"HISTORICAL COLOR PHOTO OF FERRY BUILDING AND FERRY SLIP, LOOKING W." by U.S. National Park Service , public domain
Ellis Island - Part of Statue of Liberty
National Monument - NJ,NY
Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor that contains a museum and former immigration inspection station. As the United States' busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954, it processed approximately 12 million immigrants to the country through the Port of New York and New Jersey. Today, it is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, accessible to the public only by ferry. The north side of the island hosts the museum of immigration while the south side, including the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is only open to the public through guided tours.
Brochure of World Heritage Sites in the United States. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
https://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island
Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor that contains a museum and former immigration inspection station. As the United States' busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954, it processed approximately 12 million immigrants to the country through the Port of New York and New Jersey. Today, it is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, accessible to the public only by ferry. The north side of the island hosts the museum of immigration while the south side, including the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is only open to the public through guided tours.
Millions of Americans and people around the world have ancestors who came through Ellis Island. The Main Immigration Building was the epicenter of one of the greatest migrations in modern history. Today, Ellis Island is a memorial to all who pursued the American dream and have made this nation their adopted home.
Ellis Island is located in New York Harbor and can only be reached by ferry. Ferries are operated by Statue City Cruises and depart from The Battery in New York City or from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ.
Ellis Island Information Desk
The Ellis Island Information Desk provides general information, including the schedule of ranger-guided tours, special program, and film times. A ranger or volunteer is available to answer questions and provide information about the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration and make recommendations for your visit. The park brochure, Passport To Your National Parks (R) cancellation stamp, and the ferry departure schedule are also located at the information desk.
The Ellis Island Information Desk is within the main building on Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. After entering the building, the Information Desk is located on the left, on the first floor near the bookstore.
Ellis Island Museum of Immigration
Beaux-Arts brick and limestone building with large arched windows and cupola-topped towers.
Over 12 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island during the peak years of 1892-1924, most through this building which opened in 1900.
Ellis Island's Registry Room
Great Hall has terra cotta-colored tile floor, a balcony, large arched windows, and vaulted ceiling
The Registry Room, also known as the Great Hall, is where millions of immigrants were inspected. They were required to pass both a medical and legal inspection before being allowed to enter the United States.
Ellis Island Museum of Immigration
Brick and limestone building with maroon canopy leading to entrance.
Visitors to the museum today arrive by ferry, just like immigrants did a century ago.
Replica Inspection Desk in the Registry Room
Honey oak colored tall desk on tiled floor in Great Hall with arched windows and vaulted ceiling.
Inspectors at Ellis Island would conduct the legal examination from behind desks like these a century ago.
Bird's Eye View of Ellis Island
Artificially-expanded largely rectangular island with straight seawalls and large buildings.
Ellis Island was expanded from just a couple acres to over 30 to make room for a large immigration processing station, that included a state of the art hospital complex.
A Slice of History: Pizza in America
The National Park Service and Evelyn Hill Inc., the food service concessionaire at the Statue of Liberty since 1931 and Ellis Island since 2009, have cooked up a way to celebrate Pizza. We’ve invited five purveyors of one of America’s favorite foods to share their crusty craftsmanship and their founder's immigration stories with a temporary exhibit in the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Person dressed as a pizza slice with pizza fans
Tribeca and NPS Announce Winners of "The America I Am" National Youth Film Competition at Red Carpet Premiere on Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty NM and Ellis Island, NY – Drawn from hundreds of submissions by students from across the nation, five short films received a red carpet premiere on Ellis Island during the opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival®. The winners of the America I Am national student film competition were announced in the Great Hall of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Young men and women pose for photograph.
Young Scholars Explore Caribbean American Heritage for Black History Month on Ellis Island
In partnership with the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) Young Scholars Program, rangers at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration provided fourth and fifth-grade students with a hands-on opportunity to make connections with their heritage by conducting primary research exercise.
An African American male ranger interacts with a young black student.
US Mint Joins NPS on "Island of Hope" to Release Newest Quarter
Ellis Island, NJ – The United States Mint and the National Park Service today launched the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program New Jersey quarter honoring Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants seeking new opportunities and experiences in America.
2017 America the Beautiful quarter showing an adult man and woman and a young boy.
Groundswell Mural Project Ellis Island
Ellis Island National Monument reaches new audiences of immigrant youth and encourages them to think like a historian with the Groundswell mural project
A mural of a boy sharing his heart.
Domestic Sabotage: The Explosion at Black Tom Island
In the early morning hours of July 30, 1916, a munitions depot located on Black Tom Island, in Jersey City, NJ, was deliberately sabotaged to prevent supplies from being delivered to Britain and France during World War I. Although this is the closest some would come to combat during the war, the attack rattled at America’s golden door.
Pile of rubble with a man standing next to it and Statue of Liberty in the background
Immigration and the Great War
The First World War brought an end to one of the biggest periods of immigration in American history. During the decade leading up to the war, an average of 1 million immigrants per year arrived in the United States, with about three-quarters of them entering through the Ellis Island immigration station in New York Harbor. By 1918, a trickle of only 110,618 people were arriving in the United States.
