To celebrate your Irish roots without leaving these shores, start here:

Boston
Boston Irish Famine Memorial Bronze statues salute the 4 million Irish who died or left home during the Great Famine. Washington and School streets, Boston, MA 02111

John F. Kennedy Library
Stunning I.M. Pei-designed building approaches the Kennedy legacy from many points of view. Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125; (617) 929-4500

New England Historic Genealogical Society
For a $10 daily fee, you can sift through 150,000 volumes and 10,000 rolls of microfilm records. The group also sponsors regular getting-started in genealogy courses. 101 Newbury St. Boston, MA 02116; (617) 536-5740

John F. Kennedy National Historic Site
See JFK's birthplace in Brookline, Mass., and get more perspective on the complicated lives of Rose and Joe Kennedy and their nine children. 83 Beals St., Brookline, MA 02446; (617) 566-7937

Chicago
Irish American Heritage Center
Besides housing a pub and a theater, the center's collection includes a copy of the Book of Kells and a tapestry created by Yeats' sister, Lily. 4626 N Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630; (773) 282-7035

Threads of Ireland Tour
Spring and summer half-day bus tours by the Chicago Office of Tourism wind through Bridgeport, the Gold Coast and Old St. Patrick's Church. (312) 742-1190

St. Patrick's Day Parades
The mega-parade, for which the Chicago River gets dyed green, winds downtown on March 17. The "alternative" South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade is the Sunday before St. Pat's, along Western Avenue between 103rd and 113th streets.

New York
American Irish Historical Society
Century-old group that keeps track of the Irish chapters in American history. 991 5th Ave., New York, NY 10028; (212) 288-2263

Irish Repertory Theatre
Two stages in a Chelsea building feature the works of Irish and Irish-American playwrights. 132 W 22nd St., New York, NY 10011; (212) 727-2737

Emerald Isle Immigration Center of New York
Non-profit center that helps Irish immigrants transition to life in the United States. Queens Office: 59-26 Woodside Ave., Woodside, NY 11377; (718) 478-5502. Bronx Office: 280 East 236th St, Bronx, NY 10470; (718) 324-3039

St. Patrick's Day Parade
It's grand. No matter the weather, it begins March 17 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, heads north to 86th Street.

For more on tracing and celebrating your Irish heritage, see the premiere issue of Family Tree Magazine.