Fun Fact: Google Street View Your Ancestors!

Here's a fun trick: Look up your ancestors' addresses in their census records, and then enter that address into Google maps to check out the street view.

This works especially well in England where their "new" buildings are at least 100 years old :)

Here's the street where one of my ancestors lived in Birmingham, England.  Another fun thing the census can tell you is the occupation of your ancestor.  In this case, my ancestor was a saddler.  The occupation plus the street view gives you some fun insight into what their lives must've been like - and most of all, it makes them a little more real.