Poster of immigrants in front of Statue of Liberty,
Closing the Door on Immigration
US participation in World War I fanned the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment, despite the fact that many immigrants served with distinction in the US military.
Line drawing of Uncle Sam with a funnel narrowing immigrants coming from Europe
The War in Popular Music: Irving Berlin
One of Ellis Island’s most famous immigrants provided the soundtrack to America’s participation in the First World War. Irving Berlin, a popular songwriter, produced patriotic popular music to inspire soldiers and to divert those who needed a break from wartime concerns.
Photographic portrait of a young soldier, Irving Berlin, in a WWI uniform
11 Ways National Parks Influenced World War I (and vice versa)
Uncover the hidden history of World War I in the national parks!
A Renault tank and infantry move through a field
9-11 Day of Service at Ellis Island
As the ferry bringing visitors to Ellis Island pulled into the dock it quickly became clear that this boat was not carrying the usual complement of tourists. About a hundred passengers all clad in blue tee shirts seemed to disembark with an unusual sense of purpose. They all looked as if they were on a mission. They were.
Four people use pitchforks to spread mulch.
A Trip Back In Time - Ellis Island In A Virtual Time Machine
Ellis Island, NY – It took two years to develop, and the results have head(sets) spinning in the Great Hall of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Using historical photographs, measured drawings, studies, oral histories and other historical research materials from National Park Service archives, students from the Bergen County Academies re-created the Registry Room or Great Hall in a simulated Virtual Reality program for VR Headsets.
Young man wearing virtual reality goggles.
September 11, 2001, NPS Oral History Project
This oral history project recorded the memories and perspectives of NPS staff who experienced the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Transcripts and a 2004 report about the NPS response are available online.
A petinad hand holds a flame aloft in the air.
Diane Harris Dayson
Diane Harris was initially reluctant to pursue a Park Service career. However, she soon found that national parks were "in her blood". Her 26-year career saw her rise from clerk to superintendent at one of our most iconic national monuments.
Diane Dayson wearing the NPS uniform with badge and ranger flat hat.
50 Nifty Finds #11: Carving a Place in NPS History
Few employees have left as visible a mark on National Park Service (NPS) exhibits as John A. Segeren. His work has been enjoyed by generations of park visitors who never knew his name but appreciated his intricate wood carvings and playful animal figures displayed in parks throughout the system. A master woodcarver described by former President Lyndon B. Johnson as "a legacy to this country," Segeren carved out his own place in NPS history.
Round wooden plaque with bison, globe, and waterfall
Staff Spotlight: Elizabeth LaRochelle
Meet Elizabeth Larochelle, a Volunteer Program Coordinator with the National Parks of New York Harbor!
Woman holding up a cutout
Ellis Island Virtual Tour
The U.S. Immigration Station at Ellis Island was established in 1892. It was the most prominent federal immigration facility. After a fire destroyed the original wood buildings in 1897, Ellis Island was expanded and improved. A series of landfill projects added land. New monumental buildings, including two major hospital complexes, were built. Explore Ellis Island via HDP’s virtual tour, point clouds, animations, and archival HABS documentation.
Greyscale photo of ferry boat docked in front of large stone building with cupolas
Statue of Liberty
and Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
National M o n u m e n t
N e w Jersey/ N e w York
Planning Your Visit
The Statue of Liberty
and Ellis Island are open
daily except December
25. For hours, call 212363-3200 or visit w w w .
nps.gov/stli.
You can reach Liberty Island and Ellis Island only
by Statue Cruises, LLC;
call 1-877-LADYTIXor
visit www.statuecruises.
com. Advance purchase
is recommended. Ferries
depart from Battery Park
in Lower Manhattan or
Liberty State Park in New
Jersey, exit 14B from
New Jersey Turnpike.
E
N a t i o n a l Park S e r v i c e
U.S. D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e I n t e r i o r
• No skating or skateboarding. • If you have
special needs or questions, contact the park
before you visit.
If you wish to visit both
islands in one day, plan
to take an early ferry.
Security and Safety
Due t o strict security
screening, please do not
bring large bags, backpacks, suitcases, or other
large items into park.
• All visitors and their
belongings are subject
t o search before boarding vessels. • All weapons and dual-use and
dangerous items are
strictly prohibited. No
pets allowed other than
service dogs. • Private
boats are not permitted
t o dock at either island.
More Information
Statue of Liberty National Monument, which
includes Ellis Island, is
one of over 390 areas
in the National Park System. To learn more visit
www.nps.gov. The park
is a World Heritage Site.
