists 1820-1940s (arrivals at US Ports)




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