Statue of Liberty
National Monument
New York, NY 10004
212-363-3200
www.nps.gov/stli
ven b e f o r e it t o o k its place at America's
gateway, t h e Statue of Liberty over-
Your Visit to Liberty
Island
w h e l m e d those w h o saw it. Parisians,
w a t c h i n g t h e statue's construction in t h e i r city
in t h e 1880s, p r o c l a i m e d it " t h e e i g h t h marvel
of t h e w o r l d . " Set a t o p its pedestal in 1886, it
was t h e tallest structure in N e w York City—and
The thin copper "skin "
is supported by a web
of steel bars, which are
connected to four main
pylons.
t h e tallest statue in t h e w o r l d . A German i m m i g r a n t w h o s e ship passed by in t h e 1920s recalled
t h a t " m y m o t h e r rushed us t o t h e w i n d o w , t o see
this magic statue standing t h e r e . N o w w e w e r e
g o i n g t o g o t o h e a v e n . " To visitors today, t h e
statue's sheer size can obscure its m e a n i n g . As
y o u explore Liberty Island and t h e statue, consider t h e philosophy o f its sculptor, A u g u s t e
B a r t h o l d i : "Colossal statuary does n o t consist
Observation Level
Visitors can take an elevator
to the 10th floor pedestal
and climb 24 steps to view
the statue's interior from
underneath. Outside are
views of New York Harbor,
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten
Island, and New Jersey.
simply in m a k i n g an e n o r m o u s statue. It o u g h t
t o produce an e m o t i o n in t h e breast of t h e spectator, n o t because o f its v o l u m e , b u t because its
size is in keeping w i t h t h e idea t h a t it interprets,
a n d w i t h t h e place w h i c h it o u g h t t o occupy."
Liberty Island has interpretive outdoor exhibit
panels, a National Park
Service information center, and a f o o d and
gift concession building.
Ranger-guided tours
are conducted daily.
Program schedules are
posted at the informat i o n center and around
the island grounds. Selfguiding audio tours are
available in several languages at the concessions area for a nominal
fee. Liberty Island is
open every day except
December 25.
If you only have a brief
time, visit the outdoor
exhibit panels, stroll
around the island for
spectacular views of the
colossal statue and New
York Harbor, and join a
scheduled program.
Museum and Observat i o n Level in Pedestal
You must have a Monument Pass to enter.
Passes allow you t o view
the statue's interior and
other public areas and
visit the Statue of Liberty
exhibit and original
torch. Crown access is
by reservation only.
You can get Monument
Passes w i t h the advance
purchase of ferry tickets:
1-877-LADYTIXor
www.statuecruises.com.
A limited number of
passes are available
each day at no charge
to walk-ins at the ferry
ticket offices.
Please allow extra time
for this screening. • A
limited locker facility is
provided on the island
for small items and
strollers. • If you have
questions or special
needs, contact the park
staff before visiting.
For updated park and
security policies, please
contact the park staff:
212-363-3200; www.
npg.gov/stli.
If you have questions
or need assistance while
in the park, please contact a National Park
Ranger or United States
Park Police Officer.
Emergencies only: Command and Control
Center, 212-363-3260.
Security Information
A second security screening, similar to airport
security procedures, is
required for all visitors
w i t h Monument Passes.
Besides this full-scale replica of the face, the Statue
of Liberty Exhibit has artifacts and explanations
of the statue's history,
construction, and symbolic
role. The exhibit
JERS E Y
HUDSON
RIVER
C I T Y
Ferry tickets
Railroad Terminal
Ne
0.5 Kilometer
0
0.5 Mile
The
Battery
Ferry tickets
ST
RI
VE
Castle Clinton
National
Monument
R
Ellis
Island
ferry
0
w
rsey
Liberty
Island
YORK
M A N H A T T A N
Je
Liberty State Park
Statue
of Liberty
National
Monument
NEW
EA
J E R S E Y
fe
rry
NEW
w
Ne
rk
Yo
Governors Island
National Monument
North
B R O O K L Y N
STATUE OF LIBERTY MUSEUM
September 11
Memorial Grove
Pedestal and
Crown Entrance
Lockers
Security screening
Flagpole Plaza
INFORMATION CENTER
Cafe and
Bookstore
Audio Tour
Pavilion
Cafe
Plaza
Ferry Dock
Gift Shop
Sculpture
Garden
Liberty Island
Information
Sign language interpretation
Food service
Audio tour
Bookstore
Audio description
Gift shop
Museum
Restrooms
ATM
Baby changing station
First aid
Breastfeeding station
All buildings are
wheelchair-accessible
0
30 meters
0
100 feet
ELLIS ISLAND NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION
Interior shown at right
Ferry
Building
Ellis Island
0
Museum
Entrance
American Immigrant
Wall of Honor
Fort
Gibson
75 meters
0
250 feet
Buildings shown in gray are
closed to the public.
Restoring a Landmark
Silent Voices
Dormitory Room
Treasures
From Home
Bob Hope
Memorial
Library
Changing Exhibitions Gallery
Ellis Island Chronicles
Through
America’s
Gate
Theater
2
Hearing
Room
Peak
Immigration
Years
Citizenship
Gallery
Journeys: New Eras of
Immigration, 1945–Present
Journeys: The Peopling
of America 1550–1890
American
Family
Immigration
History Center
to Wall of Honor
and Fort Gibson
Ellis Island
Cafe
Information
Theater
1
Audio Tour
Bookstore
ENTRANCE
Gift Shop
Ferries
Information
Restrooms
Baby changing station
Elevator
Food service
Gift shop
Bookstore
ATM
Audio tour
First aid
Wheelchair-accessible